Donor Newsletter - Transitions LifeCare

June 2014
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Raleigh, NC
Permit No. 1661
250 Hospice Circle • Raleigh, NC 27607
919.828.0890 • transitionslifecare.org
Annual Dinner: Laughter,
Excitement, and Scrooge!
o
Honor a Veteran in Our
Veterans Garden
We are part of a national program called We Honor
Veterans™. To show veterans and their families our
commitment to spotlighting their service and
honoring their lives, we have created a new, beautiful
Veterans Garden on our campus, directly across
from our Hospice Home. We invite you to visit,
and even better, purchase a brick(s) to honor any
veterans, both living and deceased, you hold dear.
To purchase a brick, call us 919-828-0890. We look
forward to showing families and visitors a memorial
walkway filled with names and dates of those who
served our country!
Make a donation. Transitions LifeCare is committed to serving all patients regardless of their ability to pay. To do so, we rely on the
generous support of our community. Will you consider making a donation to help us include all those in need within our circle of care?
To learn more about ways you can give, visit transitionslifecare.org/donate.
©2014 Transitions LifeCare “Transitions” and the butterfly wreath icon are service marks of Transitions LifeCare.
It takes
a community
to provide
a full circle
of care.
n April 10, some 360 generous
friends and supporters of our mission
gathered at North Ridge Country Club to celebrate 35 years of service to the community
and to hear about our vision for the coming
year. In her opening remarks, board member
and emcee Monica Laliberte recounted a
brief history of those 35 years, including the
growth in patient census, service area, services, and staff (both paid and volunteer). Later
in the evening, she shared with the audience
news of the Hospice Home expansion, the
addition of a Pet Peace of Mind program, and
the name change on April 30.
Throughout the cocktail reception and
dinner, a PowerPoint presentation provided
highlights of 2013, including patient and
client census information for all service lines,
our Hospice Honors award, the attainment of
Level 3 partnership in the We Honor Veterans™ program, and the creation of our Veterans Garden on campus.
Former board member David Crabtree delivered an invocation for the event and later
introduced his close friend
Ira David Wood, III as guest
speaker. Wood is best known
locally as founder of Theatre
in the Park and as Ebenezer
Scrooge in the annual production
of A Christmas Carol. His comments,
given without notes or props, had guests
spellbound.
Of course, the Annual Dinner is the signature
fundraiser for our organization, so raising
money was part of the purpose and program
for the evening. Master auctioneer Ben
Farrell stirred up the crowd during the live
auction on items such as a trip for two to
legendary Churchill Downs for a weekend of
horse racing, dinner for 28 in the Angus Barn
Wine Cellar, tickets for four to the premiere
performance of A Christmas Carol and backstage tour, and a private dinner for 10 hosted
by board member and capital campaign
co-chair Brenda Gibson with able assistance
from our very own Dr. Billy Dunlap. When
In This Issue
Annual Dinner ...................................................................1
Welcome to Our New Look .......................................1
Board of Directors ...........................................................2
Board of Trustees .............................................................2
Capital Campaign Continues to Draw
Supporters ...........................................................................2
A Legacy of Love for The Family ..............................3
Upcoming Events ............................................................4
Golf Tournament Brings Out Players,
Sponsors .............................................................................4
Cabin Fever Throwdown ..............................................5
Fun in the Sun Car Show..............................................5
Children Find Outlets For Grieving Through
Our Programs ...................................................................6
American Home Health Care ...................................7
Honor a Veteran in Our Veterans Garden ........8
the bidding was over, a total of $59,500 had
been raised from these items alone!
Then came the closing appeal, during which
guests had the opportunity to help fund
days of hospice care, ranging from one to
30 days. That effort raised an astonishing
$71,000.
continued on page 2
Welcome to our new look!
This newsletter marks one of the first
public uses of our Foundation’s logo.
We continue to support the work of
Transitions LifeCare with the same staff,
the same dedication to caring for our
patients, the same non-profit status,
the same commitment to serving our
donors…everything remains the same
except for the new name and the new
logo. We welcome your reaction and
hope to hear from you! Please call us at
919.828.0890 or e-mail Mike Blanchard at
[email protected].
“Thank you for
the services your
team rendered to
my father during
his last days.”
