We recognize that debilitation and suffering frequently offer opportunities for detachment, patience, empathy, humility, awareness of the intrinsic goodness of other people, forgiveness, wisdom, and love. But we also recognize that suffering persons possess the capacity to inspire and transform others by generously allowing us to reach out in compassion and care.

Unfortunately, our culture does not generally place a value on the transformations that can emerge from sharing one another's suffering and weakness. This often leads to patients, and particularly elderly and seriously ill or injured patients, feeling as though their lives are burdensome, expendable, wasted, or even despised. Our mission is to heal those wounds and encourage love to flourish. Toward that end, our volunteers commit to the following pledge:

The Being With Pledge

I believe that what makes life worth living is love, hope, goodness, compassion, generosity, and faith.

I believe that love means the gift of myself -- my time, my heart, my smile, even my life; and that true love requires sacrifice, surrender, and commitment. I am willing to offer my personal sacrifices to bring love into the world.

I believe that every single human being is a mystery -- a unique, unrepeatable creation, with intrinsic dignity and infinite worth.

I believe that human beings do not lose dignity or worth when they lose health, independence, youth, function, control, or possessions.

I believe that "being with" is as deep an expression of love as "doing for." So, if I find that there is nothing more I can do to alleviate someone's suffering, I will enter into relationship by being with the other.

Although suffering in itself is not a "good," I believe that any moment of suffering has the potential to be transformed into a moment of great love. More than at any other time in life, the suffering person has the power to inspire, to draw others out of themselves, and to make the world come alive in compassion and self-sacrifice. I value the generous act of love that is produced by suffering persons who humbly allow others to enter into their vulnerability.

I will never say or do anything that I know will cause a suffering person to think that he or she is unwanted, or that may lead a suffering person to despair or to believe that life is no longer worth living.

I believe that every suffering person is worthy of my love. I pledge to be with those who suffer, as I can