Tom’s Uncommon Journey of Volunteer Companioning
By Meredith Melgar, Volunteer Coordinator, Foothills Compassionate Care
In hospice care, time is precious. Most patients are only on service for a matter of months, sometimes just days. Volunteers often join families for a brief but meaningful chapter. That’s why Tom’s relationship with one of our patients is something truly extraordinary.
For the past year and a half, Tom has been a constant — a quiet, dependable presence in the life of a woman whose days have steadily grown smaller. Their visits began the way many companionship visits do: gentle walks around her neighborhood, unhurried and filled with conversation. When her strength changed, their walks moved indoors, circling the hallways of her care facility. Eventually, the visits settled into the comfort of her room, where mobility gave way to stillness but never diminished the connection they shared.
Today, the patient rests quietly during their visits, and Tom reads aloud. Sometimes it’s scripture. Recently, it was The Wizard of Oz, each chapter delivered in the same calm, caring voice she has come to know so well.
Through every stage of her decline, one thing has not changed: her face still lights up the moment Tom steps through the door. Even when words are few, recognition beams in her eyes. His voice, his presence — they reach her in ways that transcend conversation.
The staff at the facility know Tom as well as they know each other. He’s become part of the rhythm of the place — “part of the woodwork,” as some put it. Like clockwork, every week, he arrives. Without fanfare. Without fail.
And for the patient’s family, that consistency means everything. In a season marked by uncertainty, they take comfort in knowing that their beloved matriarch has a visitor who shows up with intention, empathy, and unwavering commitment.
Tom would say he’s just doing what he can — offering time, companionship, and kindness. But to this patient, to her family, and to all of us at Foothills Compassionate Care, his presence is a gift of rare and simple grace.
Some volunteers bring brightness into a room. Tom brings it week after week, month after month, season after season. And in doing so, he reminds us all what quiet compassion can look like — steady, humble, and profoundly human.
If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please visit https://foothills-cares.org/volunteer/ or contact Volunteer Coordinator Meredith Melgar at 530.274.5108