-family member of
patient
Board of Directors
Robert Simpson, III, President
Beth Black, Vice President
Jennifer Dirienzo, Treasurer
Bart Norman, Secretary
Vicki Allen, RN, MS
John Bason
Mark Blake
James T. Burgess
William Dunlap, MD
Franklin Freeman
Brenda Gibson
Charles Hodges
Linda S. Jefferson
Monica Laliberte
Donald McCunniff
Rhonda Gillespie Raney
Casandra Skinner
John Thoma
Stephen Tremont, MD
Tommy Williams
Board of Trustees
James Carroll, Chair
Mimi Soule, Vice Chair
Jason Sandner, CPA, Secretary/
Treasurer
John Bason
Jackie Bedard
Chris Bingham
Karen Boone
William Dunlap, MD
Angela Hatton
Becky Sansbury
Robert Simpson, III
John L. Thoma
Marshall Wall
continued from page 1
Through the auction and closing, we raised
$130,500. That is in addition to funds raised
in advance of the event through ticket sales
and sponsorships. Overall, we raised more
than $197,000, making this the most successful Annual Dinner event in our history.
Sincere thanks to all of our table hosts and
especially to our sponsors for the 2014 Annual Dinner: The Banks & Dorothy Kerr Fund
of the Triangle Community Foundation, Blue
Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, American
Home Health Care, Eisai, WakeMed, Williams
Realty and Building Company, The Watered
Garden, Deloitte LLP, and PPD.
And we thank special event coordinator Kelly
Hughes and her committee of Beth Moye,
Monica Laliberte, and Mary Beth Woody on
a highly entertaining, inspiring, memorable,
and successful evening.
Sherwood Smith and other supporters
raise their bid cards at the Annual
Dinner held at North Ridge Country
Club in Raleigh on April 10.
Capital Campaign Continues to
Draw Supporters
Our Power of 10 campaign, through which we are raising funds to expand our Hospice
Home from 20 patient rooms to 30, continues to gain momentum! Already we have received
donations from corporations and individual donors that total over $2.5 million, roughly 40%
of our $6 million goal. Our Capital Campaign Cabinet and our Friends of the Cabinet advisory
committee are busy calling on potential donors, and we are indeed grateful for their hard
work.
The campaign is necessary for a good reason: our Hospice Home has remained at 85% or
above capacity level since 2012, and many times patients’ families have to wait for a room
to become available. By expanding to 30 rooms, we’ll be able to serve approximately 300
additional patients each year in the Hospice Home. We plan to break ground early next year,
and will keep you updated on our progress throughout the campaign.
If you are interested in donating to the campaign, learning about naming opportunities, or
would like a tour of the Hospice Home, please contact Mike Blanchard at 919.828.0890 or
[email protected].
Dot Kerr, second from left, is all smiles
with her family in the sanctuary on our
campus that was named in her honor.
A Legacy of
Love for The
Family
A
sk Debbie Woody, daughter of
Dot and Banks Kerr, what meant most
to her parents, and the reply comes instantly.
“Family. Nothing else is more important.” And
with Dot’s passing in February, Debbie and
her sister Linda and brother Johnny are now
the heads of the family that has impacted
Hospice of Wake County and the Hospice of
Wake County Foundation for decades. The
Kerr family’s emphasis on giving back to the
community lives on with the three children,
each of whom has his or her own family, and
all three have the memories of their parents
to steer them as they teach the importance
of philanthropy to the next generations.
“Mom and Dad came up in a time where
everyone had to work hard and be careful
with their money,” remembers Debbie. “To
be frugal wasn’t just a philosophy, it was a
way of life. Then, when Dad opened the first
Kerr Drug Store, Mom pitched in and helped
with every aspect of it. They were a team
that knew the meaning, and value, of hard
work. My brother and sister and I saw firsthand how hard work and taking care of your
neighbor were the core of their generation as
well as their life lessons to be handed down
to us.”
Debbie recalls how her parents got involved
with Transitions LifeCare, when it was known
as Hospice of Wake County. “They first endorsed the concept of hospice as a good
idea, worthy of support,” she recalls. “Then,
my father needed hospice care back in 2000
when he became sick with stomach cancer.
