South Florida Teen Rallies Support for Hospice Staff and Patients

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Asha Gandreti. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Caring for patients in hospice can be a rewarding yet emotionally draining journey for healthcare workers. Asha Gandreti, a 17-year-old high school student, recognizes the challenges of providing end-of-life care and founded Help for Hospice to show her gratitude for their roles. Through this and her volunteer work on the ground with Catholic Hospice, she creates care packages for nurses, does clerical work, assembles grief boxes for grieving families, accompanies hospice patients as a companion, strategizes ways to increase her impact with the hospice youth leadership board she founded and more. 

When she’s not working on hospice care activities, Asha is heavily involved in school activities including serving as president of the Girls Who Start club, co-president of a tutoring program for foster children, sergeant-at-arms of the Technology Student Association chapter and a varsity athlete in weightlifting.  Her musical talents on the violin and viola have led her to perform internationally in places like the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Musikverein in Austria. 

Whether sparked by her compassion for others or her drive to improve lives, Asha’s interest in the medical field has inspired her to pursue medical school after college. Empathy and kindness will, no doubt, serve her well as a physician and endear her to future patients in their time of need.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative? 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was very troubling to see nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers being overburdened and unappreciated. These relentless individuals worked tirelessly to provide for their communities and to ensure the health and wellbeing of their patients while consistently putting their own health at risk. It was at that moment, in 2020, that I became determined to start this initiative. With a mission to support and uplift hospice healthcare workers, I have worked to create a community that honors those who dedicate their lives to providing comfort and care during life’s final stages.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Help for Hospice and Catholic Hospice. 

As a volunteer for Catholic Hospice, I frequently assist with on-site tasks from clerical work in the finance department to preparing grief boxes for families who have lost their loved ones. My goal is to make as large of an impact as possible, which looks different on any given day. 

I also serve as the founder and president of Help for Hospice, an organization I developed for students at my school who also have the desire to recognize hospice nurses, doctors, etc. My role is to plan, organize and execute service projects to spread appreciation for hospice healthcare workers across South Florida. Some of the projects that I’ve designed include on-site volunteering with Catholic Hospice Services, writing thank you letters during Thanksgiving and assembling care packages for nurses. Being able to craft these projects from scratch is very rewarding, and I love seeing my ideas come to life. Nearly 100 students have shown interest and been involved thus far, and I’m very excited to see how much more it grows in the upcoming years.  

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

Seeing the smiles on the nurses’ faces after receiving their gifts was one of the best feelings. It was apparent that we had made their day and had a big impact on them. I still have nurses reaching out to me to thank us for our work! It really makes me happy to see how impactful a small gesture of kindness can be.  

It has also been really rewarding to see the amount of involvement of other volunteers in my community. To be able to inspire so many young people to work towards this cause has truly been gratifying.  

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

Consistency goes a long way. Showing up, being ready to help and having a positive attitude each and every time I volunteer motivates me to keep going again and again. You may face challenges and setbacks along the way, but if you keep working hard and diligently, you will see the impact in the long run. 

What is something important for potential volunteers to know about working in hospice?  

Volunteering in hospice care requires not only a very deep sense of compassion, but also a tremendous amount of emotional resilience. We’re supporting patients near the end of their lives and providing comfort for their families. I think that it is important to acknowledge the fact that this is a difficult role to have, but an extremely rewarding one. 

Why is it important to get involved with causes they care about? 

Getting involved transforms personal passion into impactful action. When you notice a problem or shortcoming in your community, the first question you should ask yourself is “How can I change this?” or “What can I do to help?” Once you start taking responsibility and step up as a leader, you’re already halfway there.  

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

Be an advocate in your community, and spark change where you see it necessary. As a middle schooler during the pandemic, there were times that I questioned my ability to make a difference in such a large community since I was only 13 years old. I’m glad that I didn’t let that stop me from pursuing my passion in healthcare and making a difference in my community. Now, we have a large community of hospice volunteers not just within my school community, but around South Florida, and I am so honored to have ignited the journey.  

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Asha? Find local volunteer opportunities.