A Calling to Care: Kass Scholarship Recipient Elvin Martinez Is Giving Back to the Community That Helped Him
For Elvin Martinez, nursing has never been about medicine alone. It’s about sitting beside someone who feels alone. Offering a warm blanket. Bringing a cup...
The Geography of Loss and Why the Grieving Brain Must Rewrite Its Map
Recently, my work with Gilchrist became deeply personal when I lost my grandfather to cancer. Suddenly, I wasn’t just standing at the bedside as a...
A Full-Circle Journey: From Gilchrist Volunteer to Geriatric Care Patient
For 15 years, Elaine Gardner gave her time, compassion, and unmistakable sense of humor to Gilchrist patients and families. Today, at age 90, she is...
Priya’s Perspective: The Neurochemistry of Holding Hands
During my volunteer shifts with Gilchrist, I often find myself sitting in rooms wrapped in total silence. I may be stationed at the bedside of...
Honoring Their Service, Remembering Their Sacrifice: A Memorial Day Reflection
On Memorial Day, we pause to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. It’s a day rooted in...
Priya’s Perspective: When Neuroscience Meets Compassion in Hospice Care
When I first started volunteering at Gilchrist, I was a little nervous. I think most people my age would be. We’re so used to school,...
A Calm Presence at the Bedside: How Gilchrist End-of-Life Doulas Support Patients and Families
When someone is nearing the end of life, families often describe time as both urgent and slow. Decisions pile up. Emotions come in waves. And...
Capturing Treasured Legacies Through Gilchrist’s Memory Bear and Pillow Legacy Program
Sometimes grief shows up in ways words cannot hold. A flannel shirt still hanging in the closet. A favorite tie tucked in a drawer. A...
Where Generations Meet: Inside Gilchrist’s Gen2Gen Volunteer Program
On a quiet afternoon in a senior living community, a teenager sits beside an older adult, listening as she talks about the blanket spread across...
The Gift of a Wagging Tail: Gilchrist’s Pet Love Program
Some visits begin with a knock, a gentle hello, and a familiar question: “Do you like dogs?” Then a tail starts wagging. At Gilchrist, patients...