We were so grateful that the nurses and staff
knew what to do, and with one phone call,
we had all the help we needed. We could
focus on him and know that everything else
was taken care of. He was able to pass away
at home, which was what he wanted – and
what my Mom wanted. We were so grateful.
Then, when my Mom became ill, we knew
who to call and to get the help we needed
early instead of at the last minute – and that
made all the difference in the world to her,
and to us.”
The Kerr family tree keeps growing. Dot’s
three children now have children – and
grandchildren – of their own. A total of seven
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren
are her legacy. Debbie’s children Christopher
and Mary Beth give back to the community
by serving on boards and helping with
projects. Mary Beth serves on the Annual
Dinner Committee, and Christopher serves
on the board of the Kerr Family Foundation. “We’re encouraging our children to get
involved,” says Debbie. “I think our children
have to work more and work harder to get
some of the same things my generation
had. It’s tougher for them, and I want them
to still include volunteering and supporting
non-profits as part of their lives.”
It’s hard to think about Dot and Banks no
longer in our community, but it’s easy to see
that their legacy lives on in their children
and grandchildren. “It’s all about family,” says
Debbie, looking up at the windows in the
sanctuary on our campus that is named for
her mother. “Family values are everything.”
Everybody in!
The table reserved
by the Kerr family at
the Annual Dinner
this year gets into the
spirit of auctioneer
Ben Farrell’s rousing
appeals.
“There are no
words to adequately express my
thanks… They are
really angels walking among us.”
Harnett County Golf Tournament
Lee Malone, Kevin Blasingim, and Danny
Graham pause outside the clubhouse at
Chicora Golf Club in Erwin during the annual
Harnett County Golf Tournament. More than
80 players came out to help raise money
and enjoy a beautiful day for golf.
-family member of
patient
continued from page 4
Upcoming
events
This time of year brings lots of opportunities to get outside, get together, and support us! Mark your calendar
for these upcoming dates, and we’ll have more information on our website, www.transitionslifecare.org. We
can’t wait to see you! For more information, contact
Kelly Hughes at [email protected] or
919.828.0890.
June 14 (rain date is June 21) – 9 am-3 pm
Wake Forest Classic & Antique Car Show (along S. White Street)
This event is also benefitting local charities Wounded Warriors of Wake County
and Miracle League of the Triangle. It’s free and open to the public. It will
feature a “Take-Apart T” Model T demonstration, the Leith Kia Monster Truck
display, live music, food, and retail vendors.
September 5 – Cary Tennis Park
Western Wake Tennis Association’s Charity Tennis
The morning event is ladies’ doubles and includes breakfast and lunch, silent
auction and raffles. The evening event is mixed doubles and includes dinner,
silent auction and raffles. Online registration will open in July 2014 on the Western Wake Tennis Association’s website, www.westernwaketennis.com.
September 22 – North Ridge Country Club
Tom Alexander Golf Tournament – 10th Anniversary!
This four-person Captain’s Choice tournament begins with a 9 am check-in and
a 10 am shotgun start. Awards are for top teams, hole in one, closest to the
pin, longest drive, and putting. New this year is the 10th Anniversary Closing
Reception and Celebration from 3:30 pm – 5:30pm with silent auction, raffle
prizes, and special entertainment by the City Slackers.
A
Golf
Tournament
Brings Out
Players, Sponsors
on Beautiful April
Afternoon
fter such a harsh winter, springtime
can bring out golfers in droves! We saw
plenty of enthusiastic players at our annual
golf tournament at sunny Chicora Country
Club in Erwin on April 23. This year we had
players, sponsors, and staff enjoying the beautiful course and raising money for our patients
in Harnett County. We are so grateful to:
KTL McDonald’s as our closest to the pin
sponsor
Longest drive sponsors in memory of Keith R.
Thomas
Harnett County Advisory Council. Proceeds benefit our patients and families in
Harnett County, a rapidly growing area within our five-county service region. We look
forward to another successful tournament next year!
Chris Hockaday, Steve
Malone, Tournament
Chair Lee Malone,
Nick Skatell, and Fred
Rambeaut are all smiles
at the Harnett County
Golf Tournament April
23 at Chicora Golf Club.
More than $12,000
was raised to benefit
our patients living in
Harnett County.
Putting contest sponsors in memory of C.P.
