At just 17 years old, Danial LaFountain enlisted in the United States Army and became a power generation equipment repairer. Today, several years later, he finds joy and fulfillment through volunteering with the Center for Hospice Care and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
LaFountain’s path to the military wasn’t always clear. Growing up, he moved back and forth between Northern Indiana and Colorado. Near the end of high school, he returned to Colorado to live with his dad, choosing to leave school and find work instead. After six months, his father urged him to think more about his future.
“My dad asked me what I was going to do with my life,” LaFountain said. “I told him I didn't know, and he suggested the military. That's when I went to talk to the recruiter.”
In the summer of 1989, LaFountain earned his GED, and by January 1990, he had joined the Army. After completing his training, he was stationed in Germany and later volunteered for Operation Desert Storm, spending five months in the desert while maintaining generators and related equipment.
Following his service in Germany, LaFountain spent a year at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After four years of service, he left the Army in January 1994 and returned to Colorado to run a record business with his father.
Eventually, LaFountain moved back to Indiana, where he worked in factories and as an insurance agent.
In 2015, LaFountain ended up needing surgery on his spine, a result of an injury from years ago. This left him unable to work or do much at all.
“I had to have surgery on my back — I previously fractured my spine during a training exercise while in the military — where they replaced a couple of discs and then fused my spine together,” said LaFountain. “I spent a couple of years not really being able to do a whole lot.”
As he spent most of his time at home in the years following his surgery, LaFountain’s doctor encouraged him to find ways to get out more. This led him to consider volunteering. The first place that came to his mind was the Center for Hospice, inspired by a positive experience when his mother received care from the organization.
“In about 2004, my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer, and she had Hospice take care of her for a couple of years,” said LaFountain. “I became really fond of them because of that. I was thinking back on that when I thought about volunteering. They were the first people I called.”
For the past two years, LaFountain has volunteered with the Center for Hospice, visiting nursing homes to play games and interact with residents every week. Spending time with them lifts his spirits just as much as it lifts theirs.
“My favorite part of volunteering with the Center for Hospice is seeing the joy in everybody,” LaFountain said. “In a place like a nursing home, a lot of people are kind of lonely, but they really light up and enjoy themselves — they laugh and clap their hands. It just fills me with joy to bring that joy to their life.”
LaFountain also participates in special events with the Center for Hospice, such as pinning ceremonies for veterans in nursing homes, where he honors their service with poems, statements, a pin on their collar, and a salute.
Volunteering with the Center for Hospice motivated LaFountain to get out of the house even more. He now also serves as the commander for Marshall County DAV Chapter 42, where he leads monthly meetings and assists veterans in securing their disability benefits.
“At the DAV, we assist veterans with getting their disability rating,” LaFountain said. “We see about 130 veterans a month who come in to talk to our service officers. We spend a lot of time planning fundraisers to assist veterans and going to events to get our name out there.”
Outside of his volunteer work, LaFountain enjoys fishing, riding his motorcycle, and spending time with his family — often gathering for meals or game nights.