horizons - Hospice of the Valley

WINTER 2011
H O RIZONS
FOR
SUPPORTERS
OF
HOSPICE
OF
THE
VALLEY
Volunteers needed to support Hospice of the Valley’s initiatives
Hospice of the Valley’s 2,500 terrific volunteers help ensure that our agency delivers the highest level of service to
patients and families. As HOV continues to improve our compassionate care, our volunteers play a key role in meeting
the special needs of patients with serious and chronic illnesses. These new opportunities include:
Hispanic Community Program – Bilingual
volunteers are needed to lend support to Spanish-speaking
patients. These volunteers will provide the same type
of service that they normally would for home and PCU
patients, only they’ll be fluent in Spanish and English and
familiar with bicultural customs and practices.
Kivel-HOV Jewish Hospice Partnership – HOV
has established a partnership with Kivel Campus of
Care to assist Jewish patients and families. Volunteers
serve as companions for Jewish patients. Some may also
wish to share Shabbat Blessings with patients on Friday
afternoon/evening.
HOV Salutes – Volunteers with military experience
are needed to offer companionship to patients who also
are veterans. Swap stories, reflect and validate veterans’
contributions to our country.
Outreach – For more than a decade, HOV has
supported adults and children with serious and chronic
illnesses who are not on hospice through a program
called “Outreach.” Now Outreach is expanding services,
including a volunteer component. Volunteers are needed
to assist patients through home visits and phone contact.
Other volunteer opportunities include: 11th Hour Companions, administrative support, bereavement phone support,
community and special events, dementia care, Face in the Mirror, Just a Note card makers, music partners, Mission
Possible organizers, New Song facilitators, Pet Connections, Ryan House, Songs of the Journey choir, Speakers
Bureau, teens, Teens in Nursing, Threads to Remember a Life, White Dove Thrift Shoppe, Wrap Pack and Wrap Up
and Cuddle sewing groups.
Read more about our volunteer programs in this issue. Consider becoming one. For more information, view hov.org
or contact the Volunteer Department: 602.636.6336.
Faith community liaison Joan Zecherle
gives challah and kosher grape juice to
community liaison Lois Cohen during
volunteer training.
Emma Green, 9, sews a pillow she
donated to New Song Center.
Bob Green, an Outreach patient, makes
friends with a pet therapy dog at the
kick-off event for HOV Salutes.
FROM OUR
BRINGING
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
Volunteers are HOV’s foundation
Susan Levine
Rev. Q. Gerald Roseberry, one
of our founders, wrote in his
historical account of our agency’s
early days that the hospice
movement drew its power from
volunteers who were driven to
change the system. Friends of
Hospice was created as the first
volunteer fundraising group to
advocate for this new way of
caring for the dying.
“The volunteers had heard of the humane treatment and
compassionate care of Hospice of the Valley and wanted
to be part of a movement which was transforming the
way the medical establishment responds to life-limiting
illnesses,” Rev. Roseberry wrote. “Thus it was not
the efforts of an elite group, but the work of a diverse
multitude of citizens and contributors large and small
which brought into being Hospice of the Valley.”
That was true when HOV was founded in 1977. And it is
still true today.
HOV’s volunteer cadre has grown from a dozen
community organizers to 2,500 today. They support
1,700 staff members caring for more than 3,600 patients
and their families every day.
What motivates our volunteers?
A desire to give back, to ease suffering, to offer comfort.
We often hear: “I get back so much more than I give.”
This issue of Horizons spotlights some of the ways
people give their time. If you or someone you know is
interested in finding out more, please call our volunteer
department: at 602.636.6336.
COMFORT
Volunteering pays well
Home care volunteers support patients, relieve caregivers
I am honored to begin serving this
year as president of the board of
directors for Hospice of the Valley.
