Malachi House Fall 2023 Newsletter

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Letter from the Chairman and Executive Director

Malachi House is finally feeling like the pre-pandemic days - with a high resident census, celebrations for birthdays and holidays, and activities such as art therapy, pet therapy, music therapy, and ice cream socials. These small, yet significant events create the heartwarming atmosphere that is so unique to Malachi House; and our residents and visitors alike are feeling the love.

While activities within the house are returning to normal, we are excited to announce some new staff roles:

• Emily Shumaker-Chupp will be transitioning to the role of Grant Writer. We are so grateful to Emily for her amazing work as our Development Director for almost four years. Her kindness, missiondriven spirit, organizational skills, and love for life have been an inspiration and a key motivator to our success during her time in this role. Emily will be establishing her residency in Washington state, but we are thrilled to continue working with her remotely. We wish her every success and are so grateful for her impact at Malachi House.

• Martha Cromleigh is shifting roles - along with her current management of our volunteers, she will now also be developing and enhancing our relationships with local organizations and donors as the Volunteer and Community Coordinator.

As we head into the fall and winter seasons, we look forward to a full schedule of events. We hope to see you there (check out the schedule inside)! Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prioritize the care and love of our dear residents.

John Schriner Judy Ghazoul Hilow Board Chair Executive Director

MALACHI HOUSE | FALL 2023 NEWSLETTER |

TOP TO BOTTOM: MARTHA CROMLEIGH AND RESIDENT SHARON, SCENES FROM ETHNEY’S MEMORIAL, VOLUNTEER JONATHON PLAYS GUITAR

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: JOHN POLITO

John has been volunteering at Malachi House since June of 2017. He primarily works at the front desk, answering and directing phone calls, greeting visitors, and keeping morale high within the house. However, John recently completed POST training (People Offering Sacred Tranquility) to become a volunteer who sits vigil with actively dying residents at Malachi House. When asked about becoming a POST volunteer, John says that it was a surprising decision for him – that if you would ask any of his friends or family they would have never guessed that John would be willing to offer this service at the end of someone’s life. In the past, John has not been particularly comfortable with sick or dying individuals. However, when he received the email from Martha, Volunteer and Community Coordinator, about the POST training, he felt that the Lord was telling him to step out of his comfort zone. John has completed the training and is grateful for the opportunity to serve others under these circumstances.

John and his wife Victoria have 3 children and live in Avon. When he isn’t volunteering at Malachi House he enjoys playing golf, spending time with his grandchildren and passing the winter months in Florida.

RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: GLENN

Glenn was born and raised in Cleveland and was the only child to his parents. His father was a security guard and his mom was a housewife. Glenn followed in his father’s footsteps and became a security guard as well. He became very good friends with Franklin and Christopher over the course of his life and they both visited him frequently at Malachi House. Oyster, his pet cat, was one of Glenn’s favorite things in the whole world. Glenn loved everything 50’s & 60’s, he even attended an Elvis concert in 1976. Glenn was Baptist by faith and was baptized here at Malachi House before his death. Glenn loved hamburgers and fries for meals with a diet coke on the side. He also loved everything Cleveland sports! Glenn was well known in Malachi House for being a sweet and gentle soul. Glenn loved playing rummy and uno with volunteers and staff. On a normal day you would find Glenn in the upstairs common area of Malachi House listening to his 50’s-60’s hits, he enjoyed his alone time but welcomed guests to join him. Glenn was never married and did not have children but he found his forever family here at Malachi.

STAFF RETREAT

The Malachi House staff took a well-deserved break from our regular work routine for a staff offsite retreat. We met at The Jesuit Retreat Center for a full day of team building activities and educational exercises. Marina Vladova, a Creative Writing Specialist, guided us through a writing exercise that helped us explore our thoughts and hopes with a group discussion afterwards. Malachi House’s very own Art Therapist, Colleen O’Neill, joined us for an arts and crafts session where we created beautiful and unique vases that we were able to take fresh flowers home in. We enjoyed a meal together and played games. Martha Cromleigh, Malachi House Volunteer & Community Coordinator, lead us through a no-sweat Jazzercise class and entertained us with a yo-yo presentation; skills she learned from her mother who was a Yo-yo World Champion. The day concluded with Dr. Jennifer King, Assistant Professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and Co-Director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity. Dr. King gave a presentation on physical and mental wellbeing through education of how our brain works in different situations we manage as caregivers.

We’re so grateful to the team at Crossroads Hospice and Palliative Care who stepped up to care for our residents while we were away. We couldn’t have enjoyed this fun and restorative day without you!

