the friday philanthropist

this week i took liz's challenge to find a family-friendly volunteer activity in the greater-lehi area. it's a bit of a stretch, but here's what i've got for you and davey (baby emma can probably tag along, too):

as i have been learning in my history of philanthropy class, american health care providers include non-profit, not-so-non-profitty-non-profit, and for-profit organizations. unfortunately, the differences are often difficult to identify and based on outdated technicalities. utah hospice specialists is a for-profit organization that provides "an unparalleled quality of palliative hospice care" by striving to "embrace life's special moments."

but it was the memory keeper program, not the tag line, that caught my attention. as memory keepers, volunteers conduct and record "interviews" with hospice clients about their life experiences. in some cases, memory keepers gather these stories via close friends and family. the stories are then compiled and stored so that, after the client passes, loved ones can receive a copy to review and cherish when they "want to remember."

to ensure program quality and client safety, volunteers must attend a 12-hour orientation, have been/get TB tested, and pass a background check. so you should probably sever your ties with the italian mafia asap.