One Hour Weekly: Hospice Volunteer Brings Joy to Patients

Sometimes the most powerful gift you can give someone costs nothing but an hour of your time.

Since August 2025, Jenn Kristovensky has been volunteering with WellSpan's hospice companionship program in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. She dedicates one hour each week to visiting patients who need someone to sit with them, listen, or simply share a smile.

"I really enjoy connecting and getting to know our patients," Jenn says. "It's important to make sure they know someone is always there for them, even if it's just a smile or time spent listening."

Jenn works full time as an employer health consultant at WellSpan, but volunteering has shown her a completely different side of healthcare. She arrives at each visit with compassion and creativity, bringing activities when helpful but understanding that presence alone often matters most.

"Sometimes people just need someone to be there for them and that's enough," she explains.

Patients have noticed the difference these visits make. Many light up when they see volunteers in their blue vests entering the room, creating moments of warmth and genuine connection during difficult times.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine is how Jenn reframes what we think volunteering requires. She's not donating days or weekends. Just 60 minutes weekly creates real joy for hospice patients and their families.

The entire volunteer team contributes in different ways. Some provide one-on-one companionship while others work behind the scenes preparing supplies, donating materials, or providing coloring pages and fidget tools. A few even offer haircuts and hands-on care services.

For Jenn, the hour away from her busy schedule has become invaluable perspective. "We're all caught up in our busy lives but spending time with these individuals really puts everything into perspective," she says. "It does as much for me as I do for them."

The best part? Anyone can join. WellSpan welcomes new volunteers who can spare even one hour weekly to make someone's hardest days a little brighter.

One hour can truly change everything.