Hospice honors volunteers
FROM STAFF REPORTS Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Covenant Hospice volunteers Sam and Joyce Goldenberg have been chosen to receive the 2008 Volunteers Are the Foundation of Hospice Award. This prestigious national award will be presented at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Management and Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, in April. The Goldenbergs will be recognized for their extraordinary contributions to Covenant Hospice over the past 16 years.

When Joyce Goldenberg heard that Covenant Hospice was building an inpatient residence, she knew that she had to be a part of it. In the spring of 1992, Joyce became the first volunteer at the new residence. Throughout the years, Joyce has grown attached to many patients and experienced the pain of loss when they passed away. In recognition of their mother, Joyce's children presented a monetary gift to Covenant Hospice. The sign outside the building where she continues to volunteer now reads "The Joyce Goldenberg Inpatient Residence."

The Goldenbergs are also responsible for creating and organizing an annual garage sale, which over an 11 year period, raised more than one million dollars for Covenant's under-funded and non-reimbursed programs.

Covenant Hospice will also be receiving an Award of Excellence in Education at the NHPCO conference for its Leadership Development Institutes.