VNA Health Volunteers

02/26/2026

02/26/2026

"I started to volunteer at Serenity House as a thank you for the wonderful hospice care my mother received. Being a part of Serenity House is a gift which enriches my life every day."

Jo Bardsely creates flower bouquets at Serenity House once a week, with the flowers that get donated by the Dream Foundation She customizes them based on the patients' preference of color or flower type.

02/09/2026

💙 Volunteer Spotlight 💙

This weekend, Solvang volunteer Maddy Stone (pictured on the right) joined our team at a community resource fair, representing VNA Health alongside our marketing staff.

Maddy is one of our dedicated patient care volunteers and also a member of our flower delivery team, creating and delivering beautiful bouquets that bring comfort and joy to our hospice patients. 🌸

We’re so grateful for volunteers like Maddy who show up for our patients and our community in so many meaningful ways. Thank you for all that you do!

Thank you for hosting 2-1-1 day! We are proud to be a part of this community 💙🧡💚💜

01/30/2026

💜 This week, 15 volunteers from our Solvang and Santa Barbara teams completed a 3-week training series with the Alzheimer's Association, California Central Coast Chapter joining both in person and via Zoom.

Thank you to facilitators Debbie Brown and Luciana Mitzkun for sharing their expertise and compassionate approach to dementia care.

The training focused on understanding dementia, communication strategies, and meaningful ways volunteers can support quality of life and connection.

01/26/2026

It’s a special day at Serenity House! 🐾

Today marks the first visit for pet therapy volunteer Peggy Perhac and her dog Teddy. They’ll be here weekly, spreading comfort and joy to our hospice patients. Welcome to the team! 💙

01/19/2026

January’s Santa Barbara Volunteer Meeting was a meaningful one. 💙

We were honored to hear from Serenity House Chef Fabio Hidrobo, who shared how preparing meals for patients at end of life is an act of love, dignity, and connection, and how food can reconnect patients to meaningful memories and moments from their lives. He also spoke about his role in helping lead the Serenity House garden renovation, creating a peaceful space for patients and families.

Chef Fabio will be joining our Solvang volunteer meeting in February. ✨

01/08/2026

“I think my own vivid near-death experience made it possible to see death as a familiar and integral part of life… After transformative experiences with hospice workers who were present at the deathbeds of family and friends, I was inspired to take the hospice training.”

For the past 11 years, Thomas Felkay and his pup Emma Rose have been providing comforting pet therapy visits at Serenity House and through Home Hospice, bringing calm, connection, and companionship to patients and families when it’s needed most.

12/19/2025

Congratulations to Sarah (upper right) and Alex (far right), two of our newest VNA Health volunteers, pictured here at their Westmont College Nursing Pinning Ceremony. We’re so proud of you both and grateful to have you joining our hospice volunteer team.

Westmont celebrates the accomplishments of 25 new graduates of the Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program at a pinning ceremony Today at Montecito Covenant Church. This is the sixth cohort to graduate from the 16-month accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program, housed at 26 W. Anapamu.

Watch the pinning ceremony live beginning at 4 p.m.: https://www.youtube.com/live/3BaTrO8kOYg?si=DfJn2MQDwqBbD_ol

12/17/2025

Welcoming our newest volunteer classes 🤍

Our classes of 10/30/25 and 12/5/25 include an oncology nurse practitioner 🩺, pre-med students 🔬, psychology majors 🧠, two Westmont College nursing students celebrating their nursing pinning ceremony tomorrow 🎓, musicians 🎶, and a certified pet therapist with her therapy dog 🐾.

We’re also excited to introduce Teddy 🐾, our new Serenity House pet therapy dog, who is already bringing comfort and smiles.

Different gifts, one shared heart for service. Thank you for saying yes.

11/25/2025

Want to visit Egypt? Tokyo? Africa? Or swim under the ocean with dolphins?
With this VR “virtual travel” experience, our patients can connect with meaningful memories from places they’ve visited, lived in, or always dreamed of seeing — all from the comfort of their room.

Today our Serenity House volunteers had the chance to test this amazing technology and imagine how it could bring comfort, joy, and connection to those we serve.

A special thank you to owner of Visiting VR, Stephen Jones for the demonstration.

💙 We are excited about the possibilities this could bring to our patients.

11/21/2025

🌟 Congratulations to our Vice President of Operations, Sena Woodall!

We’re proud to share this feature from VNA Health highlighting Sena’s incredible leadership. In addition to her many responsibilities, Sena also oversees our Volunteer Program — and the success of our program is deeply connected to her guidance, support, and true understanding of the volunteer role.

Not every organization has leadership that recognizes the impact volunteers make, but we are fortunate that Sena does. She champions our volunteers, understands their needs, and values the compassion they bring to our patients and families every day. 💙

We’re grateful for her commitment and partnership!

11/18/2025

🌿 A Moment of Peace at Serenity House 🌿

Today, volunteer Matthew Mitchell spent time with one of our Serenity House patients living with advanced dementia. She is bedbound, unable to communicate her needs, and has very limited ways to engage with the world around her — but moments of comfort still matter.

Matthew brought his sound bowls and gently played soothing tones at her bedside, offering a calming sensory experience and meaningful quality time. Even when a patient cannot respond or express themselves, being present with them is an act of dignity, compassion, and human connection.

We are so grateful for volunteers like Matthew who bring comfort in the quietest moments. 💙