HARBOR SPRINGS -- Lisa McQueen is a military mom with a daughter in the Air force, two sons in elementary school and an older son who has a family of his own.

For Lisa and her husband Bill, it's this close knit family that's their main focus, and it's something that prompted her to become involved in hospice.

"My involvement with hospice came as a patient family first.  I had brought my mom home from the hospital and her physician said it was time to call in hospice.  I had no idea what that was.  I just knew I was scared, and he suggested Hospice of Little Traverse Bay," says Lisa.

After much agony,  Lisa enrolled her mom.

"Our days were filled with volunteers and nurses and care providers.  They really listened to what my mom had to say, what she wanted for herself.  She was clearly in the end of life," says Lisa.

Realizing what hospice actually does, lead Lisa to become involved and eventually start helping other families.

"I have worn all kinds of hats with hospice of Little Traverse Bay.  I have helped with fund raising, public speaking, patient care, advocacy and family education as well as issues for children in grieving and bereavement," says Lisa.

Lisa says she believes in hospice because it's more than just an end of life...it's a way to help people during a personal time of grief.

"There's not a magic wand for every end of life situation but I believe that every time you enter that experience with the support of people who are experienced and educated and available to you when you need them, everybody wins," says Lisa.

She doesn't consider herself a hero, instead Lisa says the heroes are all hospice staff and the families involved.

"Hospice cannot possibly succeed with the efforts of one person.  It can only succeed with the efforts of many and northern Michigan has a number of Hospice organizers with exceptional people....They are more compassionate and they have a sense of conscious about people in their community...I think that speaks volumes of the caliber of people living in our community," says Lisa

Lisa McQueen has been a volunteer and family advocate with Hospice of little traverse bay since 2002.

If you would like to nominate someone in your community for our Your Town Hero report, you can email Melissa Smith at: msmith@upnorthlive.com