Through the efforts of our outreach director at the time (Hi, Anne), the plan was to have volunteers from hospice and health care organizations talk directly with viewers about caregiver issues. We would distribute local and national outreach materials and information, along with advice for dealing with the often overwhelming challenge of meeting the needs of a loved one in their final days.
I privately wondered whether anyone would volunteer or even watch a program with such a difficult subject. It seemed like the last thing an exhausted caregiver would want to watch, and I reasoned that they certainly wouldn't want to call us to receive a brochure.I had seen the wonderful spirit of hospice staff and volunteers very recently with the death of my father, so the enthusiastic response to our request for phone volunteers shouldn't have surprised me. Caregivers can experience a deep sense of isolation, and I should have known they might need someone to talk with about the frustrating circumstances they face.
As I remember, the calls started early in the broadcast and continued beyond the closing credits. The phone rang over 220 times. At one point, a volunteer placed the receiver on the hook, and thought out loud, "I think I may have just saved a life."
At the end of the evening, when every caller had been served, a volunteer who had given up her evening in support of the project asked, "Can we do this again?"
So we did. And we've used our phone banks to address other social concerns, such as health care disparities, depression, and the needs of young people Aging Out of foster care.
There may indeed be such a thing as "healthy" cynicism and skepticism, when used sparingly. Thanks to this story about an inspiring group of Detroit Public TV volunteers and viewers, I never forget that optimism is the best place to start.
Posted by John O'Donnell
Communications and Brand Management
Detroit Public TV