Yes, it is a volunteer position, and
the board has authorized a doubling
of the president’s salary ($0). But
the pay is not the reason we all
volunteer. Serving on the board of
directors these past six years has
been a wonderful experience for me. I
John Jennings
am constantly amazed at the wonderful
people who are dedicated to furthering our mission.
With their easy banter and quick smiles, Oldy
Oldenburg and Farroll Barrett appear like longtime pals.
They chat about their lives, discuss television shows and
chuckle at a funny movie.
“Wikipedia” defines volunteering “as the practice of
people working on behalf of others or a particular cause
without payment for their time and services.” Many
do not know or realize that HOV currently has more
than 2,500 volunteers, with 2,000 of them devoted to
patient care. Attending my first Volunteer Luncheon last
year, I was amazed at the number of years many of our
volunteers have served. What a tribute to our cause and
our organization.
Why am I writing about volunteering? Because we
need more. We would like to recruit an additional 700
volunteers in 2011. I know it is a lofty goal, but when has
HOV ever shied away from lofty goals? Haven’t seen it in
my short tenure.
But the men only met in June through Hospice of the
Valley, when volunteer Oldy was paired with patient
Farroll as part of a much-needed caregiver respite
program. Like clockwork, Oldy goes to the Barrett
home in Ahwatukee on Wednesdays so Farroll’s wife,
Gloria, can run errands and have “down time.”
When HOV first paired up the men, Farroll wondered
how they would pass the time.
“I thought, ‘What are we going to do for four
hours? What are we going to talk about for four
hours?’”Farroll recalled.
Both men laugh, saying the hours now pass like minutes.
“We haven’t shut up yet,” Oldy joked.
HOV relies on volunteers like Oldy to provide regular
and one-time home visits to patients, said Jodie Jacobs,
an HOV volunteer coordinator in the southeast Valley.
The need for volunteers continues to grow. In the
southeast Valley alone, HOV serves as many as 750
patients. It recently expanded into Casa Grande.
So maybe you or a friend has a little extra time and
would like to work for a great cause. I can assure you
that it will be a truly worthwhile and fulfilling position,
and most importantly, one that pays great.
Home care volunteers are most in demand during
weekdays, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Volunteers take
a four-hour shift each week
and some, like Oldy,
take more.
John R. Jennings
President, Board of Directors
“The caregivers cannot
leave the house for
anything,” Jodie
said. “They can’t get
groceries, they can’t
go to the bank, they can’t even go to their own doctor’s
appointments. The volunteers become very valuable
during that time.”
Volunteers fill a range of needs, depending on what the
patient wants or needs. They socialize, watch television,
read the newspaper aloud, write down life stories, take
patients for walks in their wheelchairs or simply watch
over a sleeping patient. In some cases, volunteers run
errands with patients.
The weekly respite is crucial for the Barretts as Farroll
battles cancer that has spread. Gloria worries about
her husband falling and can count on Oldy to keep a
watchful eye.
“She looks forward to every Wednesday. She has her
schedule all set up,” Farroll said.
Oldy and Farroll have a comfortable weekly routine.
Both in their 70s and former military men, they’ve got
plenty in common so conversation comes easy. They
catch episodes of Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown or
watch classic movies.
“We socialize, we watch all these shows,” Farroll said. “It
really makes me feel good.”
For his part, Oldy can’t imagine doing anything else. He
started volunteering in 2002, following the death of his
first wife, who received services from HOV.
“I get much more out of it
than I think I give,” Oldy
said. “I’ve been doing it eight
years, but it seems like I just
started my first day.”
Susan Levine
Executive Director
2
Oldy Oldenburg and Farroll Barrett
3
H AV I N G
GIVING
FUN
BACK
White Dove Thrift Shoppe helps families, thanks to volunteers
Stitches of love for patients and families
Hospice of the Valley’s White Dove Thrift Shoppe
in Phoenix needs volunteers to sort and sell donated
clothing, kitchenware, art, furniture and other items.
Proceeds assist needy patients and families.
