October 2018 Newsletter

Volunteer eNews & Notes

Dan Batty

Manager, Volunteer Services

Happy October Greetings!

October signals not only a transition to a new month, but to a new season as autumn makes its presence known and we go into the final quarter of 2018. In September, we hosted our Volunteer Annual Training event at UNF. It was a packed house and if you were unable to attend, we have you covered: click here for some important info from the training and be on the lookout for the training notes.

As we begin the 2019 fiscal year, I want to offer another big “thank-you” for your volunteer service. You are the engine that drives us serving the needs of our patients and their families, along with the many departments of Community Hospice and Palliative Care! This newsletter contains many 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!

Our New Communities Need Your Compassion!

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.

Volunteer Stats

Oct-July 2018FY Stats

Volunteer Count

1,001
Patient Census

1,291
Percent of Patient Requests Filled (YTD)

Filling over 95 % of patient volunteer requests, with an average of 132 requests on a monthly basis.
New Volunteers

217
Volunteer Service Hours

83,302
(a savings of over $1,890,964)
Thrift Shop Hours

40,266

Department News: Bereavement

October 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 Charles M. 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 the bereavement services we offer.

Outreach volunteers receive training in grief and loss, active listening and how to document the phone calls using our computer system.

If this valuable service interests you, you can register and set up a brief phone interview by contacting Marilyn Jones, manager of bereavement and community grief by phone at 904.407.6124 or by email at mjones@communityhospice.com.

Foundation: Explore a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

…while knocking on the doors of Northeast Florida’s premier Halloween event! Made possible by the 2018 presenting sponsor, THE PLAYERS Championship, Halloween Doors & More is Saturday, October 20, from 2 - 7 p.m. at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall.

Halloween Doors & More is truly a gala of a different sort where you’re sure to see huge smiles on the faces of children and adults alike. Kids and parents will enjoy a day of magic, fantasy and so much more. Get ready for a stellar soiree with more than 12 fun zones filled with candy, toys, food, and all your favorite costumed characters.

The Force will be with you as you dance in the Troll Family Disco, get a spook-tacular makeover at the Booutiful Salon and enjoy delicious food and live entertainment. This event promises to have something for everyone in your family!

Halloween Doors & More is one of the most unique charity fundraising events Jacksonville has to offer. Admission and sponsorships help fund quality palliative and hospice care for medically complex children and their families through Community PedsCare.

The 23rd Annual Workin’ Man’s Bass Tournament

Community Hospice & Palliative Care sends a big thank-you to the North Florida Bass Masters and our amazing volunteers for all their work on the 23^rd Annual Workin’ Man’s Bass Tournament.

From left to right: Earl Lee, tournament member and Amy Davis, Community Hospice & Palliative Care's director of the Foundation

Every Thursday night from April through August 2018, Community Hospice & Palliative Care volunteers sold 50/50 raffle tickets at Whitey’s Fish Camp on Fleming Island during the tournament. Their efforts helped raise $5,000 for our pediatric program, Community PedsCare! The Workin’ Man’s Bass Tournament has supported Community PedsCare since 2006 and over the years has raised more than $72,000 for the program. We thank North Florida Bass Masters, Whitey’s Fish Camp and our volunteers for all they do for the children and families in our care.

Announcing: The Parking Lot Extravaganza

Join us on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at The Neviaser Educational Institute, 4266 Sunbeam Road, building 100, Jacksonville, FL 32257. Please refer potential vendors and sponsors to Volunteer Coordinator Chris Whitney by phone at 904.407.5204, or by email at cwhitney@communityhospice.com.

Pet Peace of Mind®/Pet Therapy Corner

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:

Provided 204 services for dogs and cats of our patients
Adopted out 37 dogs and 31 cats

We have some pets still in line waiting on their furr-ever homes:

Cats – Annie, Missy, Nicki, Kathy and Skittles
Dogs – Lady

Currently, we have seven cats and one dog 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.

Please be on the lookout for the new 2019 Pet Therapy calendar. Copies will be available soon at all Community Hospice and Palliative Care locations.

Administrative Notes

Caring for our Veterans, With Guest Presenter Deborah Grassman

Community Hospice & Palliative Care welcomed expert Deborah Grassman to the Charles M. Neviaser Educational Institute on Thursday, September 20. She presented on the topic Peace at Last: The Role of the Hospice Worker with Hope and Healing for Veterans and Their Families.

Electronic Contact Note update: We are happy to announce that you can now complete your contact notes electronically starting on Monday, October 1. During the last week of September, you should have received an email about how to access the new contact note link on your computer and/or cell phone. Follow the guidelines in the email for accessing the contact note. If you have questions, please contact your volunteer coordinator.

New Volunteer Opportunities:

We are adding a new “Volunteer Vigil Program” in the coming months. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Nicole Reed by phone at 904.738.9330 or by email at NReed@communityhospice.com.
We are excited to announce that Community Hospice & Palliative Care is adding a new volunteer opportunity called "Meal Assistant Volunteers." This opportunity will target patients who live in long-term care facilities and who have uncomplicated feeding needs. Training for this opportunity will consist of two 4-hour sessions over two days. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Nicole Reed by phone at 904.738.9330 or by email at NReed@communityhospice.com.

Recruiting New Volunteers: This year, please help us add to the Volunteer Team by asking your relatives or friends to consider volunteering with Community Hospice & Palliative Care. To fill out a volunteer application, head over to the application here.

We Want To Hear From You: For a complete list of our Volunteer Services Department, click here.