What others say about Hitchcock:
“I do devotions every morning, and sometimes when I can’t be here, he’ll fill in and do morning devotions for me. He’s always smiling.”
Peggy Young
The Groves’ spirituality and aging minister
“He’s always there – every day. He always has a positive attitude about people. He has more friends than anybody I have ever met. He’ll tell me each day, ‘Well, they’re my friend.’ I think that is the neatest thing of what it’s all about. He can make somebody smile or somebody talk that nobody else can reach because he establishes a relationship, going back day after day.”
Bev Christopher
The Groves’ director of volunteering services
In a span of 20 years, Leonard Hitchcock experienced the death of two wives, two sisters and two children.
In the late 1980s, he and his wife at the time had planned to retire and to live out their years together at a cabin in Colorado. Two months after moving, she died. Hitchcock then relocated to Independence in 1991, and two years later, he joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is today known as the Community of Christ.
Previously, he belonged to the Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian and Jehovah’s Witness faiths before finally settling with the Community of Christ.
“I’ve been studying religion all my life, but I never could find a church I wanted until I found RLDS,” Hitchcock said.
New job titles are constantly invented for Hitchcock in his volunteer role at The Groves, said Bev Christopher, The Groves’ director of volunteering services. He takes The Groves’ residents to doctor appointments, waters flowers in apartments and assists in a food pantry on a daily basis. While Hitchcock doesn’t provide any direct physical care to residents or to patients, he provides emotional support often by simply sitting with people and talking with them. He reaches more than 10 faith denominations in his volunteer work.
Now in his eighth decade of life, Hitchcock also swims 10 laps at 5:30 a.m. three days a week at Independence’s YMCA, in addition to his full-time volunteer position with The Groves.
“That’s back and forth 20 times,” Hitchcock said of his swimming. “I’m fast. I’m getting my money’s worth up there.”
What do you most enjoy about your volunteer work?
Hitchcock: The people. I love people. Jesus taught me to do that. (Hitchcock smiles through the tears streaming down his face.) This is a fun job.
Young: He knows the place so well. He knows where to go and how to do just about anything.
Hitchcock: After all these years, I know where everything is hid, I guess. (Smiles)
Christopher: He’s their friend. It’s more than just a chaplain. I even call him at home sometimes when the need comes up ... very, very rarely does the man ever say ‘no.’ He’s a good mentor to other volunteers. He’s a good recruiter; he’s always bringing somebody to be a new person for a volunteer, and I appreciate that so much.