Every Wednesday, a few dozen sewers gather at the
Glendale Adult Center to create pillows, lap blankets
and other handmade items for people they’ve never met.
After a half-day orientation, new volunteers can choose
their desired shifts at the store, 5035 N. 7th Ave. A
commitment of one four-hour shift per week is requested.
Linda O’Connor and Alice Toy, both of Phoenix, have
worked together on Wednesdays in the sales area for
a long time and have become friends. Both had spent
several years as patient volunteers before gravitating to
the thrift shop.
“What I enjoy (about being in the shop) is just the
people—that’s number one, hearing all these people
come in and show their appreciation and verbalize all that
Hospice of the Valley has meant to them,” said O’Connor.
Toy said “we share in the joy” when customers discover
a find.
“When people come in who are needful of bargains and
find what they’re looking for, we feel like we’re doing a
community service,” she said.
JoEllen Feltham, volunteer coordinator for the White
Dove, said many volunteers are professed “thrift
store junkies” or treasure hunters (a side benefit
of volunteering: they get a 25 percent discount on
purchases!). The White Dove also has a Scottsdale store
at 8461 E. McDonald Dr.
Another avenue for volunteers with an organizational
streak is the “Wrap Pack,” a team that goes to people’s
homes—regardless of whether the person was a
Hospice of the Valley patient—and packages and wraps
belongings to transport and sell at the White Dove.
Volunteer coordinator Anne Campbell has assembled a
crew of a dozen volunteers for Wrap Pack duty and is
always looking for more.
“I love volunteering,” said Kathy Hamrick of Glendale.
“I love helping these people (families of the deceased),
and I love when people come into the White Dove
and find exactly what they need for, say, Aunt Mary or
Uncle George.”
Apply online at hov.org or call 602.636.6336. “It’s an
excellent opportunity to feel needed —because you are,”
Feltham said.
The “Wrap Pack”
The White Dove
The gifts will make their way to Hospice of the Valley
patients, bringing comfort and smiles at a time when
there are few other bright spots. It’s a labor of love for
the volunteer sewers and a job that brings them just as
much pleasure.
“If we can make people happier before they leave this
earth, I think it’s a wonderful thing,” said Lavonne
Williams, president of the sewing group. “I really do.”
And those volunteer sewers aren’t alone. HOV started
its Wrap Up and Cuddle program about two years
ago and today has 14 groups and a dozen individuals
around the Valley making special gifts by hand, said Judy
Foreman, co-coordinator of the program. Volunteers
make everything from adult bibs to small pillows to
walker bags. They also make specialty items like activity
aprons that have pockets that can be filled with stuffed
animals and other items. The aprons help provide
entertaining distraction for dementia patients.
“My wife held onto them for a while,” said Arbie Bowen,
who lives in Phoenix with his wife of almost 54 years.
“When you’re on morphine…little things like that mean
a lot to you.”
In the past year, volunteers donated more than 3,100
items, which went to patients in group homes, skilled
nursing facilities and private homes. The Glendale
sewing group alone, which has 32 members, has donated
nearly 900 items since October 2009.
That’s exactly why volunteer Nancy Fultz spends every
week with a new project in her hands. One day, she will
crochet a lap blanket, and another, she will sew a bib or
small hand pillow. Fultz has also been asked to complete
projects started by patients, like the granny-square
blanket that needed finishing. HOV then gave it to the
husband of the patient, who had since passed away.
In some cases, patients may not be able to afford the
items; in others, patients simply need a little something
special. Either way, they are an unexpected present.
“It was good to know that the family would have
something to remember her by instead of something that
wasn’t usable,” Fultz said.
“These are gifts that are given from the heart,” Judy said.
Fultz doesn’t know exactly how many items she has
made for HOV patients. She doesn’t need to keep track.
Last year, Ouida Bowen received a few heart-shaped
pillows through the program. Bowen has terminal
cancer and the small gesture made a big impact.
