VOLUNTEER news A Newsletter for the Shepherd Auxiliary & Volunteers October 2011 ShepherdCares 2012: Employees Give Back Each September, Shepherd Center employees are asked to support the hospital by contributing to the ShepherdCares Employee Giving campaign. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Brock “Justin Bieber” Bowman and Susan “Lady Gaga” Johnson, we exceeded this year’s goal of $100,000, enabling us to purchase a new van for our adolescent patients. Known as the “iBus”, the vehicle will be tech-friendly and outfitted with iPod docking stations, flat screen monitors for video games, and an exterior wrap to match the spirit of those patients who will use it. Staff ambassadors worked hard to encourage their co-workers to participate in the campaign, and their job was made easier by our hotel partners, vendors and community businesses who donated raffle prizes. This year’s prizes included an iPad, hotel stays in Orlando, St. Simon’s Island, and the north Georgia mountains, and the biggest prize of all - two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines! Thanks to Southwest Airlines, Holiday Inn Express, HDS Vans and Mobility, Pillars Hotels & Resorts, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Camden Brookwood Apartments, Target, Uncle Julio’s, QuikTrip, World of Coke, Benihana and Genghis Grill for their generous contributions. Left: “Justin Bieber” and “Lady Gaga” rallied the crowd at the ShepherdCares Employee Giving campaign kickoff cookout. Housing Resources Provide Unique Draw Few realize that Shepherd Center is the only rehabilitation hospital in the country that offers free housing resources, and in 2010 our three different properties provided help to 927 families. When an inpatient lives more than 60 miles away from Shepherd Center, free housing is initially offered to the family for 30 days. When patients progress from being an inpatient, most opt for participating in our Day Program, at which time they are granted even more weeks of complimentary housing with their caregiver. The modern Irene and George Woodruff Residence Center you see on campus today was dedicated in 2008. It contains 6 floors of wheelchair accessible apartments (84 in all), each fully furnished Irene and George Woodruff Family Residence with everything from beds and sleep sofa, to a flat screen t.v. and Center a DVD player, to a full kitchen. The laundry facilities and supplies provided are a big plus, as is the large Family Lounge, which contains sofas, dining tables, flat screen TV, family friendly DVDs, books to check out and games. A beautiful garden can be found just outside the Lounge on the Plaza level, with a wheelchair obstacle course, grills and tables for outdoor meals. Two smaller Shepherd housing properties are also utilized. Shepherd Place is located on Peachtree Park Drive, and Biscayne Apartments are on Biscayne Drive, both within walking distance. Together they contain 36 additional apartments for a variety of clients including the veterans in our SHARE program, MS patients here for treatment, and overflow of Day Program SCI or ABI patients from the Residence Center. Our housing properties help make it possible for family members of patients to be close to their loved ones during a very challenging time, participate in all training required, avoid hotel charges, and even live out their time at Shepherd without a vehicle. It is a unique resource that helps attract patients from all over the world to the place we know will give them the best care and rehabilitation outcome possible. from the AUXILIARY PRESIDENT Dear Auxiliary Members, Fall is finally here! Cooler weather, colorful landscapes, and the holidays start now! We have lots of fun planned for October, and we hope you will plan now to be part of it. The $5 Jewelry Sale is planned for October 13 and 14, in the Marcus Building across from Security. This is a great place to shop for stocking stuffers and “little gifts” for friends’ birthdays. The Halloween Bake Sale will be held on Thursday, October 27th, in the Marcus building across from the Security Desk. I hope you will bring your best cakes, pies, cupcakes, and cookies to help raise money for the Auxiliary’s Patient Aid fund. Of course, we will have a Halloween theme, so the spookier the better! Bring goodies to Shepherd on Wednesday, October 26 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or on Thursday, October 27th between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Pretty fall packaging or spooky, freaky wrapping is the order of the day. Cookies, cupcakes and brownies can be packaged in bags for individual sale. Call me if you need details: (404)-257-0495. Our famous Pecans on Peachtree Sale begins on November 7th. We have a new manager, Annette Wright, who will take over Candy Sugarman’s duties. We will also have extended hours this year on Tuesdays and Thursdays in December, so we will need lots of volunteers to tend the kiosk in Marcus and the sale fulfillment center in the Woodruff Family Residence Center Plaza. We have some new products that I’m sure you will like, too. Marla Bennett and Jane Ulicny are calling for volunteers, so I hope when they call you will say “yes!” Thanks to Cyndae Arrendale and Heather Flint for organizing the beautiful Fall Coffee, and to all who came and enjoyed the camaraderie of the Auxiliary