Agnes Flaherty

Agnes Flaherty has contributed to several programs and initiatives to hospice care in Southern Maine. Volunteering approximately 40 hours per week, she currently serves on the Board of Directors for Visiting Nurse Service of Southern Maine, Wardell Home for the Aging, The Pines and Board Member Emeritus at Community Health Services.

Out of her dedication to hospice care, Agnes coordinated the hospice program of Hospice Volunteers of Southern Maine from 1980 to 1988 as a volunteer. She has long been committed to providing comprehensive hospice services to patients and families in their homes and has been very influential in the growth of volunteer hospice services. When the volunteer program merged with the Visiting Nurse Service of Southern Maine to become the Hospice of Visiting Nurse Services, Agnes played a critical role in assuring that the hospice needs of patients and families would still be met, by creating a Hospice Advisory Committee to guide the transition of the merger.

Agnes has been involved in this program in several capacities. She was initially directly involved in the development of volunteer services and facilitating teaching and training. She has provided leadership to the program in several roles, as board member and president, public relations ambassador, community liaison, fund-raiser, volunteer recruiter, and hospice bookstore manager.

Hospice of VNS continues to benefit from one of Agnes’ most creative and innovative projects. To obtain the funds needed for staff positions, education and training and operating expenses, Ages spearheaded the creation and opening of two hospice bookstores. These stores sell donated used books at reasonable prices to help fund the volunteer program. Agnes single handedly created systems for book donations, recycling, volunteer recruitment and scheduling. The stores grossed more than $35,000 in revenue in 1999.