Newsletters & Press

“Tamarisk: offering companionship for people with life-threatening illnesses”

Originally published in ABC Newspapers’ Opinion section
Thursday, June 1, 2018
by Eric Hagen, Staff writer

April was recognized as National Volunteer Month in the United States. An Anoka County-based nonprofit connects volunteers with people battling life-threatening illnesses.

Maynard Solomonson, 77, has seen Tamarisk from the perspective of a volunteer and a recipent of the services.

While Maynard’s wife of 55 years, Betzke, can provide some care, Parkinson’s Disease limits Maynard’s mobility and the Blaine couple needed a helping hand for errands and household chores.

Along came Billy Vossberg, a 39-year-old commodities trader with General Mills. For nearly five years, Vossberg has been the Solomonson home to take Maynard to the hardware store or out for ice cream or to play cards or board games. He has helped with many home improvement projects to make it easier for Maynard to get around. The biggest project was getting the bedroom properly wired and set up for electronics.

Vossberg has even been invited to the Solomonson’s cabin along Sullivan Lake a few times.

“He is family,” Maynard said.

Shelly Palashewski, program director for Tamarisk, said Solomonson and Vossberg are role models for other Tamarisk companions. But it is OK if a volunteer is not comfortable with tools or does not have the strength to lift heavy objects. Many times, all that is needed is an ear to listen.

. “We don’t have an agenda when we come and visit our companions,” Palashewski said. “You come in as complete strangers and over time you develop trust and this relationship and you become friends. It’s almost like it’s family.”

Tamarisk provides all these services for free.

Over its 25-year history, Tamarisk has served 1,190 families with more than 45,000 volunteer hours. The numbers fluctuate throughout the year, but Tamarisk provides companion services to an average of 40 clients a year and have a roster of 60 to 65 volunteers who provide companionship, help with special events or serve on the board of directors.

Palashewski said her father-in-law had Parkinson’s Disease and dementia. Palashewski helped as much as she could, but she was raising three young girls at the time. Her mother-in-law was able to be a caregiver on most days, but a Tamarisk volunteer coming in just a few hours a week gave her mother-in-law time to pay the bills, go to the store or have friends over.

Tamarisk is always in need of volunteers, Palashewski said. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, pass a background check, and complete 12 hours of training prior to being matched with a client to care for their non-medical needs.

Beverly Anderson, a 72-year-old retiree, is a companion to Cody, 24, Josiah, 20, and their single mother. These young men, who reside in Fridley, have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Anderson describes Tamarisk as “opening a whole new door in my life.” She has become an extended member of their family playing games, going on outings, and even attending graduations.

Solomonson vividly recalled the moment that motivated him to sign up as a volunteer companion for Tamarisk about 10 years ago. He was getting on an elevator at Mercy Hospital, preparing to leave after visiting a friend. A woman came onto the elevator, crying, and he asked what was wrong. She said her mother had just died. Solomonson asked if he could give her a hug and she accepted. They parted ways and he left the hospital. But on his way home, with this moment still on his mind, he made a U-turn on Coon Rapids Boulevard and drove back to the hospital and found the woman in the hospital cafeteria.

This woman’s mother was lucky to have family by her side, but not everyone is that fortunate. While Tamarisk offers companionship to people still at their homes, volunteers could also be there when their friend draws their last breaths.

Once, Solomonson sat up all night with a woman in hospice care, just talking and holding her hand to provide comfort.

As a young child, Vossberg remembered going with his grandparents to a local senior citizen home to play cards. After his mother died from ovarian cancer, he was looking for volunteer opportunities and found Tamarisk five years ago. One year ago, he also became a volunteer firefighter for the Ham Lake Fire Department.

“Billy is such a joy and inspiration to me,” Solomonson said. “He’s a jewel and makes me smile. It’s like I have another son.”

The next training event is planned for early summer, provided there is additional volunteer interest. For more information on Tamarisk, visit www.tamarisk.org.