NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
On FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care Day at the Fairfield County Fair, they awarded Community Education Coordinator Rick Schneider with the FAIRHOPE Community Legacy Award.
This is the first year for the award and it was created to honor individuals in the community who have provided a legacy of caring and community service.
“Rick has been a hospice volunteer with us for the past 22 years,” said President/CEO Denise Bauer. “He has also worked for us as a community education coordinator for the past 13. He is a true testament to what our organization and community believe in, and we’re honored to work with him each day.”
In 1997, Schneider saw a small ad in the newspaper that said FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care was looking for volunteers and responded to the inquiry.
“I knew in that moment of seeing the ad, I had to respond,” said Schneider. “It was a true calling. There was no other option, but to volunteer for the organization.”
Prior to working for FAIRHOPE, Schneider held jobs in construction, warehouse management and was even a taxi driver in Dayton.
“I do not have a medical background, but I believe in what hospice does for the patient and their families,” said Schneider. “I love that we are able to change the focus from the disease to the person.”