Whitman County Resident Helps Countless Seniors in his Area
Like many volunteers who find SNAP’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) Program, John joined following his personal experience with a loved one who needed end-of-life care. When he retired in 2016 from working at WSU as an IT professional, he knew that volunteering was going to be a way to keep active and engaged with his community. As he was searching for volunteer roles, his mother got ill, and he spent much time with her before she passed away. It was then that he saw an ad for the LTCO Program and decided to try it out.
John joined the volunteer group in 2019, just before Covid began, and it was fortunate he did, as he was one of only two volunteers who was servicing Whitman County and all the long-term care facilities and adult family homes; since joining, his compatriot has stopped volunteering, so John now tries to visit many of the adult family homes in Pullman.
“John is amazing in helping us reach all of the facilities in Whitman County – he is diligent in his work and provides a much-needed presence for these residents,” confirms Aaron Riley, SNAP Essential Connections Core Director.

The LTCO program is largely volunteer-driven, and it is one of few SNAP programs that reaches beyond Spokane County. The program has a five-County reach, an area which contains over 380 facilities and over 7,800 beds, or potential residents who need help advocating for their rights. The program currently has only 18 volunteer to assist with this vital work.
Covid presented many challenges to the residents and facilities themselves, as they were forced to isolate residents completely to limit the risk of Covid spreading. Unfortunately, this took its toll on residents and their families.
“So many family members were calling me all the time, so distraught that they couldn’t visit their mother, father, children in these homes. I would just listen to them and their worries, and it made them feel so much better, even if I couldn’t change the situation, “John recalls.
Now that Covid restrictions have lifted, John is able to make regular visits to the facilities and reach out to residents. He visits them as often as he can – he still runs a small business with his wife, so time is sometimes limited – but he is dedicated to the role, visiting with residents, and ensuring the LTCO program poster is visible, and his contact details are available for residents and family members to reach out to him when they need support.
For more information about the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and how to get involved, please learn more here or call (509) 456-7133.
The role has also helped John and his family personally – when his father-in-law’s dementia reached a point beyond that which they could care for him, they took comfort in placing him in a comfortable adult family home nearby that would ensure his care through the end of his life.
For anyone looking for an enriching volunteer experience, this is a valuable role to jump into. All initial and ongoing training is provided, along with mileage reimbursement and support. Reiterates Aaron, ““Currently, in Whitman County we have 36 long-term care facilities and only one volunteer in the County. So, we could really use a few more volunteers that live in the towns of Pullman and Colfax in Whitman County, as well as Ferry, Pend Orielle, Stevens, and Spokane Counties.” For more information about this program and how to get involved, please visit www.snapwa.org/ltco or call (509) 456-7133.