“Tikkun olam,” a Hebrew phrase that means “repairing the world,” embodies the work that Cranston resident David Meyers and his special friend Trina do every week. As a certified therapy dog, Trina – and her owner, Meyers – has been volunteering for seven years at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center, a nonprofit hospice and palliative-care provider.

Every week, on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, Meyers and his greyhound Trina visit as many patients as they can in hospice, hoping to bring a little joy and distraction in their day. It helps that Trina has a very calm demeanor. Her peaceful manner is the reason Meyers got her certified as a therapy dog.

One day a friend told Meyers “‘I got to tell you something,’” he said. “And I said, ‘What?’ She goes, ‘I think she might make a good therapy dog.’” Meyers trained Trina himself, read up on all the necessary information, and she passed certification.   

At first, it was tough to find a facility where Meyers and Trina could volunteer. He said he would call and never hear back. Just as he was about ready to give up, he called HopeHealth, not expecting anything.  

“I still remember the young lady who answered the phone,” Meyers said. “I said, ‘I have a certified therapy [dog].’” The response: “‘’Oh, we love therapy dogs.’” “They were so welcoming,” Meyers said. 

Diane Taveira, volunteer manager at HopeHealth, says it’s been wonderful having Meyers and Trina at the center.

“Dave and Trina are a delight,” Taveira said. “Dave comes in calm, cool and collected, and he'll go into a patient's room, introduce himself to the family members, if there's family members within the room. And then he kind of just lets it happen where if the patient wants to pet Trina, they can, or any family members if they're in the room.”

Located in Providence, the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center holds 30 beds in its inpatient unit and is the only facility in the state with an in-patient hospice care unit. Pet therapy is one of those services and for Taveira, it is one that can make a difference in someone’s day.

“I truly believe that Dave really brings a quiet and calming presence to the patients and the families,” she said. “And a sense of normalcy. He makes that connection with them. I think that puts them at ease.”

With a growing program, Taveira said, the hospice center is always looking for more volunteers. More referrals come in every week for pet therapy, she said, especially with patients who are at home. On average, Taveira says she gets four to six requests a week for pet therapy just from the in-patient unit.  

“We do have, a handful of volunteers and their pets,” Taveira said. “We really need more because we just feel like the demand is getting stronger and stronger.”

To Taveira, it is the volunteers who allow the pet therapy program to exist. They choose to share their lives and comfort others, which she says can make such a big difference in someone’s life, especially at the end of life. Meyers recognizes the importance of doing what you can.

"One of the most difficult things, I think … is when somebody's ill or having a difficult time. You don't know what to do,” Meyers said. “You don't know what to say. And a lot of times people shy away from visiting people who are in a hospital or ill at home because they don't know what to do. All you have to do is be there. It could be for five minutes, it could be for an hour. Just being there, that makes the difference.”

This experience has made Meyers appreciate life more. And more than anything, he says, he’s happy that he and Trina can do what they can, where they can.

“I know that what I'm doing for me is something I need to do and that I think it's the right thing to do and I'm happy I can do it,” Meyers said. “If the opportunity to help is there, just do it.”

And just like the Hebrew expression Meyers talks about hearing in temple (he grew up in Hebrew school and his daughter is a rabbi), “Tikkun olam,” with every bit of help that comes, maybe the world can heal, bit by bit. Those interested in volunteering can visit the center, at 1085 N. Main St., Providence, email DTaveira@HopeHealthCo.org or visit hopehealthco.org/volunteer/.