0 As I reflect on all that this last year has brought to us, I want to share my deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all of you. There are so many hands and hearts that are responsible for Hospeace House continuing to fulfill its mission, and I want you to know it does not go unnoticed. Many of you reading this now have supported these efforts. You have generously sent monetary donations, household supplies, spent countless volunteer hours caring for our families, held fundraisers within your own businesses and homes, filled our can/bottle bins, the list goes on and on. Simply put, YOU are the reason this home is still in existence. YOU are the reason our residents have been able to spend their remaining days surrounded by love, in comfort, and with friends and family holding their hands. We were ecstatic when we learned about the new Neapolitan Record, such exciting news for our whole community! Hospeace House is not owned by anyone, it belongs to the public. We are blessed to be in a position of trust and accountability with the services Hospeace House provides. It is important to keep you informed and how your hard work does such good. Many thanks to Chris and Kim for the opportunity to share here. People often say they were unsure we were still open; they didn’t know our fundraisers were the main source of our revenue, and they didn’t realize how easily they could help. Our website is www.hospeacehouse.org . It has everything from who we are, what we do, how to contact us, how to donate, how to volunteer, wish list items, admissions, photos, and an awesome aerial video by Luke Didion. If you haven’t been on our site in a while, please take a minute to see all that is offered there. You can even sign up for our email list to stay up to date on events, impact stories, and all things Hospeace House. While funding is always important, equally important is the need to expand our volunteer base. We have the most amazing and selfless staff/volunteers I have ever worked alongside. They need your help, and they need it quickly! You don’t need experience, you don’t need to know what to do or say, you don’t need to be sure you are “cut out for it”. You just need to care. The rest falls in place through hands on training, question asking, and the true beauty of helping those in need. While some choose to volunteer 4-hour caregiving shifts, others choose tasks that are also instrumental in keeping our doors open. If you or someone you know may be interested in getting involved please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form. You can find it on our website or you can text the word “volunteer” to 585-684-3493. If you are on social media you can “like” and “share” our posts from our Facebook page. It is an easy way to connect people to our mission and reach a broader network. The more people we reach, the more we build our army of volunteers and supporters. Many times, people ask how they can make a donation to Hospeace House. The best way is to donate through our website. You have the option of making your donation a memorial gift, an honorary gift, or you may choose to become one of our Angel Sponsors. You can make a one-time donation or set up a recurring donation of your choice. If you prefer to mail a donation, we encourage you to include an email address to ensure you receive your acknowledgment and tax receipt in a shorter amount of time (and less cost to us) than US Postal mail. You can text the word “give” or “donate” to 585-684-3493 and you will receive a secure link directly to our donation page. So many options! To quote Barbara Karnes, RN Award Winning End of Life Educator, Award Winning Nurse, NHPCO Hospice Innovator Award Winner, International Humanitarian Woman of the Year, and one of my personal heroes: “Dying is not a medical situation. In the hours to minutes, often even days before death, we don’t need medical assistance. We don’t need doctors or nurses or hospitals or 911. We need help from friends, caregivers, and family. The hours to minutes before death become a social, communal situation; a time of support from others.” With deepest gratitude, Jennifer Emmons, RN Executive Director, Hospeace House, Inc. Our Mission: To provide a warm, respectful environment meeting the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those facing the end of life as well as their families. To raise awareness of the hospice philosophy of care.