Stewart
Hole sponsors Interstate Distributors, Kelly &
West, P.A., Lee Pest Solutions, Oscar Harris &
Associates, Total Body Therapy Wellness, Williamson Investigations, Carolina Fire Protection, Family Medical Supply, C&D Insurance
Service, Warren Industrial & Lawn Supply, and
Dr. Michael Williams, DDS.
Special thanks go to tournament chair Lee
Tart Malone, and tournament committee
members Cramer and Jeff Walker, Hylton
Lawrence, and Chad Walker, as well as the
The Trophy Case in Dunn for providing our
players with golf towels
Cathy O’Dell, Marvin Marshall, Golfsmith, First
Federal Bank, and John Wilbourne for providing items for our players’ bags
Cabin Fever Throwdown
Fun in the Sun Car Show
Vicki Allen and Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital for the players’ lunches
Dorman Cadillac as our hole-in-one sponsor
O’Quinn Peebles Phillips Funeral Home and
Crematory as our top flight sponsor
Machine Welding & Supply, J.E. Womble &
Sons, South River EMC, DSC, Hayes, Williams
& Turner, Tart Law Group, and John Hiester
Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge as our fairway
sponsors
Eastern Carolina Medical Center as our beverage tent sponsor
Carolina Therapy Services and Precision Ford
as our beverage cart sponsors
continued on page 5
Put your dancing shoes on! The 8th annual Cabin Fever
Members of Corvettes International outdid themselves
Throwdown on February 9 raised $32,131 for our benevolent
with their 17th Annual Charity Car Show for Hospice on
care program. Attended by more than 1,100 guests at the North
Saturday, April 26. Held at Lake Wheeler Park, the show at-
Raleigh Hilton, the event featured entertainment by the Band of
tracted over 100 antique and classic car owners and approxi-
Oz, Jim Quick & Coastline, The Fantastic Shakers, silent and live
mately 200 spectators. Special thanks to presenting sponsor
auctions, raffle drawings, and barbeque sandwiches provided by
CarQuest and additional sponsors Hendrick Chevrolet and
TJ’s Nightlife. A big thanks to David Hicks and the Raleigh Shag
Atlantic Avenue Tire & Service. In all, the event raised over
Club for their hard work in putting on this event for the benefit
$15,000 for patient and family care. Thanks also to our
of our patients. Be sure to save the date for the next Cabin Fever
friends at KIX 102.9 FM for promoting both the Cabin Fever
Throwdown: February 8, 2015 at the North Raleigh Hilton.
Throwdown and the Car Show.
to help their heart and themselves through grief, including the use of
deep breaths, positive self-talk, and their safe people and places. The
last session, called Staying Connected to my Loved One’s Memory,
allowed the children to write, draw and share memories of their loved
one and a way to continue the bonds they have with them.
For many children, these groups offer a chance to safely express feelings, be listened to and share about their loved ones in a way they are
not able to in other places in their lives.
Children Find Safe
Outlets For Grieving
Through Our Programs
T
Expressive arts, games, puppets, and talking are just some of the tools
that Jennifer, Molly and the other counselors use to help the children
voice their feelings. Group settings can be powerful and helpful in
ways different than individual counseling, connecting children with
each other. “In some cases, a child who meets someone else in the
same group who’s going through the same emotions gets excited and
says something like, ‘She lost a Daddy, too!’ which just reassures the
child that he or she is not alone in this,” Kreimer says.
More families and individuals are finding the services of Transitions
GriefCare helpful. Last year, the Center staff provided 1,051 individual
counseling sessions for adults and 596 sessions for children and teens.
If a family had a member served by us, the counselor can make a
home visit as well as offer six sessions at no cost. Workshops are also at
no cost.
he grief that follows losing a loved one can be overwhelming, and
children who are coping with these emotions can feel lost and unable to express their feelings. Jennifer Kreimer, MS, CCLS, LPCA and
Molly Chaffee, MA, LPC, NCC, RPT, Children and Teen Grief counselors
at Transitions GriefCare, provide programs that allow children, teens
and families to have a safe place to voice their feelings and start healing.
