TIONESTA, Pa. (EYT) – When you look up the definition of volunteers in a dictionary, there should also be pictures of Bill and Nancy Wallace, of Tionesta — both 80 years old. 

Ever since they arrived in Tionesta in 1968, the couple has volunteered for nearly every cause in town and even Forest County.

“They have volunteered with the VNA for many years, and they are also heavily involved in their community in Tionesta,” said Jill Over, executive director of the Clarion Forest Visiting Nurses Association (VNA).

“They’ve always been a joy to work with.”

Bill was an education and agriculture extension agent assigned to Forest County, and Nancy was a school nurse for the Forest County School District. The couple has three children and eight grandchildren.

“My wife and I like volunteering,” said Bill.  “I’ve been active in the local Lions Club in Tionesta for 49 years.  They provide glasses for people in need and have a lot of different community needs here.  It’s the only service club in Tionesta, so we get involved with a lot of different things.”

The Wallaces answered a call for hospice volunteers from the Clarion Forest VNA Hospice.  Jill Over said the VNA periodically advertises a needs for hospice volunteers and offers a daylong training session.

Not only are volunteers needed by VNA, they are also required, according to Over.

“Volunteers, in general, are important for the VNA, but they are actually a requirement for a hospice program.  We have to provide a certain amount of our services by volunteers, so we have volunteers who are out with patients. We have volunteers who make our bears in honor of deceased patients; we have volunteers who come into the office every week and help with projects in the office; and we have volunteers who call people in the evening to make sure they’re doing okay.”

Currently, VNA has about 60 volunteers working, and they do receive special training.  People volunteering for the office don’t need hours and hours of training, but any volunteers who are going to be with patients received the daylong training session.

Hospice volunteers

Both Bill and Nancy were hospice volunteers.

“It just seemed like something we wanted to do when we saw the advertisements looking for volunteers in Forest County,” said Bill. “We knew it was a valuable service that’s needed, and we realized that we could help, and we had the time.  We haven’t been active with VNA the last couple of years but have done it for ten years.”

“It’s a difficult time for people, but it’s an important service that they provide.  I remember when hospice got involved with Forest County. It’s just very important to the individual and the family. You just need to show up and be there for them and listen.  We did get some training, and that was helpful.”

The couple has volunteered for other causes together on occasion, but generally, they have covered things separately. If some volunteering required some longer hours, and it was nearby, Nancy would go first, and Bill would relieve her.

Nancy had colon cancer over a year ago, but she’s recovered and doing well.

Nancy volunteers with the Red Cross and was in charge of the blood donations in Tionesta. Bill has been involved with the Red Cross in the past, serving as disaster chief.

“We’re also involved with two different churches. She’s involved with the Catholic Church, St. Anthony’s, and I’m involved with the Methodist Church,” said Bill.  “We’ve also both been active in our churches over the years.”

One of Bill’s projects with the Lions is that the club is responsible for giving tours of the Tionesta Lighthouse once a month during the summer.

“We charge $5.00, and that’s for the Lions Club. Jack Sherman, the owner, wants to have it shown and people to see it, and the Lions Club gets some revenue by conducting the tours. It’s a win-win for both sides. The Lions Club has been involved with it since it opened.”

Tionesta hasn’t changed as much as some communities since Bill and Nancy arrived in 1968, but they realize one aspect has changed, and it makes it more important to have volunteers.

“I worked with 4-H, but I’ve been retired going on 20 years, and I was involved with schools, and we just don’t have the numbers of young people that we did when we came here in 1968,” said Bill. “We’ve lost enrollment in our schools.  We’re now a population of older retirees.”

About Clarion Forest VNA

Clarion Forest VNA Hospice is a department within Clarion Forest VNA, Inc. that was established in 1994.

Clarion Forest VNA is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that is Medicare certified and state licensed. The organization is committed to providing the highest quality end-of-life care to the residents of Clarion County, Forest County, Jefferson County, and surrounding areas.

In choosing hospice, patients and families make the decision to spend their last days together in a familiar and loving environment.  With Hospice’s support, there is a sense of relief as specially-trained professionals offer care and guidance.

What VNA does:

Hospice care is care that is provided to individuals whose life expectancy is limited due to illness.  Hospice focuses on comfort and provides support not only to the patient, but also to the family or caregiver.

The organization’s goal is to provide the patient with the support and care he/she needs in order for him/her to live life as comfortable and fully as possible.  Hospice care can be provided anywhere an individual calls home.  It can be provided in the comfort of a person’s own home, a loved one’s home, a nursing home, or a personal care home.  The organization treats each patient and family as if they were their own.

Clarion Forest VNA bases their care on the individual needs of the patient and family.