GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Veterans in West Michigan can help other veterans who are at the end stages of life.
Hospice of Michigan is looking for veterans who want to volunteer in hospice care.
Ryan Gadberry is a property manager and veteran volunteer for Hospice of Michigan. He served four years with the Marines - and now helps the organization with their "pinning ceremonies".
The event helps honor and thank veterans for their service in the hospice care system.
According to Gadberry and staff, this helps both those in hospice and the veterans who are donating their time.
"Showing them that they're still remembered, that they're still cared about, that it's, you know what they did all those years ago wasn't a lost cause," said Gadberry. "People still think about that, and it's important to us, it's important to them, and it's important to their family."
"That special connection they have as service members is really really special," said Lauren Becker-Barkman, volunteer program manager for Hospice of Michigan. "The whole team feels it, the families feel it, they're really beautiful moments to be a part of, in an already kind of incredible hospice journey."