NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER
St. Joe's and Carmel Hospice volunteer Lise Bayer poses for a photo at St. Joe's. She sets up various events throughout the year for the residents at St. Joe's.
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker
Ever since Lise Bayer started volunteering at St. Joseph’s Home and Carmel Hospice, the residents there have lived brighter and more active lives.
For the past couple years, Bayer has been planning events and activities for those who live in the home and hospice, because she says she wants them to live the best lives possible.
“I started off as a board member, but as time went on I saw the need for more activities for the residents,” she said. “I assist by coming into the home and holding things like a music evening, we did a July 1 celebration — I’m just trying to get the residents here a little more active if that’s what they want.”
With a little more than 27 years of working at the downtown Royal Bank and roughly two years until her retirement, Bayer says she hopes to spend more time at St. Joe’s once she is done with work.
“The only thing I want more out of doing this is being here,” she said. “When I have a little more time I will be able to do a little more, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing once I am retired.”
Bayer says volunteering has been a great way of using her time.
“I’ve got the time now that my children and grandchildren are older, so I needed to fill that hole with something, and I wanted to do something to help others,” she said. “I didn’t want to just sit on the couch, I wanted to be out doing something and doing this has really grown on me.”
After doing volunteer work at the hospital in the past, Bayer says working with seniors has always been a passion of hers.
“I think I like helping seniors because my grandparents didn’t live in my area when I was growing up,” she said. “Since I didn’t know my grandparents that well, I feel like this is helping me fill that void, as well as allowing me to help out some people that might need it.”
