February 26, 2025
Meet Patty Timmens, EveryStep 2024 Volunteer of the Year
In her nearly 18 years as an EveryStep hospice volunteer in the Centerville, IA area, Patricia (Patty) has worked with countless patients, their families and fellow volunteers. Throughout all her experiences, one thing always comes back around.
“Being a volunteer gives me much more than I give to my patients and families,” Patty said. “It is the greatest gift I have ever given to myself.”
Patty’s first brush with EveryStep in 2007 (which was then Hospice of Central Iowa) was as a development associate, where she visited area organizations to educate others about the good work being done by the doctors, staff and volunteers. She also took patients to appointments, represented the organization at civic events and learned all the inner workings of hospice care.
About a year into her job, her mother started to fail in health and Patty made the choice to spend more time with her, stepping away from her position, but not from the organization.
“When I started with Hospice of Central Iowa, I had just moved back to Iowa from Nevada and I was in a bit of culture shock,” Patty said. “But it was an instant welcome here. The organization opened their arms and seemed so happy to have me as an employee, then as a volunteer. It brought so much good to my life.”
Patty will tell you, there can be some unknowns in the life of an EveryStep volunteer. Namely, locating homes of patients in rural areas.
“There was one time I was on my way to visit a gentleman in hospice care, a Vietnam veteran,” Patty explained. “He lived a rural area and I had the hardest time finding his home. By the time I finally arrived, I was frazzled and not very calm. You go in thinking the patients are the ones who will need or want to chat, but that day, I was the one who needed a chat. And he was happy to let me. As the volunteer, it’s OK to be vulnerable. He was able to give me peace and comfort that day. Patients love feeling like they can provide something to those who are volunteering or taking care of them. It’s really about finding the joy in the everyday, no matter what that may be.”
Patty has taken the good volunteering has brought into her life and has worked to give it back tenfold. From walking dogs to playing dominos, to lotioning hands and listening to cherished life stories — her list of roles grows longer by the day. Perhaps that’s why she was named the 2024 EveryStep Volunteer of the Year.
“The award caught me off guard,” Patty said. “It’s a prize for doing something that I love and for something that I consider a gift. In so many ways, I feel like I should be giving an ‘Organization of the Year’ award to the social workers, nurses, aides and team director at EveryStep. We are so very lucky to have EveryStep in Iowa!”
Patty also stays active with a number of other efforts, including serving on the local advisory board for EveryStep, volunteering at the Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum, and as a member of the local hospital auxiliary. But at the end of the day, it’s EveryStep that has made such an impact on her retirement years.
“Getting to watch the Everystep staff work their magic with these folks is a gift to me,” Patty said. “Yes, we cry, sometimes a lot. But we smile, too. So much smiling! And the best part is knowing I have this incredible army of Everystep staff to lean on and our clients have that same group caring for them. I wish that everyone could see the work that is being done within this organization.”
For anyone interested in volunteering, Patty encourages them to look past “the sad,” as she has found so many beautiful moments in her 18-year volunteer career that have made her a fierce proponent in the power of human connection.
Information on volunteering with EveryStep can be found here or by calling 515-274-3400.