Can you believe it? The holiday season is upon us! We appreciate your volunteer service all year long, but especially during this season of the year!
Here are some ways you can help above and beyond:
This newsletter contains a lot of wonderful things that are happening in the Volunteer Services department for Community Hospice and Palliative Care. If you have a volunteer experience you want to share with us, please email your story to your volunteer coordinator.
Happy Volunteering!
We need you! We’d love your volunteer assistance with our efforts in our expanded 16-county service area. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Bertie Allender by phone at 386.530.6988 or by email at aallender@communityhospice.com.
November Training for Bereavement Outreach Volunteers
Training for volunteers to make outreach phone calls to caregivers after the death will be held Monday, November 12, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Neviaser Educational Institute located at 4266 Sunbeam Road.
Our bereavement outreach volunteers play an important role after the patient’s death by calling family members at one month and two months post-death to offer support, check on how they are doing and provide information about bereavement services that are available to them.
Outreach volunteers receive training in grief and loss and active listening skills as well as how to document the phone calls using our computer system.
If this valuable service interests you and you have a couple hours of time to give weekly during business hours, Monday through Friday, please contact Marilyn Jones, manager of bereavement and community grief, by phone at 904.407.6124 or by email at mjones@communityhospice.com to register and to schedule a brief interview prior to the training.
Annual Tree of Life and Candlelight Service of Remembrance
Believing that love always remembers we invite you to participate in the 28th annual Tree of Life and Candlelight Service of Remembrance to celebrate the memory of your loved ones. On December 6 from 5-7 p.m. the Earl B. Hadlow Center for Caring will be illuminated with lights representing the patients Community Hospice & Palliative Care has served since 1979.
Pay tribute to cherished loved ones with a beautiful and inspiring program of music, verse and reflection. Families and friends may purchase ribbons and gifts to be displayed in commemoration of loved ones. For more information or to purchase ribbons and/or gifts, call 904.886.3883 or visit www.TOL.CommunityHospice.com
We thank our presenting sponsor Dignity Memorial Hardage Giddens.
Interested in volunteering by writing personalized ribbons? Contact the Foundation at 904.886.3883. To volunteer at Tree of Life service, contact Betsy Beckham at BBeckham@CommunityHospice.com.
I want to express special appreciation to our Parking Lot Extravaganza (PLE) Committee for their help in preparing for this fundraising event: Beth Berry, Susan Luvisi, Liz Peek, Rachel Spell, Dee Talty, Lynn Thorsen, Scott and Nangy Yeoman and Event Coordinator Chris Whitney.
The Parking Lot Extravaganza takes place on Saturday, November 3 at our 4266 Sunbeam Road location.
Watch for the results of this event in the December newsletter.
For our 2018 Halloween Pet Parade on Wed., Oct. 31, the Clyde E. Lassen VA Nursing Home in St. Augustine was just one of the many stops some excited pet owners and their festively-dressed animals visited.
Some of our nation's bravest enjoyed seeing the dogs (and some humans) dressed for the occasion. From left to right below: Sarah Simpson-Stump & Bubbles; Alice and Suzy Q; Angela Byrd & CJ; Noreen Rains & Chico; Dee Talty & Maggie; Susan Winkler & Bristol; Charlene Beymer & G.G.
Our Facebook page has more photos from the parade!
As you know, this program provides an opportunity for you to help assist us with the pet needs of our patients. Since starting this program in 2014, we have:
We have some pets still in line waiting on their furr-ever homes:
Currently, we have one cat and two dogs that need new forever homes. If you are interested or know of someone who is interested, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Chris Whitney by phone at 904.407.5204, or by email at cwhitney@communityhospice.com.
You can also head to our Facebook page to take a look at these wonderful animals.
Copies of the new 2019 Pet Therapy calendar are now available at all Community Hospice and Palliative Care locations.
The new electronic contact note was set out the last week of September. The email included your account name and a password for you to access the new time clock/contact note. Congratulations to those of you who were able to open it and start using it. If you are having difficulty opening the new contact note, please contact your Volunteer Coordinator. Our IT department is partnering with us to troubleshoot any problem you are experiencing. I apologize for any delay you are having with being able to use this new feature.
There was some question as to who should be using this new feature. The answer is all volunteer involvements. There are two parts, a time clock and a contact note. The time clock replaces the VIC. So whether you work at the Front Desk, do clerical work, or serve at some Ambassador event, we want you to use the new time clock feature. So if you have received an email with account information and a password, please go ahead and download it to your computer and cell phone. Those of you visiting a patient will fill out both the time clock and the contact note.
If you are a Parent Family Volunteer and have not received the link to the new time clock /contact note, please notify your Volunteer Coordinator.
Just a note, Thrift Shop volunteers will be receiving this new time clock feature in the next few months.
We conducted educational forums in October for these two new programs. A training has been scheduled for each of these programs for November:
We had a wonderful turnout of over 150 volunteers for this annual event hosted at the University Center on the UNF campus. Special thanks to our presenters; Patrice Symms, Wilma David, Amy Davis, Donna Morrow, Walter Reger, Betsy Beckham, David Purcell and to our closing speaker, Jim Monahan.
Please check out the "Challenging Behaviors in Alzheimer's/Dementia" guide as a resource along with "Being A Healing Presence".
In the meantime, you can head to our Facebook page for photos from the training!
Please help us add to the Volunteer Team by asking your family members or friends to consider volunteering with Community Hospice & Palliative Care. Anyone who is interested can head here to complete our application.
The Volunteer Services Department is available to help you at any time. The main volunteer number is 904.407.7064
For a complete list of the Volunteer Services Department, click here.
You can also visit the website at Volunteer.CommunityHospice.com.