June 25, 2020

Giving Back In A Small Way: Volunteer Lori Fangman

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.

It was almost a matter of time before Lori Fangman became a volunteer with EveryStep Hospice. Several members of the nurse's family had been patients of hospice.
 
"My mother-in-law was at Kavanagh House many, many years ago," she says. "My dad also had home hospice a few years ago. I know the wonderful things hospice does."
 
That understanding and Lori's love for baking made her the perfect volunteer to provide baked goods for families visiting EveryStep’s Kavanagh House on 56th Street.
 
"A few years ago, when I cut hours from full-time, I knew I needed to fill those hours with something," she recalls. "So I looked into volunteer opportunities, and found that this would be a good fit for me. I like to bake and I had the time."
 
And so, every Monday, Lori brings coffee cake, cookies and other treats to the hospice house on 56th Street in Des Moines.
 
"We experienced the baked goods first-hand when my mother-in-law was there," she says. "It's a small way to give back. I know how much the folks who are there appreciate what is brought in for them."
 
Lori's husband enjoys her volunteer duties, as well, she notes.
 
"He gets some too," she says.
 
While baking might seem like a small task, Lori says she's felt appreciated the entire time she's been doing so for Kavanagh House.
 
"One of the ladies that greets you when you walk in said to me one day 'there's my favorite baker!,'" she recalls. "And when there's family in the room when I drop off, they always express their gratitude."

Interested in learning about volunteering opportunities with EveryStep? Check out our volunteer page.