Why Does Hospice of Southern Illinois Fundraise?

“Why does Hospice of Southern Illinois hold so many fundraisers?” is common question from people within the community, agree Jennifer Vinyard and Kathy Wilson, Event Coordinators for Hospice of Southern Illinois.  Most of our events are brought to us by individuals or organizations in the community who have experienced the loss of a loved one and who want to show appreciation for the care that was provided. 

Your gift makes a difference.  There is no gift too small.  Fundraisers and community support are additional resources that allow us to continue providing the highest quality end-of-life care regardless of a patient and family’s ability to pay for hospice care.



How can you help?  Attend fundraisers…Share events…Sponsor…Donate…Host an event…Volunteer

Click here to check out upcoming events at Hospice of Southern Illinois!

To speak with someone in the Development Department for more information,
please call 1-800-233-1708.

National Volunteer Week

April 6-12, 2014 is National Volunteer Week.  This week was established in 1974, to recognize the extraordinary individuals who volunteer their time and great effort to help others.  This week raises national attention and awareness on the importance and the impact volunteers have in the community.

Hospices and hospice facilities are greatly dependent on the generosity and dedication of volunteers due to the countless hours they give back. According to the Hospice Foundation of America, there are more than 468,000 hospice volunteers throughout the U.S. Hospice of Southern Illinois has over 400 volunteers that donate their time and talents helping with a variety of projects, tasks, and jobs within the organization.

At Hospice of Southern Illinois, each hospice volunteer goes through orientation and training before working

with our employees and with hospice patients. Our volunteers come from many different backgrounds and from a variety of different ages. These volunteers may help support patients, families, the hospice home, Relais Bonne Eau, and clinical and clerical employees, including the community and development departments.

Our volunteers are extremely important to our organization and are never left unrecognized for their giving souls and hospice hearts. So, help us and other organizations celebrate, honor, and thank each volunteer for the work they provide, expecting nothing in return. Cheers to Hospice of Southern Illinois volunteers and all volunteers who help make the world a better place!

 

Hospice of Southern Illinois Circle of Care

Hospice care is so complex, but so simple all in the same. All hospices are regulated by Medicare Guidelines to provide a certain level of care.  Yet each hospice provides individualized care based on the patients’ end-of-life wishes. For this reason, there are many components that make up hospice care. These complex components all work together to make hospice care simple. How can that be? Describing hospice care as a full circle helps paint the picture of how it all works.

Medical directors, physicians, registered nurses, hospice aides, social workers, bereavement counselors, and volunteers make up the outer ring of the circle.  The outer ring builds the foundation for the support and care involved with hospice. The simplicity lies in the center of the circle, the hospice patient. All support and care provided is focused around the needs and wants of the patient at the end of life. Surrounding the patient are the family and friends who make the wishes known and supports the patient through the physical, emotional and spiritual needs through the end-of-life journey.

The end-of-life journey can bring changes in the patient’s physical or emotional condition, patient and family concern, changes in medication, changes in emotional or spiritual needs, or need for medical equipment and supplies. These changes are why hospice care is so important. The hospice team works together to meet these needs. Further, hospice care and the hospice team have the expertise about what to expect at the end of life.  Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Team has compassion for an individual’s dignity, and the experience of working with others who are going through the same things. Hospice services are so unique because they can provide all of these benefits with the help of so many, to those who need it when they are ready, patients and families at the end of life. This is why hospice care is complex, but simple all in the same: unique with so many parts, but simply for patients who need the individualized hospice care.

Help us share, educate, and reach out by subscribing to our blog and suggesting it to friends who will spread our message: Hospice of Southern Illinois is here to teach you what hospice is, what we are about, and what we can do for you and your loved ones. No one has to go through the dying process alone. Hospice of Southern Illinois can help.

Live well, laugh often, and love much,

Christine Juehne

Hospice of Southern Illinois

Community Education

1-800-233-1708

www.hospice.org

Hospice of Southern Illinois is the Recipient of a $5,000 Wells Fargo Grant

     Hospice of Southern Illinois is the recipient of a $5,000 Wells Fargo grant which will be used to provide hospice care to patients and families. Wells Fargo Advisors team member and Hospice of Southern Illinois volunteer, Kathleen Murphy, nominated the not-for-profit for the Wells Fargo Volunteer Service Award, and received notification of the grant for her charity, earlier this month. “We are so honored to be recognized by this prestigious financial institution,” said Susan Reilmann, Development Manager of Hospice of Southern Illinois. “We want to thank Kathleen for her dedication as a volunteer, her nomination of our programs and services, and her passion for advocating hospice care.”
     Kathleen Murphy’s family called Hospice of Southern Illinois ten years ago when both her mother-in-law and father-in-law were dying. “Hospice was a Godsend to us in a very rough time,” she explains. Her in-laws died just 13 days apart. When Kathleen felt the urge to give back something to her community, hospice was the first place that came to mind.
     Today, Kathleen, who lives in Fairview Heights and works at Wells Fargo Advisors’ downtown St. Louis headquarters, assists in the mailing of over 2,000 bereavement brochures monthly to individuals who have lost someone in the past. She has worked on numerous fundraisers, health fairs, and trivia nights to raise funds for the quality patient care that Hospice of Southern Illinois provides. She also works one morning a month at the Hospice House, Relais Bonne Eau. Kathleen thoroughly enjoys the volunteer work and feels a great sense of satisfaction in knowing she’s helping to make someone's final days as comfortable as possible for them and their families.
      Hospice of Southern Illinois is your community not-for-profit hospice program serving 27 counties in southern Illinois since 1981. For more information about Hospice of Southern Illinois, visit our website, www.hospice.org, or contact Christine Juehne, 618-235-1703 or cjuehne@hospice.org.

Volunteers Recognized as Unsung Heroes

Like every year, we are currently celebrating our volunteers all April long! Something even more special than usual, our volunteers were recognized as Unsung Heroes for their time, dedication, and service to our mission; enhancing the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness. No act of volunteering is too small. Volunteers all have a hospice heart and help with everything from office work to sitting with patients during their last breaths on this earth. Some volunteers are even refered to as angels! Take a glimpse of what volunteering at Hospice of Southern Illinois is all about!


Click Here to Play Video