members! Special thanks to those who brought new members and friends. We are happy to welcome Barbara Kelley, Andrea Cook, Jessica Hayden and Libby Prickett to the Auxiliary, and Rebecca and Dennis Webb and family to Peach Corps! There’s a lot going on this month! Be sure to mark your calendar for the Jewelry Sale on October 13 and 14, as well as the Bake Sale on October 27. Also, remember to check your calendar to see which days you can help with the Pecan Sale. I hope to see you at the Legendary Party on Saturday, November 5 at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead! Have a Boo-tiful Fall! Maureen Maureen Escott [email protected] $5 Jewelry Sale Thursday, October 13 Friday, October 14 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 1st Floor Marcus Building Across from Security Halloween Bake Sale Thursday, October 27 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 1st Floor Marcus Building Our treats will be frightfully delicious! Volunteer Spotlight - Gloria Stone Do you sometimes wonder if there are any natives left in Atlanta? Look no further than our Welcome Desk, which is staffed on Wednesday afternoons by a genuine, elegant Atlanta native, Gloria Stone. Born and raised in Avondale Estates, Gloria comes from parents that lived long and productive lives, including a father who was an active practicing attorney until the age of 93, living almost to 102. While raising Gloria her parents encouraged her in music, and she was such an accomplished violinist in high school that she was given a unique first introduction into volunteering. She, along with other musically gifted high school students, was asked to play in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra before they were able to bring together enough professional musicians to complete their orchestral roster. After graduating from the Georgia College for Women, Gloria enjoyed a long and successful career with Equifax, where she particularly enjoyed be- Above: Gloria often works ing the Director of Human Resources. Throughout her life she has been a on administrative projects while greeting visitors at the voracious reader and has always remained active at her church, Avondale Welcome Desk. Estates First Baptist Church. Gloria has spent many years serving in various volunteer positions, including her work with the American Legion Auxiliary at the V. A. Hospital and fulfilling roles in both the Avondale Estates Garden Club and Women’s Club. June Weitnauer, a good friend who serves on the Shepherd Auxiliary and Advisory Board, steered Gloria not only towards Shepherd but also to the Assistance League of Atlanta. There Gloria works at their thrift store and is co-liaison in supporting Shepherd Center by stocking our Clothes Closet with free clothing for needy patients and delivering cookies once a month to those patients who have birthdays. Gloria states that she is glad June guided her to serve here at Shepherd Center years ago through the Auxiliary and various volunteer positions. She states that sharing her time and talents here has enriched her life and truly made her a happier person. Welcome Annette Wright The Pecans on Peachtree season is almost upon us and we have a brand new coordinator, Annette Wright. Annette comes to us with diverse experience from the business world and more recently nonprofit organizations, where she worked extensively with volunteers. In all previous positions she has managed the operations of projects and programs, and she is known for her sharp sense of humor. “I’m very excited about assisting the Auxiliary team in raising funds that will really make a difference,” Annette shared. “I look forward to meeting and working with both staff and volunteers.” Bring Us Your Books! Your donations of gently used current and recent books help us stock the Auxiliary Book Cart, which raises funds to provide basic necessities to families in need while at Shepherd Center. Donations can be brought to Volunteer Services. spotlight Above (l-r): Midge Tracy, Director of Volunteer Services, accepts a donation of two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines from Marsha Heard of Holiday Inn Express. The tickets were a raffle prize for the employee giving campaign. Right (l-r): Family member Vincent Boshar visits with Erin Valentin of Homewood Suites during a recent family brunch. VOLUNTEER news Scott Sikes, Executive Director, Shepherd Center Foundation Midge Tracy, Director, Volunteer Services Alex Seblatnigg, Volunteer Manager & Newsletter Co-editor Gale Eckstein Volunteer Services Assistant & Newsletter Co-editor Membership in the Shepherd Center Auxiliary, Peach Corps, SCS, and Junior Committee is open to all volunteers. Members provide ongoing fundraising and volunteer support to Shepherd Center. For more information on becoming a member of one of these groups, contact Midge Tracy at (404) 350-7315 or visit www. shepherd.org. Shepherd Center’s mission is to help people with a temporary or permanent disability caused by injury or disease rebuild their lives with hope, independence, and dignity, advocating for their full inclusion in all aspects of community life while promoting safety and injury prevention. Above: Samuel Tenkorang, Patient Care Tech in ABI Nursing, won a two night stay at “The Last Resort” in Blue Ridge, Georgia during Shepherd’s employee giving campaign.