Michigan Seeks Veteran Volunteers for Hospice Care

Sometimes the most meaningful gift you can offer another person is just sitting together, sharing stories or playing cards. When both people in the room have served in the military, that simple presence carries a weight and understanding that requires few words.

Hospice of Michigan is calling on veterans to provide companionship to fellow veterans receiving end-of-life care. The need is especially urgent in the Downriver area, where more than 16,000 veterans live but not a single veteran volunteer currently serves in the program.

Ruth Moore-Lilly, volunteer program manager with Hospice of Michigan, says the organization tries to match veteran volunteers with veteran patients whenever possible. "They have some camaraderie immediately," she explains, noting that good-natured rivalry between military branches often breaks the ice.

The role requires no medical training or special skills. Volunteers typically visit one or two patients weekly for an hour or two, doing whatever feels natural: watching television, talking, playing games, or just sitting quietly together.

Louise Pastula saw this special connection firsthand while caring for her father, a World War II Army veteran who died in January 2025. After connecting with Downriver for Veterans, her father found something she couldn't always provide despite their closeness.

"I learned more about my father's service, I believe, because of these other veterans he was speaking to," Pastula recalls. There were painful experiences she hesitated to ask about, but when he talked with combat veterans who understood, the stories finally emerged.

Other families have expressed similar surprise. Moore-Lilly says spouses sometimes tell her they've heard stories for the first time after decades of marriage, once their veteran partner started visiting with another vet.

The program is especially important now as Hospice of Michigan increasingly cares for Vietnam-era veterans. Many have rarely spoken about their military experiences, even with those closest to them. After several visits with another veteran, however, those long-closed doors sometimes open.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story special isn't just about helping veterans at the end of life. It's about how shared experience creates space for healing and connection that even the most loving family members can't always provide. Louise Pastula watched other veterans tell her to sit down at events, saying "We got him," giving her precious breaks while surrounding her father with people who truly understood his journey. That's the kind of care that honors both the giver and receiver.

Volunteers need only have served in any branch of the military, whether for one year or twenty, during conflict or peacetime. Hospice of Michigan provides online training and ongoing support.

With nearly 461,000 veterans living across Michigan, the organization hopes more will answer this call to serve once more.