Meet Karol Tinken, Campbell County Health
Home Health and Hospice
volunteer, and member of the Hospice Advisory Board, in Gillette, Wyoming.
Karol has been a CCH volunteer since 2007, and has given 600 hours to support
both hospice patients and staff members.
Her passion for hospice began when her sister entered hospice care in Casper,
Wyoming 14 years ago. Karol’s sister realized that she could no
longer live at home as her health declined, and Karol spent a lot of time
in Casper as her sister neared the end of her life. After her sister’s
death, Karol knew she wanted to volunteer for CCH
Hospice because she believes in what hospice care stands for.
At first Karol helped with clerical duties like mailings. She attended
hospice training and completed bereavement classes, and began volunteering
for events like the
Service of Memory and Hope. Now she is the co-chair of the annual Hospice Family Picnic, along with
Mary Beltz; and serves on the Hospice Advisory Board. One of Karol’s
favorite things to do is to cook meals for the families of Hospice patients.
“It really fulfills me and hopefully helps them out too,” says Karol.
Karol has lived in Gillette since 1973, and she taught second, fourth,
fifth and sixth grades in the
Campbell County School District for 33 years.
In addition volunteering, Karol keeps busy by working as needed at the
library in the Children’s Area. She enjoys reading, playing bridge and just
being outdoors. Karol has a daughter Stacey, son-in-law Jamie, and two
grandsons, Jarodan and Preston.
Hospice Social Worker
Melisa Haddix says that Karol doesn’t realize the impact she has on others.
“She doesn’t get to see the appreciation from the families
she helps with meals, and she does it anyway,” said Melisa. “Karol
not only cooks a main dish, but a side dish, dessert and bread—she
even takes requests. It really takes the load off the family, so they
don’t have to worry about cooking and can just enjoy time with their
family member.”
Karol embodies the spirit of volunteerism; giving her time for the opportunity
to help others. Thank you for helping our Hospice patients and families
enjoy their time together.
If you're interested in learning more about
volunteering with CCH, please contact Volunteer Coordinator
Chris Buxton at 307.688.1536 or visit
www.cchwyo.org/volunteer.