Many have spoken and written about the importance of compassion in healing. A patient's state-of-mind is widely recognized as a key factor in recovery and well-being.

But how have many have built a program that reliably lifts the spirit - consistently delivering compassion, hope, joy, and encouragement to the patient's bedside, all year round? Karen Fox and her all-volunteer team have done just this - for the past 22 years.

Adventures of old so often began when a stranger in rags knocked unexpectedly at the door - at a pivotal moment in the hero's life.

So it is today with Karen's Raggedy Ann & Andy visiting program for hospitals and nursing homes. In their darkest hour, feeling alone, afraid, and in pain, thousands of patients encounter something they never expected: "Hi, it's Raggedy Ann, would you like a visit?"

So begins the adventure, as the patient invites Raggedy Ann to visit. Little does he know the love, the kindness, the life-affirming appreciation and acceptance that will be given to him – at the exact moment, when he needs it the most.

More than just rag dolls, Raggedy Ann & Andy are support for the soul in illness.

Under the mop-top wig are many undergraduate students, who plan to enter the health care professions. By volunteering with Adventures in Caring they gain life skills, build emotional intelligence, and learn to listen to patients. Our future doctors, nurses and health care providers will be better for this.

In 1991 Adventures in Caring was the first organization in the Tri-Counties to be recognized by President Bush with his Point of Light Award for outstanding community service.

Doctors began to notice how the Raggedys gracefully handled emotionally sensitive situations. They asked, "How do you train your volunteers so well? Can you teach our people the same skills?"

So Karen, and her husband Simon, developed a workshop, wrote a book, and produced videos, to pass on their communication skills.

These learning tools are now used by more than 5,000 organizations nationwide. Hospitals, hospices, churches, charities, and colleges use them to teach staff, students, and volunteers how to communicate with compassion.

As a child, Karen served lepers in Ethiopia, and survived a revolution in Iraq. As a single-mother, working for two doctors, she survived cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. From both sides of the hospital bedrail Karen knew only too well the emotional needs of those who are ill and dying.

Her initial inspiration to lift the spirits of those who are sick and alone has blossomed into a far-reaching program that brings compassion and inspiration into the lives of thousands of people every year. Regardless of their illness, race, religion, age, gender, or income - patients and their families receive compassionate, psychosocial support from skilled volunteers, free of charge.

Communities, families, and individuals are held together by such compassion. Please join us on this adventure in caring, and leave a legacy of compassion for future generations.