August 3, 2020

Chris Mansour: EveryStep Hospice Baking Volunteer

Editor's Note: While our dedicated baking volunteers have had to put their talents on hold during the pandemic, they eagerly look forward to once again being able to provide comfort food to families of EveryStep hospice patients. Here's a story highlighting one such dedicated volunteer.

As a retired nurse, Chris Mansour knew the importance of hospice care before she waded into the volunteer world.
 
"I was familiar with it, and what it did and the purpose and importance of it in our community," says Mansour, a volunteer for EveryStep Hospice volunteer in south central Iowa.
 
While there were many avenues of hospice volunteering available to Chris, she focuses her time on visiting with patients and baking sweet treats for those staying at EveryStep’s Greater Regional Hospice Home in Creston.
 
"I bake whenever they send out an email about a need," she says. "I grew up where my mom did that sort of thing a lot. She would bake and then give it away."
 
And so for the past seven years, Chris has been providing families and friends with a bit of peace in the form of a treat at the hospice house.
 
"I know families are spending time with their loved ones at Greater Regional Hospice Home and this gives them the time to sit down and sit back while their family member is resting and have a homemade treat," she says. "It's kind of like a creature comfort while they are away from home."
 
Though Chris doesn't have a set schedule for baking goodies for Greater Regional Hospice Home, she answers the call whenever an email is sent looking for baking volunteers.
 
"I have a brownie cookie that I frequently make," she says. "I might try some new things, but that's not always successful. It just depends on the day what I bake."
 
Chris suggests that anyone interested in volunteering for hospice, seek out the opportunities.
 
"There are many ways that you can volunteer," she says. "Sometimes people are scared away thinking 'I can't do that sort of thing.' But baking is pretty non-threatening. There's a very supportive staff there to help you along the way."

If you or someone you know has an interest in volunteering with EveryStep, please visit our website and fill out a volunteer interest form.