“Our Healing Hearts Series, which just wrapped up, was very successful, and we had 10 – 12 participants in each of the four sessions,”
Kreimer recalls. “The first session was just for parents and caregivers, to
help them understand some of the grief reactions their children and
teens may be experiencing, and how to support them through creating an environment where they can safely express their thoughts and
feelings and find ways to stay connected to their loved one.”
The first children/teen workshop was called Inside My World of Grief,
where the participants used various art and nature materials to express their world of grief on one side and their world of hope on the
other. They shared feelings such as pain, sadness, confusion, love, and
hope with some children, adding symbols that connected to memories of their loved ones.
The second workshop, called My Hurting Heart, invited the children
and teens to draw the ways their grief feels in their hearts using
shapes and colors. They then added to their heart project some ways
The annual one-day summer camp for grieving children and teens,
called Camp Reflections, will be held on Saturday, September 13 at
Lake Wheeler Park. Children and teens ages 5-14 can join in activities
such as music, art, and therapeutic games to express their grief. A
component is offered for parents and guardians to learn more about
supporting children in grief. Registration is required two weeks prior to
camp. For more information, contact Jennifer Kreimer at 919-828-0890
or e-mail [email protected].
Corporate Spotlight:
American Home Health Care
I
t’s hard to think about someone you love
needing a hospital bed, an oxygen tank, a
wheelchair or another piece of equipment for
health reasons. Bob Scott at American Home
Health Care (AHHC) in Raleigh thinks about it
day and night.
Bob started AHHC in 1989 in a second story
bedroom of his home and soon moved into
an office/warehouse space in Raleigh as his
business grew rapidly. In 1994 AHHC found
plenty of room to grow on a vacant piece of
property on Tarheel Drive between Old Wake
Forest Road and Atlantic Avenue. Since then,
Bob has moved AHHC several times on the
land he owns to accommodate the business’s
growth. AHHC now employs 10 others to
help meet the needs of its customers.
After selling heavy-duty construction equipment for several years, Bob knew he wanted
to be in business for himself. However, when
Bob’s father died at the early age of 47, the
family business, Scott Motor Company in
Goldsboro, passed into the hands of an uncle
and was later sold. During Bob’s quest for the
right business opportunity, his father-in-law
introduced him to a friend who was willing
to teach Bob about the medical equipment
business. Bob quickly realized that customer
service and referral relationships were the
key to building a successful business, and we
were one of AHHC’s first referral sources.
Bob also discovered that when hospice
patients need equipment, the need is immediate, and when the need for the equipment
ends, family members are anxious for the
equipment to be removed. In the early days,
Bob became accustomed to delivering the
equipment himself, even when that equipment was needed at 2:00 in the morning.
AHHC and Transitions LifeCare serve the
same geographical areas so the relationship
The
employees
of American
Home Health
Care pose on
the steps of
their office on
Tarheel Drive
in Raleigh.
is a natural fit. Bob works with the discharge
planners at area hospitals and other medical
professionals to make sure that customers
have the equipment needed to allow families
to bring their loved one home. AHHC takes
the order for the equipment, assembles and
delivers it, instructs the patient or caregiver
on all the aspects of the equipment, and
then picks up the equipment when it is no
longer needed. “Excellent customer service is
essential to our staying in business so many
years. It’s peace of mind for caregivers. It’s
just the right thing to do,” Bob says. Bob credits the hard work and dedication of his staff
to keeping hospice patients and their families
satisfied.
“The goal with hospice is, where possible, to
keep the patient at home or wherever he or
she lives, and out of the hospital. It’s far more
cost efficient to treat the patient at home
versus a nursing home or an emergency
room. We are able to take one source of stress
off the caregiver and the patient by providing the durable medical equipment quickly
– even in the middle of the night if necessary.
Transitions LifeCare and their patients’ families
can call us anytime, 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year.”
AHHC has plenty to be proud of,
thanks to Bob’s hard work and
dedication to fulfilling customers’ needs. The company is a
member of the North Carolina
Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, as well as Home
Medical Services of North
Carolina. AHHC also has been
accredited since 1994.
“One of my favorite gifts was
from a hospice volunteer whose
husband was a patient years
before - a ceramic angel. Transitions LifeCare has been a blessing to my business and I hope
my business has been a help to
them and that AHHC will continued to be a preferred provider for Transitions LifeCare
for years to come,” Bob says.
