1. family and parenting

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January 2015 • Issue 57
HopeWestCO.org
A note from Christy
Happy New Year to each of
you! I can’t believe it is 2015
because it seems like yesterday
I was making resolutions for
2014. As always, we have so
much to be proud of and reflect
upon throughout the year.
We are so grateful to the
members of our community
who simply “define” our
organization. I wish that I had the opportunity to thank
each of you personally for what you do to make our
mission possible.
Christy Whitney
President & CEO
The number of people who received our care in 2014
reached an all-time high. Our services provide for
patients and families facing serious illness and grief right
here on the Western Slope. It is because of you that we
can provide these vital services. Your support has been
so important in assuring our ability to respond to those
in need. It would be impossible to do what we do, and be
who we are, without you.
We have so many more exciting things coming in the
New Year and we are lucky to have you with us each step
of the way. Things we are looking forward to – Montrose
office completion, a new idea at Heirlooms Grand
Junction called Charmed where our talented staff and
volunteers will help us repurpose and reinspire items –
and the list goes on and on.
Wishing you a blessed New Year!
Ask your friends to join our cause!
Often our friends or loved ones are looking to join
a cause in the new year. We hope you will encourage
them to join us.
We need volunteers for all areas at HopeWest. Every
hobby and talent has a place here. Opportunities include:
Heirlooms - creatively display merchandise, cashier,
greet and help customers and clean and repair donated items
Administration - performing general office
functions like greeting guests, answering the phone, filing
or helping with other important projects
Patient and family support - participate
in a variety of activities such as: visiting with a patient,
sharing hobbies and stories, reading to a patient, running
errands, relieving the caregiver for a small amount of time
and providing transportation
HopeWest Kids - acting as mentors to children
and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one
And so much more!
Volunt
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Mesa County
Social Worker Spotlight: Cindy Webb
I am a social worker serving home patients from Grand Junction to Palisade. I am
a home-grown western Colorado girl, raising my three sons in Grand Junction.
I love reading, fly fishing and hiking, which restores my spirit. I especially enjoy
our beautiful mountains, lakes and streams.
I graduated from CSU with a Master’s Degree and a goal of becoming a hospice social
worker. I started my career with a home health agency, and then worked as an oncology
social worker and a part-time hospice social worker in Garfield County. I came to
HopeWest to be a social worker at the Hospice Care Center and joined the home
care team of social workers a couple of years ago.
I have had the opportunity to meet many of our patient volunteers and serve alongside them. I have seen first-hand
how very much volunteers mean to the lives of our patients and families. I dearly love delivering the birthday cakes
made by our amazing volunteers, and recently a patient volunteer and I made a home visit together to deliver one
of the cakes. Those visits and the fun enjoyed by all are the “icing on the cake” of my service!
Vigil Volunteer Orientation
The HopeWest Volunteer Vigil Care Program was created
to provide comfort and support to HopeWest patients
who are actively dying and have no family or friends to be
with them and don’t want to die alone.
If you are interested in becoming a vigil volunteer, please
join us for our upcoming orientation. This is good
training for anyone, even if you decide not to become
a vigil volunteer. You are welcome to come learn from
Beth Brown, Registered Nurse, about ways you can help
a person at their end of life.
Topics that will be discussed include:
The Dying Experience, Signs and Symptoms of Actively
Dying Patients, Comfort Care, the Role of Volunteers
and How to Get Involved.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Compass Drive Room 301
If you are interested in attending, please
RSVP to Tammie Rupe (970) 257-2378
or email [email protected].
Thank You!
Thank you to all our
volunteer cake bakers
who make amazing
cakes for our patients!
Upcoming
Educational
Opportunities
Brunch and Learn
Join us for a three part instructional session on patient
visit ideas! A light brunch will be provided.
January 22, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
2754 Compass Dr. Room 370
Deborah Palmer, Music Therapist, will be demonstrating
how to play the lap harp that is available for volunteers to
check out and use with patients – the harp is easy to play,
even if you are not musical! She will provide instructions
on how non-musical volunteers can use music in their
visits to patients using CDs, sheet music and other tools.
Sonya Griffee will
demonstrate how to
give a gentle hand
massage – it can be
used in a variety of
settings including
when a volunteer is
participating in a vigil.
Chelsea Jensen will lead a group discussion on visit ideas
you can use with patients. We know it can be a challenge
to find things to do with a patient who is bed bound or
has dementia and hope to give you some ideas to use for
your visits.
Please RSVP to Tammie Rupe at (970) 257-2378
by January 15, 2015.
Welcome New Volunteers
Thank you for joining our team!
Janet Rauen
Rosanne Giurado
Steve and Cindy Balloga
Dan Wiseman
Tina Ward
Lea Imer
Sandra Haire
Charleah Firestone
Eileen Heilig
Tamara Martinez
Karen Barrix
Dan Terrell
Jeanie Lange
Kristy Musser
pot
Department S
light
HopeWest Adult Support Services
Our adult grief support team is a vital part of providing
the community with help after the death of a loved one.
Here’s a snapshot at the many ways our team makes a
difference:
• Provide grief support through sympathy cards,
grief newsletters and phone calls for a year after the
death of a loved who passed away in our care.
• Facilitates grief groups for anyone facing the
heartbreak of grief.
• Provides individual counseling for families and friends
of HopeWest patients and community members, as
well as staff and volunteers of HopeWest.
• Offers three different classes throughout the year on
how to cope with grief; from eating well to facing the
holidays.
• Provides advanced bereavement training for
volunteers, staff and community members.
• Offers grief support for workplace deaths and care
facilities.
• Connects volunteers and those struggling with grief
for companionship.
• Provides a memento to grieving family members with
the help of our volunteers who sew bears, pillows,
aprons and totes from the loved one’s clothing.
Our team needs your help!
Please join our efforts, opportunities include:
• Seamstress for memento gifts
• Co-facilitators for various grief groups
• Volunteers who would enjoy making phone calls and
listen to those who are learning to cope with grief
• Companions who are just a phone call away and are
available when needed
If you are interested in more information on how you can
lift a grieving heart, be a participant in the groups or need
individual counseling, call Judian Wyatt, Bereavement
Coordinator at (970) 257-2386.
Coming soon...
Our 2015 Gala theme is
n
e
z
o
r
F
Mark your calendars:
3090 North 12th Street, Unit B
Grand Junction, CO 81506
Black Tie & Boots
Saturday, January 17
Two Rivers Convention Center
Montrose Gala
Saturday, March 21
Montrose Pavilion
Do you want to receive the newsletter electronically?
Send us an email to [email protected]
and we will add you to our list!
?
e
s
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o
H
l
Ful
The holidays have come and gone and now you
have beautiful new things to fill your closet and
your home, but you’re short on storage space…
...donate your once treasured items to Heirlooms!
635 Main Street
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(970) 874-5251
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