Ellen Leavitt
Edna Rudnick and Janice “Jan”
Hodgson are among the group
of sewers who donate their
talents to HOV.
“I know it helps people,” Fultz said. “Of course, that
makes me feel good knowing that I’m helping people.”
Leah George
Alice Toy and Linda O’Connor
4
Kathy Hamrick
5
MEETING
FUNDRAISING
NEEDS
EVENTS
Hispanic program needs bilingual volunteers
Ortega event owes success to volunteers who make it happen
When Virginia Castillo
participated in a volunteer
orientation for Hospice
of the Valley three years
ago, she noticed that she
was the only Hispanic in
the class of 40, the only
person fluent in English
and Spanish. Even
though her background
prepared her for the
Virginia and José
work­— she had lived
with and cared for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease
for 10 years—Castillo wondered if she was in the right
place. “I felt like I didn’t belong,” she said.
Seven percent of HOV’s patients are Hispanic, and of
those, 4 percent speak Spanish only. Hispanics comprise
more than 30 percent of Maricopa County’s population.
Nationwide, the number of Hispanics age 65 or older is
expected to increase six-fold by 2050.
When it first began in 2003, the Nellie Ortega Golf and
Wine Event surpassed everyone’s expectations by raising
twice as much for Hospice of the Valley as the $25,000
goal—thanks in large part to the support of about 20
people who volunteered to serve on the core committee.
Volunteers make it all happen, assisting with decorations,
arranging the auction baskets and displays, marketing
the event, assembling auction items and recruiting
corporate and individual donors. Besides the committee,
an additional 20 volunteers participate.
Why do so few Hispanics turn to hospice for support?
And why do even fewer volunteer?
Now entering its ninth year, the annual event at
Arrowhead Country Club has become one of the
Northwest Valley’s premier fundraising and social
gatherings, raising more than $500,000 for HOV. And
the same 20-some volunteers on the core committee
are still at it—working hard to make each year more
spectacular than the last.
“Everyone has a unique talent and ability,” said Matson.
“Our volunteers run the gamut from people who don’t
have a lot of financial wherewithal, but have huge hearts,
to people who can give financially and in others ways.
This is a vehicle for them to utilize their talents and
leverage resources for hospice. They stay because they
enjoy it. It’s a ministry.”
“We are blessed to have these people,” said Karen Ortega
Matson, a real estate agent whose mother inspired the
event. “If we didn’t have these volunteers, we couldn’t
do it.”
For Matson, it’s the event dinner speakers who relate
their personal experiences with Hospice of the Valley
who inspire her each year. “I never grow tired of being
reminded of the importance of the work that HOV
is doing,” she said. Over the years, event proceeds
have supported a new palliative care unit in Surprise,
pediatric programs, the New Song Center for Grieving
Children and the pet therapy program. “These are
cutting-edge programs that we get to support,” Matson
said. “It’s easy to do when you have a mission like HOV.
It is the synergy of the mission and the hearts of the
people who make this happen.”
But she stuck with it and soon was matched with a
bilingual patient who had been waiting two months for
a volunteer who spoke Spanish. “Even though she could
speak English, she wanted a volunteer who spoke her
language and shared her culture,” Castillo said. “We
became companions.”
Late last year, as part of a broad outreach initiative to
the Hispanic community, Castillo joined HOV’s staff as
Hispanic volunteer coordinator. “I think the program is
wonderful,” she said. “I have a strong belief that we need
to educate the Hispanic community about hospice care.
Our volunteers will help make that happen and improve
our communication with Spanish-speaking patients
and families.”
The first orientation of 20 volunteers was held in January.
More than half the class was bilingual; the remainder
was monolingual. The orientations, conducted in
Spanish, will continue to be offered throughout the year.
The need for Spanish-speaking volunteers is immense.
