F E AT U R E
Connie and Larry Lambert are grateful for the support they receive from Hospice of the Valley’s Legacy Corps volunteer program.
Rewarding Opportunity Veteran finds joy in bonding with volunteer BY LIN SUE FLOOD Hospice of the Valley
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right and early, every weekday morning before she heads to work, Meredith Bartlett shows up at her friend Larry Lambert’s house. The Navy veteran is always waiting with a smile and a hug. Together, they take his dog for a walk around his Phoenix neighborhood. That little stroll is just a slice of Meredith’s day, but it’s everything to Lambert. After a serious fall a few months ago and increasing memory decline, the 75-year-old didn’t feel
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Sound of Freedom | MAY/JUNE 2022
safe venturing out alone anymore. Meredithhelps him stay active and his wife, Connie, knows he’s safe. And it’s all thanks to Legacy Corps, an AmeriCorps program. Through a partnership with ASU and Hospice of the Valley, volunteers like Meredith are trained to support military veterans living with dementia. “It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Meredith says with absolute sincerity, “helping someone who appreciates it so much. I look forward to seeing him every day. I’m his friend, but he’s my friend, too.” She takes Larry to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, post office or bank. The two often plan “adventures” to places like the Heard Museum, Desert Botanical Garden and the Penske Racing Museum. A few times they’ve made pasta, rolling the dough,
pressing and cutting the noodles. The goal is to enjoy the day, whether it’s a good or a difficult one. “I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Larry confesses. “She’s my guardian, she holds my hand. She puts up with an old guy who can’t always think of the right words.” A tear slips from his eyes as he continues. “It’s magnificent and beautiful and very emotional for me. If she can’t come, I really feel a day of loss.” Meredith’s background is in speech pathology, “so I love the challenge of helping someone who may have difficulty communicating, as dementia patients often do,” she says. “Larry is interesting and funny and entertaining. I wasn’t expecting to be so full of joy doing this, but it’s really wonderful.” Without these outings, Larry is pretty sure he’d be sitting in front of the television all day
