[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 17, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE PHILADELPHIA PROGRAM OF VITAS HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEERS

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                         HON. RYAN A. COSTELLO

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 17, 2018

  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr Speaker, I rise to recognize all the 
volunteers with the Philadelphia Program of VITAS Healthcare, who 
graciously give their time and talents serving neighbors in need 
throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.
  VITAS Healthcare has been a pioneer in hospice care since 1978 and 
has the distinction of being the nation's largest provider of end-of-
life care. The Philadelphia Program of VITAS launched in 1993 and 
currently operates three in-patient units serving the five-county 
Philadelphia region.
  More than 60 volunteers in the Philadelphia Program serve a vital 
role in helping VITAS Healthcare deliver quality care and support to 
more than 200 hospice patients and their families every day. Volunteers 
of all ages and from diverse backgrounds carry out a variety of tasks, 
ranging from running errands and placing reassuring phone calls to 
spending quality time with hospice patients in their homes, hospitals 
and skilled nursing facilities.
  VITAS will honor these outstanding volunteers during an annual 
luncheon on April 28, 2018. The event is part of National Volunteer 
Appreciation Week, which was established by President Richard Nixon in 
1974 to highlight the invaluable contributions of all volunteers and 
the incredible difference they make in the lives of those they serve.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in expressing our 
sincere gratitude to all the volunteers with the Philadelphia Program 
of VITAS Healthcare for their selfless service to individuals and 
communities in southeastern Pennsylvania. May their exemplary 
dedication and generous spirit inspire all to give back to others and 
strengthen our communities through volunteerism.

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