First Lieutenant John Gorski, Army veteran and a volunteer at Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Hospice NWI in Valparaiso, has dedicated himself to caring for the needs of others. For the past three years, he has worked closely with VNA Hospice NWI’s clients who are veterans by participating in the organization’s We Honor Veterans program and its Vet-to-Vet Cafés. Gorski has many motivations as he volunteers.
"I hope to make the veterans feel more comfortable with their lives through my volunteer work,” Gorski said. “I do my best to let them know that I understand and that they can talk with me. I want to help other people. I love learning about the things that they’ve done and what they’ve gone through because it’s all simply unbelievable. My goal is to honor their service.”
Gorski grew up on a farm in La Crosse, a town southeast of Valpo. He went on to pursue a degree in general agriculture at Purdue University. One night, Gorski and his college roommate were up late when they realized that it was their duty to serve their country. Gorski joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at Purdue, setting his sights on an Army officership. His roommate decided to join the Peace Corps.
The Vietnam War was drawing to a close when Gorski graduated from college in 1971, so he did not expect to be called up for duty. However, in 1973, he received a letter stating that he had been assigned to the Army reserves. He was stationed at bases in California, Indiana, and finally Minnesota, where he served as the platoon leader of a transportation unit. Gorski would remain in the Army Reserves until 1980 and continued farming during that time. He has held many different jobs over the years, including a floor broker, assistant regional manager, and a grain elevator industry worker.
When his father contracted Alzheimer’s, Gorski began caring for him personally. After his father passed away, Gorski took care of his mother while she battled her schizophrenia until she passed away as well. Today, Gorski has found a number of ways to do charitable work in his community. He has run an all-men’s Alzheimer's support group for the past six years, providing resources and emotional support for men whose loved ones are living with the affliction. He also works very closely with the veterans in his area as volunteers at VNA Hospice NWI.
“I gravitated to the veterans and would talk to them a lot,” Gorski said. “One individual who left an impression on me was a World War II veteran who served under General Omar Bradley. This veteran was actively dying. I had no words to say and I couldn't figure out what to do for him. I started volunteering at VNA Hospice NWI because I thought they might know what I’m supposed to be saying. Eventually, I learned that it really isn't up to me, it's up to the person who’s passing away. My job is to listen to whatever they want to tell me.”
Gorski’s volunteer work at VNA Hospice NWI primarily consists of organizing and leading the Vet-to-Vet Cafés. These events let veterans socialize as they enjoy refreshments, typically coffee and donuts. Gorski also participates in We Honor Veterans, a national program that supports VNA Hospice NWI patients by pairing them with veteran volunteers who can support the patients as they make their transition. While Gorski primarily volunteers in communal settings, he enjoys supporting veterans in other settings as well.
“I enjoy the one-on-one conversations I have with veterans,” Gorski said. “Every once in a while, I’ll get a call asking me to come talk with one of the veterans in hospice. I would say 99% of the time, we end up talking about their lives instead of the military. We’ll talk about what’s going on in their families or whatever else they want to discuss.”
Gorski seeks to forge a meaningful connection with each veteran he interacts with when volunteering.
“Although you can be trained to learn how to interact with veterans, I think the fact that I’m a veteran too helps us relate to each other,” Gorski said. “I can speak their language, which is really important. I’ll ask them questions like: ‘What was your military occupational specialty (MOS)? What was your rank? Where did you serve?’ It’s all about asking the right questions when you’re talking to them.”
During his down time, Gorski, a proud Valpo resident, enjoys doing lawn care and attending theater performances at Valparaiso High School. He plans to continue volunteering at VNA Hospice NWI, doing everything in his power to ensure that the veterans he works with are as comfortable, happy, and fulfilled as possible.