Why Volunteer? John Hough’s Story
For John Hough, President of the Association, there were two reasons. Firstly, having seen first-hand the compassionate end of life care received by loved-ones, he felt compelled to give back through volunteering as it allows him to contribute, be part of a good cause, and to make a difference to the community where he lives.

Secondly, not only are you giving back and helping others, he believes the process promotes a real sense of satisfaction and self-worth along with being good for your health, both mentally and physically. As an employer for many years, he always looked for candidates with a sense of community spirit who had gone the extra mile by volunteering for a worthy cause.

Why Madrugada?
The mission of Madrugada is to put people in control of the last phase of their lives. To be able to facilitate this, especially at a very emotional and difficult time, is both a challenge and an honour. The Madrugada professional care team work closely with the patient and their loved ones to identify as early as possible how the patient’s last wishes can come true in the setting of their own home. Above all, the care team ensures the patient is always treated with dignity and compassion.

At a time when health care systems worldwide are struggling to provide adequate support to all patients, those at end of life seem most vulnerable. Madrugada provides the opportunity to help intervene in a small way but makes a big difference. This is what drew me to the Madrugada cause. My role, and that of the other volunteer Board members is to ensure that we can maintain and build on our services and to increase the geographic area we can cover. Our retail shops, also run by volunteers, make an enormous difference to what we can do. Any surplus goes directly to support patient care, and of course our excellent value shops provide a genuine social and economic benefit to the communities they serve, and to the wonderful volunteers who keep them running smoothly.

We are fortunate to have a core of other volunteers who support the delivery and collection of our medical equipment; facilitate donation collections, and who work tirelessly to organise and run fundraising events to raise money for the cause. All of this requires a huge amount of energy and commitment from these dedicated people who are the backbone of the association. We always need more pairs of hands on deck. There is always so much to do, that everyone who wants to get involved can and will be of assistance.

Why Volunteer? Angela Kean’s Story
Angela Kean, previously a carer in the UK, moved to Luz in 2017 with her husband. She volunteered for several charities in the UK and when she moved to Luz she wanted to continue to give back to the community and to help people. She has been a volunteer at the Madrugada shop in Luz, Encore Boutique, for 3 years and feels Madrugada is a worthy charity for the services it provides. The fact that people have stopped by the Luz shop to express their gratitude for the services provided to family members or friends, reinforces Angela’s support and commitment to Madrugada as a volunteer.

Why Volunteer? Jayne Steer’s Story
Jayne has been a ‘Wednesday’ volunteer at the Madrugada Charity Shop in Lagoa since it opened in 2018.

As a nurse in the UK, Jayne saw firsthand how much people who required palliative care benefited from being in their own homes, surrounded by familiarity and the people they love.

On a personal level, two of Jayne’s grandparents were able to receive palliative care at home. After her grandmother had seen how peaceful it had been for her grandfather at the end, she was very positive about what would happen for her when she received her terminal diagnosis: “I’m not in the least bit afraid, I couldn’t have wished for better for him and I am sure it’ll be the same for me.”
For Jayne, the work Madrugada does is essential, not just for the patient and their families, but also for changing the perception of dying. Ultimately it is the only sure thing in life.

What else has Jayne gained as a volunteer at Madrugada? She has made some good friends who have become her “family away from home.” It also feels good to be volunteering within the community where she lives, and to practice her Portuguese. Jayne is thankful for the support from her colleagues at Madrugada for their support during a time that she was unwell, as well as for her baking and dream of setting up “Cakes by the Ocean”. Jayne’s baking skills were featured at the Madrugada Coffee Morning hosted in February of this year.