Anthony Wayne High School sophomore Julia Gurcsik spends monthly hours serving families in Whitehouse. Her dedicated service brings comfort to area patients and helps grieving youth heal. She volunteers regularly with Hospice of Northwest Ohio.
The student decided to help others following a family loss. Her great-grandfather died last spring. She visited him often in a similar setting.
Gurcsik explained her personal motivation to get involved.
“My great-grandpa died about last spring. And after that, I wanted to give back and volunteer at hospice,” Gurcsik said.
Gurcsik listens to patients during her visits. She values the peaceful atmosphere there.
“Even just like how everyone likes hospice and how it’s very respected and it’s a very calm environment there. People like to tell me a lot about their lives or ask about mine,” Gurcsik said.
Agency leaders praise her special awareness around patients. Kathy Valtin serves as vice president of marketing and communications for the organization.
“(She has) An outgoing personality, but then also standing back and seeing, kind of reading the room and what needs to be done, what needs to happen,” Valtin said.
The Whitehouse student expanded her community service this past summer. She worked as a counselor at Pathfinder Camp. The free day camp lasts one week.
The program supports children coping with loss. Gurcsik worked directly with a group of 8-year-olds. She learned vital lessons about sorrow.
“Definitely, you’re not alone in your grief. Definitely is the number one thing I’ve learned,” Gurcsik said.
She shared that comfort with the young campers. Valtin noted the long hours the teenager spent supporting children.
“I think her passion, her passion to help people, to help children, the fact that she volunteered the entire week, it was an early day and it was a late day and just to have that passion to help others,” said Valtin.
Her family loss inspired deeper community involvement. “After my grandpa passed, I found this new volunteering space that gives me purpose,” Gurcsik said.
She plans to return to the camp next summer. The children asked for her return.
“The kids made me promise that I’d sign up next year. So I’ll be going this next year,” Gurcsik said.
Hospice programs offer supportive medical and emotional care for patients with terminal illnesses. Grief camps provide structured group activities to help children navigate emotional loss. These outreach services support families facing major transitions across Whitehouse and nearby towns.
Gurcsik continues her monthly volunteer routine.