At the start of 2011, there were 34 adult and 39 teen
bilingual volunteers out of a total of 2,500 volunteers.
“Because we don’t know about it,” Castillo said. “In
Mexico, the word ‘hospicio’ means a bad place that you
abandon someone who is very sick. That is not what
hospice is here. I tell them, it’s the opposite. Hospice of
the Valley takes care of people who are sick, makes them
feel comfortable and helps the family, too.”
Castillo speaks from experience: a hospice in Tucson
helped her care for her mother in her final weeks. “They
sent us pain medication at 2 a.m. The CNA (nurse’s
aide) didn’t give my mom a chance to say no to a bath;
she would just come in and start chatting, and my mom
went along with it. My mom used to fight me about
baths,” Castillo recalled.
Castillo continues serving as a volunteer, as well as a
staff member. On a recent afternoon, she paid a visit
to José, a 77-year-old man in a Phoenix nursing home.
José worked his whole life picking fruit and cotton in
agricultural fields. Now he has liver cancer that has
spread. On good days, José taught Castillo how to play
dominoes and enjoyed singing along with her songs. On
bad days, Castillo simply sat beside him, offering human
companionship and caring.
“I love what I do,” she said. “I love working with people. I
love helping.”
Hospice of the Valley supported Nellie Ann Ortega and
her family during her struggle with ovarian cancer. As
a way to give back to HOV, Ruben Ortega, Nellie’s
husband and retired Phoenix police chief, thought that
a golf tournament would be a good way to leverage
donations. The tournament culminated with dinner and
a silent and live auction.
After a few years, a wine-tasting gathering was added to
the fun. Next, the event expanded to two days, and the
wine-tasting got serious. This year, four vintners will
donate and pour their wines. The signature auction item
is a VIP Wine Tour at Paso Robles in California.
Come join us…
Nellie Ortega Golf and Wine Event
April 17 and April 18
Arrowhead Country Club, Glendale
Information: 602.930.9362
6
Some members of the core committee
gather for the event.
7
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PHOENIX, AZ
PERMIT NO. 417
1510 E. Flower St.
Phoenix, AZ
85014.5656
602.530.6900
Fax 530.6901
hov.org
[email protected]
A not-for-profit organization
GIVING
BACK
Volunteer orientations held Valleywide in 2011: Call now!
We hope you will consider becoming a Hospice of the
Valley volunteer. Everyone has a talent to offer patients and
families—either directly or behind the scenes. Volunteer
orientation requirements vary based on the volunteer’s
chosen role. Those who will have patient and caregiver
contact are required to take 24 hours of instruction in
preparation. Volunteers gain basic knowledge of hospice
philosophy, communication, self care and other concepts
related to providing end-of-life care.
Other types of volunteer work at Hospice of the Valley
don’t require 24 hours of orientation. That includes
volunteer work in our offices, the White Dove Thrift
Shoppes, sewing and other endeavors that don’t involve
patient contact.
Hospice of the Valley’s adult and teen orientation
programs are accredited by the Maricopa Community
Colleges, which offer two college credits. For more
information, call 602.636.6336.
Orientation sessions are held at locations throughout the
Valley. For a schedule, visit hov.org, click on “Volunteer,”
and then “Orientation Calendar.”
Horizons is published twice a year by Hospice of theValley, a not-for-profit organization serving families and patients with life-limiting illnesses in Maricopa
County since 1977. Copyright 2010 by Hospice of theValley. u Hospice of theValley Executive Director: Susan Levine u Director of Communications: Beverly
Medlyn u Director of Fund Development – Operations: Cheryl K.Thomas u If you would prefer to receive this newsletter electronically, please e-mail your name
and address to [email protected]. u If you are receiving more than one copy of this newsletter, or if your name or address is incorrect, please mail us
your label with the corrected information. u If you do not wish to receive information regarding fundraising activities, please notify us by calling 602.530.6992
or e-mail [email protected] you.