Lari Keeler is a chaplain at Hospice East Bay. Read their story below:
I felt called to become a Chaplain after working for Providence Hospice of Seattle as an Americorps Service volunteer. I noticed how lonely and isolated most of my patients were and what an enormous difference it made in their quality of life to have a friendly visitor. Through this experience and personal challenges, I discovered just how impactful spiritual and emotional support can be. In my work as a Chaplain over the past 9+ years, I have witnessed the way that my spiritual interventions, assessment, and empathetic support have allowed patients to have a more peaceful and easeful end-of-life experience.
Taking care of my own physical, emotional and spiritual health has been crucial in sustaining Chaplaincy work. I am passionate about my colleagues and I having the kind of work-life balance needed to truly provide exceptional care for our patients and their families. Being a union steward with NUHW gives me the tools and platform to advocate for the support and balance that we need as hospice providers to continue to show up for our important work.
