Better Together Podcast Episode 14: Honoring the Past, Rebuilding the Future Part 2: Reflecting on a Life of Giving and Service with Hutch Shumaker

In Part 2 of our Honoring the Past, Rebuilding the Future series, we welcome our first guest in the series: longtime community leader, volunteer, and donor Hutch Shumaker. Hutch, a third-generation owner of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Columbus, reflects on his decades of service supporting Our Hospice—dating back to the organization’s earliest days. With warmth, humor, and deep sincerity, Hutch shares how a simple flyer and a $100 check led him into the second-ever volunteer training class in the early 1980s. He recounts meaningful moments at the bedside, unforgettable home visits, and the powerful lessons learned while walking alongside families at the end of life. Hutch also revisits the origins of early hospice traditions, including Christmas caroling and the creation of the first Hospice Concert. Through his stories, Hutch offers a heartfelt reminder of how compassion, community, and the courage to show up can transform lives. His reflections honor the legacy of those who built the foundation of hospice care—and inspire us as we look toward the future. A moving and memorable conversation you won’t want to miss. Listen now at ourhospice.org/podcast