Les Tesnow, a volunteer with Bridge Hospice, has been named the Hospice Volunteer of the Year by the Ohio
Council for Home Care & Hospice.
The Hospice Volunteer of the Year is an award presented to a volunteer who has exhibited outstanding
dedication, service, compassionate care and love to hospice patients and their families. This individual
goes out of their way to make the lives of hospice patients a little better, their days brighter and
improves their quality of life. All those who volunteer at a hospice agency that is a member of the Ohio
Council of Home Care & Hospice are eligible to be nominated for this award.
Tesnow began as a volunteer with Bridge Hospice in 1996. His volunteer service includes offering respite
care to caregivers who need time away, performing administrative duties, serving as a nursing home
visitor and assembling wheelchair ramps. Tesnow also works with the Bridge Hospice Gift of Dreams
program, which grants last wishes to individuals and families and plans special programs for Hospice
patients.  
"Les Tesnow’s service and leadership in Gift of Dreams and wheelchair ramp assembly makes him stand
out among a sea of dedicated volunteers," said Julie Tiell, Bridge volunteer coordinator. "He
is the unofficial chairman for our wheelchair ramp assembly team. Our ability to provide wheelchair
ramps would not exist without Les and our assembly team volunteers.
Les has set up ramps so that a grandfather could watch his grandson play his senior year of football, so
that a wife could take her husband outside to enjoy spring weather, and so that a farmer could leave his
home to take a drive through the country admiring the crops. Les has touched so many lived with the
simple principle of giving where there is a need."
Tesnow was presented with the award at the Outstanding Individuals in Home Care & Hospice Awards
Luncheon held Sept. 23 in Columbus.