Lakeland Hospice House - Chapters Health System

hospice house
Lakeland
Highlighting Construction Progress
Volume 1, No. 9
Lights of Love: A Holiday Remembrance
Lights of Love has become an honored
tradition among the Good Shepherd Hospice
family over the past six years, meaningful to staff
and families alike. “Our first event was at the
Forsythe House in Auburndale, then in Sebring,
even before the Somers House was built, and
this year we’ll begin the tradition anew at our
Lakeland Hospice House,” says Liz Anderson,
director of annual giving. “It started as a
remembrance for those who have passed before
“To me it’s a symbol: loved ones bring
light to our lives, and Good Shepherd
Hospice brings light in dark times.”
–Liz Anderson
The Lights of Love events (held on the
same night and time at each hospice house)
include a time of blessing, a time of honoring,
a time of remembering with lighted candles,
Lights of Love Ceremony
us, but it’s also time of gratitude for them and for
those who are still with us.”
“The holiday season is a significant and
challenging time,” says Charles Harkala,
chaplain and spiritual care consultant for Good
Shepherd Hospice. “We focus on love, respect
for everyone, and we bring the beauty of hope as
we continue the journey of life.”
and the lighting of the tree. Those honored to
light the trees are typically families of patients,
volunteers, or others who have been inspiring to
the Good Shepherd Hospice mission. The trees
remain illuminated until mid-January. “The tree
is our symbol for the light of those who love and
surround us,” says Liz.
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Lights of Love: A Holiday Remembrance
continued from page 1
The ceremonies are planned to focus on
family and community members. At the Lakeland
Hospice House’s first Lights of Love, Reverend
David McEntire, First United Methodist Church
in Lakeland, will talk about gifts our loved
ones have given us, and his church’s handbell
choir will play. Robin Stewart, RN, PhD, and
a founding member of the Hospice Women of
Giving will sing. Survivors Tom Conger, Anna
Clare Green and Greg Collins will also assist.
Lights of Love is a simple ceremony that is
meant to be uplifting. “We try to focus on hope
for today and looking forward. Sometimes the
ceremony brings tears and grief, but we’d all
rather have that gift of being human than not,”
says Charles.
It is also important for people to know they
are not alone in their grief, with other survivors
as well as staff and volunteers. Charles notes,
“It is really special for everyone when a family
can reunite with someone who served them
during their hospice experience. Our relationship
doesn’t stop when the loved one has passed.”
While guests at Lights of Love are often
families of hospice patients, volunteers, and
staff, the public is welcome. Many outside of
the hospice family have suffered losses, and
they are welcome to join us for this special time
of remembrance.
Celebrating Those We Cherish
Please join us for a Tree Lighting Ceremony during the
holiday season at the following locations. For every $25 gift
a symbolic light will shine in honor of a cherished loved one.
This event is open to the public.
Good Shepherd Hospice
Tuesday, December 10, 2013 from 6-7 p.m.
Lakeland Hospice House
3450 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, Lakeland, FL 33805
George C. Forsythe Hospice House
105 Arneson Avenue, Auburndale, FL 33823
Bud and Donna Somers Hospice House
1110 Hammock Road, Sebring, FL 33870
Please RSVP with your preferred location to 863-551-4827 or
development@chaptershealth.org by Monday, December 2, 2013
Grief at the Holidays
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The winter holidays are often filled with
gatherings of families and friends, traditions
passed through the generations, and memories
of times passed. Grief plays a part in many
family holidays, with memories of those lost
recently or even years before.
“Everyone makes the holiday season what
they want it to be. There is change when there
has been a death, but it can open the way to a
whole new experience,” says Charles Harkala,
chaplain and spiritual care consultant for Good
Shepherd Hospice.
Allyson Moskowitz, social services and
volunteer services manager, adds that people
can get overwhelmed by the decorating, parties
and large meals associated with holidays. “It can
be a good time to start new traditions.”
Good Shepherd Hospice offers numerous
resources for families and loved ones trying
to manage grief during the holiday season.
Handouts are available to help with creating
new traditions, remembering the loved one,
and acknowledging grief. Special support
groups meet throughout Polk, Highlands and
Hardee counties during this season. Please
contact Good Shepherd Hospice’s bereavement
department at 863-968-1739 for specific
programs in your area.
hospice: A system of coordinated care by an interdisciplinary team to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs
of those facing an end-of-life journey, delivered wherever a patient calls “home.”
Tom Conger: A Gift to Continue Giving
Tom Conger has an abiding passion for the
mission of Good Shepherd Hospice, a passion
that has seen him accept a position on the
Chapters Health System Board of Directors and
the chairmanship of the Lakeland Hospice House
Advisory Committee. Most recently, Tom, his
daughter Patty and her family presented a major
gift to Good Shepherd Hospice, by dedicating
the Development Office at the Lakeland Hospice
House in memory of wife and mother Peggy.
Peggy Conger was in Daytona Beach visiting
her mother when the unimaginable happened:
she suffered a massive heart attack that landed
her in an ICU, away from home, with no chance
of recovery. When the physician approached Tom
about hospice care, he knew what he needed to
do, and Peggy was transferred to the Forsythe
Hospice House in Auburndale.
Tom had little experience with hospice outside
of his work in the insurance business, but he was
immediately embraced by the Forsythe team. “It
was beautiful, with a serenity we needed after the
chaos of a hospital ICU with its constant alarms
and people,” says Tom. “The room was even
decorated the way Peggy would have done it
herself. But it’s really not about the building but
about what happens in the building.”
The Conger’s daughter Patty left her home
and family in Ohio to be with her parents as long
as she could. When Patty had to return home,
she knew her mother was receiving caring, quality
medical attention for the end of her life and that
her father was being supported with compassion.
Tom acknowledges that the trip back and
forth to the Auburndale house was a bit of a
strain. “It was a destination. When I got there,
I stayed. I couldn’t take breaks to run errands
or take care of everyday things.” Though Tom
never worried when he had to leave Peggy to
return home, he is thrilled to see Lakeland open
a hospice house to make inpatient hospice care
more convenient for Lakeland families.
That is part of the reason behind his gift for
the development office. Tom says, “I’m eager to
gain the community’s support for the Lakeland
Hospice House. By supporting development,
I can support their ability to reach others.
Philanthropy is transformational in making these
projects possible.”
Tom adds, “The ten days Peggy was at the
Forsythe Hospice House made an impression on
us that will last forever. In some way, we want to
help give the opportunity for others to experience
what we did.”
Tom Conger and his late wife, Peggy
Good Shepherd Hospice Mission: To provide quality palliative care and relieve the suffering of those in our
communities affected by life-limiting illnesses and end-of-life issues, maintaining the highest ethical standards,
so all may live as fully and comfortably as possible.
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NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
TAMPA FL
PERMIT NO 3723
320 W. Main Street
Lakeland, FL 33815
Lakeland hospice house
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Lakeland Hospice House
3450 Lakeland Hills Boulevard
Lakeland, FL 33805
863-682-0027
www.ChaptersHealth.org
To support the Lakeland Hospice House, or for more information on how to
become a member of Hospice Women of Giving, please call: 863-287-1364
A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from The Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free 1-800-435-7352 within the state of Florida. Registration does not imply endorsement,
approval or recommendation by the state. Chapters Health System does not share, sell or distribute our mailing lists to any third parties, for any reason. We are grateful for the support we receive from our friends
in the community. If you wish to no longer receive our requests for charitable support, please let us know by calling (863) 297-1880 or (813) 877-2200, by faxing (863) 682-3006 or (813) 871-8473, or by email at
development@chaptershealth.org. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for us to honor this request.