We all have a special memory that comes to mind when you catch the smell of a fresh batch of baked cookies. Cookies have a way of warming our hearts, and to many, serve as a comfort food.  Gwen Miller, a volunteer for Covenant Hospice drives 30 miles from Lillian, Alabama, to devote her time to the patients at the Covenant Hospice Inpatient Care Center at West Florida Hospital.

On Thursday evenings you can find Gwen in her kitchen preparing cookies to bring to the Care Center on Friday mornings. Gwen brings a different kind of cookie every Friday.  “The Chaplain, Ed Norris will look for me when I bring the cookies in,” laughs Gwen. “I started bringing cookies to show my appreciation to the staff that provided wonderful care for my husband and then I thought, I should bring cookies in for the patients too,” says Miller. “With these homemade cookies, I hope to bring a smile or a sense of comfort to the patients.”

According to Miller, her cookies can sometime serve as an “icebreaker,” to bring a sense of joy, or to start a conversation with the patients and families who may be having a difficult time dealing with the end of life. Sample one of her cookies like a Graham Cracker Crunch cookie, and with one bite it will bring a sense of comfort and joy to mind.

The staff at Covenant Hospice adores Gwen Miller and sincerely appreciates her hard work and dedication of bringing smiles to the patients, families and staff of the West Florida Care Center. “Her cookies are made with love, you can see the enjoyment that she has, and that she gives the families when she gives those cookies out,” said Norris.  She brightens up the day.