AHHC’s reputation with
patients and their families
reflects the devotion to customer service that Bob has
built his business upon.
June 2014
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Raleigh, NC
Permit No. 1661
250 Hospice Circle • Raleigh, NC 27607
919.828.0890 • transitionslifecare.org
Annual Dinner: Laughter,
Excitement, and Scrooge!
o
Honor a Veteran in Our
Veterans Garden
We are part of a national program called We Honor
Veterans™. To show veterans and their families our
commitment to spotlighting their service and
honoring their lives, we have created a new, beautiful
Veterans Garden on our campus, directly across
from our Hospice Home. We invite you to visit,
and even better, purchase a brick(s) to honor any
veterans, both living and deceased, you hold dear.
To purchase a brick, call us 919-828-0890. We look
forward to showing families and visitors a memorial
walkway filled with names and dates of those who
served our country!
Make a donation. Transitions LifeCare is committed to serving all patients regardless of their ability to pay. To do so, we rely on the
generous support of our community. Will you consider making a donation to help us include all those in need within our circle of care?
To learn more about ways you can give, visit transitionslifecare.org/donate.
©2014 Transitions LifeCare “Transitions” and the butterfly wreath icon are service marks of Transitions LifeCare.
It takes
a community
to provide
a full circle
of care.
n April 10, some 360 generous
friends and supporters of our mission
gathered at North Ridge Country Club to celebrate 35 years of service to the community
and to hear about our vision for the coming
year. In her opening remarks, board member
and emcee Monica Laliberte recounted a
brief history of those 35 years, including the
growth in patient census, service area, services, and staff (both paid and volunteer). Later
in the evening, she shared with the audience
news of the Hospice Home expansion, the
addition of a Pet Peace of Mind program, and
the name change on April 30.
Throughout the cocktail reception and
dinner, a PowerPoint presentation provided
highlights of 2013, including patient and
client census information for all service lines,
our Hospice Honors award, the attainment of
Level 3 partnership in the We Honor Veterans™ program, and the creation of our Veterans Garden on campus.
Former board member David Crabtree delivered an invocation for the event and later
introduced his close friend
Ira David Wood, III as guest
speaker. Wood is best known
locally as founder of Theatre
in the Park and as Ebenezer
Scrooge in the annual production
of A Christmas Carol. His comments,
given without notes or props, had guests
spellbound.
Of course, the Annual Dinner is the signature
fundraiser for our organization, so raising
money was part of the purpose and program
for the evening. Master auctioneer Ben
Farrell stirred up the crowd during the live
auction on items such as a trip for two to
legendary Churchill Downs for a weekend of
horse racing, dinner for 28 in the Angus Barn
Wine Cellar, tickets for four to the premiere
performance of A Christmas Carol and backstage tour, and a private dinner for 10 hosted
by board member and capital campaign
co-chair Brenda Gibson with able assistance
from our very own Dr. Billy Dunlap. When
In This Issue
Annual Dinner ...................................................................1
Welcome to Our New Look .......................................1
Board of Directors ...........................................................2
Board of Trustees .............................................................2
Capital Campaign Continues to Draw
Supporters ...........................................................................2
A Legacy of Love for The Family ..............................3
Upcoming Events ............................................................4
Golf Tournament Brings Out Players,
Sponsors .............................................................................4
Cabin Fever Throwdown ..............................................5
Fun in the Sun Car Show..............................................5
Children Find Outlets For Grieving Through
Our Programs ...................................................................6
American Home Health Care ...................................7
Honor a Veteran in Our Veterans Garden ........8
the bidding was over, a total of $59,500 had
been raised from these items alone!
Then came the closing appeal, during which
guests had the opportunity to help fund
days of hospice care, ranging from one to
30 days. That effort raised an astonishing
$71,000.
continued on page 2
Welcome to our new look!
This newsletter marks one of the first
public uses of our Foundation’s logo.
We continue to support the work of
Transitions LifeCare with the same staff,
the same dedication to caring for our
patients, the same non-profit status,
the same commitment to serving our
donors…everything remains the same
except for the new name and the new
logo. We welcome your reaction and
hope to hear from you! Please call us at
919.828.0890 or e-mail Mike Blanchard at
[email protected].