GREAT VALLEY — Clair Doner and Alice Altenburg laughed and joked like a couple of old friends as they visited at a backyard table at Doner’s rural home in Great Valley.

Doner, a patient with HomeCare & Hospice in Olean, and Altenburg, a patient volunteer with the agency, will tell you they have developed a friendship over the past year of visits at Doner’s home.

The two spoke of the benefits of the program, both for the recipient and volunteer, to help the agency in its efforts to recruit more volunteers.

Altenburg, a retired Limestone Elementary School teacher, has been a patient volunteer since 1998. HomeCare & Hospice administrators said the Allegany resident has served more than 3,500 volunteer hours for the agency.

Altenburg became a volunteer after her mother received hospice care in 1997.

“I was impressed with the program and I wanted to help,” Altenburg recalled.

While she can’t remember exactly how many people she has visited and helped over the years, she believes the volunteer work has been very rewarding.

A native of Salamanca and a U.S. Army veteran, Doner, 81, is retired from Dresser Industries. He has lived at his current residence in Great Valley the past 57 years. His late wife, Jean Ann, died four years ago. He also has four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

When Doner was diagnosed with black lung disease, staff with the Veterans Administration in Olean referred him to HomeCare & Hospice.

Vinny Pezzimenti, agency relations coordinator for HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care, said Doner receives the entire realm of hospice care. This includes skilled nursing, daily visits from home health and personal care aides, social workers, spiritual care people and weekly visits from Altenburg.

“Hospice also provides him meds and medical equipment,” Pezzimenti remarked. “Hospice has allowed Clair to remain living comfortably at his home, where he has lived since 1958.” Altenburg said she basically visits with Doner, but also helps him with simple tasks and errands, as needed.

“I’ve come up here (to Doner’s home) for almost a year,” she said. “We talk about almost every subject you can think of.”

Altenburg said she finds a personal satisfaction in being a volunteer.

“And I think it helps the patients,” she added.

The friendship between Doner and Altenburg is typical of relationships that develop among those involved in the program, Pezzimenti said.

“Patients and volunteers often become good friends,” he said. “They socialize, play games and take part in other activities together. Volunteers bring the outside world to people whose outside world often no longer exists.”

Those who would like to learn more about the volunteer program can call the HomeCare & Hospice office at 372-2106 and speak with volunteer coordinator Peggy Gillespie.