Donor Newsletter - Transitions LifeCare
Transcription
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 mblanchard@transitionslifecare.org. “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 mblanchard@transitionslifecare.org. 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 khughes@transitionslifecare.org 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 jkreimer@transitionslifecare.org. 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 mblanchard@transitionslifecare.org.