About Us
Our mission
Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County provides free, confidential, non-medical support and assistance to those at the end of life, their families, and the bereaved, and offers education on these end-of-life decisions and bereavement within the community.
Staff
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Three decades ago, I moved to this beautiful part of Maine from the UK and made Monroe my home.
For the past 20 years at HVOWC, I have had the deep privilege of helping hundreds of people in their final days, and to witness the journey of bereavement of those left behind.
As a community organizer, I have been lucky to wear many hats, whether it is arranging for a patient’s bedside vigil, listening to a heart-wrenching story of loss, organizing support for nursing home staff in the pandemic, or arranging for a long-lost son to fly in and reconcile with a parent. This is all made possible by our deep bench of gracious volunteers who accept the challenge. We share the understanding that death afflicts us all, but it brings us closer in what really matters in life.
I am continually inspired by the strength of our community expressed by the hundreds of volunteers I have been fortunate to train with. Every day I see their generosity, kindness, and creativity as they go about their daily acts of compassion and caring in the service of the people of Waldo County. This is what keeps me going.
Board
Jean Ashland
Board President
Jean is an ordained interfaith chaplain and a resident of Belfast. She has been a board member of Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County since 2016. Jean frequently assists with training our hospice volunteers and is our volunteer Spiritual Care Coordinator. In addition, Jean is a member of the Greater Bay Area Ministerium (GBAM) and currently serves on the Waldo County Recovery Committee as the GBAM representative.
Ken Morris
Board Treasurer
Ken retired to Waldo County in early 2021 from a varied career involving engineering, consulting and information technology. He provided consulting services to UN agencies and NGO’s including UNICEF, UNDP, World Health, Pan American Health, Green Climate Fund, and the International Monetary Fund.
Ken holds an engineering bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and a master’s degree in business administration from MIT.
Ken has found many opportunities to engage in the local community. He volunteers for the Belfast Community Works Repair Café, Belfast Senior College and serves on the board of WBFY radio station acting as treasurer. Ken enjoys cycling and kayaking. He also has a passion for bicycle repair, often rescuing bikes from the transfer station or the side of the road, giving them new life, and finding them new homes.
Sandy Mattson
Board Secretary
Sandy has lived and worked as a Registered Nurse in the Waldo County area since 1989. Prior to that, she was a nurse in the Air Force for 10 years. She recently retired from Waldo County General Hospital after working as a Nurse Supervisor for 27 years. She has always had a passion for hospice nursing and is a strong advocate for hospice care for patients and their families in Waldo County.
She enjoys reading and spending time out in nature: particularly hiking and kayaking. She is an active hospice volunteer and patient advocate offering her perspective and experience with those she has served in her role as a nurse.
Carol Kuhn
Board Member
Carol has lived in Waldo County since 2000 and worked at Seaport Community Health Center (Searsport Family Practice, Seaport Family Practice). She recently retired as a Family Physician but stays active in the Health Center’s treatment of substance use/ opiate use disorder. She is active in the Restorative Justice Project of Maine, and Come Boating!
She has always been a grateful advocate of palliative and hospice care for her patients, and is now a hospice volunteer. She enjoys all activities nautical; she is most comfortable in the water.
Polly Shyka
Board Member
Polly Shyka has been a volunteer with HVOWC since 2017 and a board member since 2021. She is an ordained Interfaith Chaplain and serves as the Chaplain at Waldo County General Hospital. She is also a farm business owner (Villageside Farm of Freedom) and works on a federal grant addressing farmer mental health.
Grant Funders
Our work is made possible by the generous support of the following:
Partner Organizations
Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County believes strongly in the power of community and relationships. We are honored to partner in service with the following organizations:
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Partner Organizations (A - L)
Aging Well In Waldo County
Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce
Belfast Area Friends Meeting
Belfast Area Rotary Club
Belfast Bay Fiddlers
Belfast Coop
Belfast Flying Shoes
Belfast Free Library
Belfast Lions Club
Belfast Police Department
Belfast Public Health Nurse
Belfast United Methodist Church
Carver Memorial Library
City of Belfast
Department of Veterans Affairs
First Church in Belfast
First Congregational Church of Searsport
Friendship Sampler Quilters
Greater Belfast Area Ministerium
Hammond Lumber Company
Harbor Hill Center
HeartSong
High Street Graphics
Liberty Library
Little River Redemption
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Partner Organizations (M - Z)
Maine Hospice Council
Paddling the Rapids, Deb Burwell
Palermo Community Center
Penobscot Shores Retirement Community
Pica
Riposta Funeral Home
RSU 71
RSU 3
RSU 20
Sandy Point Congregational Church
Senior College at Belfast
St. Francis of Assisi Church
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
Stockton Springs Community Library
Tall Pines Health Care Community
Towns of Waldo County
UCC Lincolnville
United Methodist Church, Belfast
Unitarian Universalist Church, Belfast
University of Maine at Orono
Unity Barn Raisers
Unity Area Rotary Club
Villageside Farm
Support our work
Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County is an independent non-profit organization funded by the generous donations of our community.
Volunteer companions in times of illness, dying and grief.
Talk with us
In Waldo County, no one need die or grieve alone. Please reach out to us so we can support you. We will try to get back to you within 24-48 hours.
207-505-4434 | Email
HVOWC, PO Box 772, Belfast, Maine 04915