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DINNER

The annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner has returned! We were very excited to join together after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Once again, Pier W and Mark Kawada graciously hosted us for an evening of delicious food, fun, and stunning view of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland. That evening, we honored our Volunteers of the Year, Christine Connors, Joanne Hudson, and Debbie Fitzgerald. All of our volunteers are an integral part of the Malachi House Family and are key in fulfilling our mission to serve those in need who are terminally ill. Thank you, volunteers, for all that you do!

REMEMBERING ETHNEY

The Malachi House staff honored the memory of Ethney “Blondie” Susanna Ford with the planting of a beautiful hydrangea tree that will enhance Kaki’s Garden. Ethney was the daughter of Ruth Ford, a member of the Malachi House Family and hospice partner nurse at the Cleveland Clinic. Ethney loved animals and the connections they form with people. The Malachi House staff, residents, and visitors will all benefit from the beauty (and cute critters and birds) that this living tribute brings to the garden for years to come.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 2023

9/28: Malachi House Birthday

October 2023

10/3: Feast of St. Therese Mass

@ Malachi House

10/7: Celebration of Life Interment @ Wade Chapel, Lake View Cemetery

December 2023

Adopt a Resident Program

12/1: Lights for Life Event

@ Malachi House

January 2024

1/26: Benefit Concert

Derek Warfield & the Young Wolfe Tones @ Windows on the River

RUTH AND HUSBAND, JOE IN FRONT OF THE HYDRANGEA TREE PLANTED IN ETHNEY’S MEMORY

MALACHI HOUSE

2810 Clinton Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44113

(p)216.621.8831 (f)216.621.8841

malachihouse.org

MAKE A GIFT ONLINE NOW!

QUESTIONS? Email us at echupp@malachihouse.org

MISSION STATEMENT

Malachi House, created out of a Christian sense of ministry, serves persons who are terminally ill without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin and without cost to the resident or family. This home ministers to individuals who need an available caregiver, who have limited or no financial resources and are in need of special home care in the final stages of life. A trained staff and volunteers provide spiritual, emotional, and physical support with the assistance of a hospice team.

WISH LIST

MOST-NEEDED ITEMS

• Tall kitchen trash bags (13 gallon)

• Toilet paper

• Bleach (Clorox & Clorox cleanup)

• Windex

• Jell-O snack cups (plain; no fruit)

• Pudding snack cups

• Tuna, chicken (canned, in water)

• Canned spinach and greens

• Salad dressing (bottled, italian & ranch)

• Ketchup, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, barbecue sauce

• Gravy (canned, jars and dry mixes)

• Ensure/Boost drinks-vanilla/ chocolate

• Boxed potatoes, au gratin, scalloped & instant mashed.

• Antibacterial/bleach wipes

• Laundry detergent (liquid & HE only)

• Dishwasher detergent (liquid; no pods)

• Dishwasher rinse aid

• Coffee - ground, regular, decaf (no flavors)

• Single-serve liquid creamers

• Single-serve powdered creamer packets

• Single-serve sugar packets

• Juices: orange no pulp, apple, grape

• Soda pop (Coke, Pepsi, Ginger Ale, Sprite, cans only, no diet)

• Gift cards (Giant Eagle, Dave’s Market, Save-a-Lot, Walmart & Amazon)

• First-class postage stamps

• Jif peanut butter & Smucker jelly

• Cake, brownie, & pancake mix

• Cake frosting

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• Napkins (plain white, dinnersized)

• Paper placemats (10” x 14” for

meal trays; available at GFS)

• Boxes of tissues (Kleenex/other)

• Paper towels

• Foil

• Ziploc bags

OFFICE SUPPLIES

• Multi-purpose copier paper (8½” x 11” white, 20-lb., not hole-punched)

NON-PERISHABLE FOODS

• Sugar (granulated plus brown)

• Hot cereal – oatmeal

• Egg noodles

• Spaghetti sauce

• Kool Aid

• Spices (pepper, onion powder, garlic powder & adobo)

MONETARY DONATIONS

• Checks made payable to Malachi House

• Credit card donations online at www.malachihouse.org

CO-FOUNDERS

Fr. Paul Hritz (1923-2013)

Catherine “Kaki” O’Neill (1933-2023)

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

John J. Schriner Chairperson

Matthew A. Becker Vice-Chairperson

Jeffrey D. Neuman, CPA Treasurer

Donna M. Skurzak Secretary

J. Brandon Walters, MD, FAAHPM

Medical Director

Joseph C. Granzier

Fr. Michael Gurnick

Kevin M. Kelly

Patricia F. Krewson, Esq.

L. Joseph Lee

Ann C. Lutz

Jonathan Onk

Anthony Rinaldi, Esq.

Shareefah Sabur

Mary Lou V. Stricklin

John J. Sullivan

Terrence V. Upchurch II

EMERITUS

Diane C. Kennedy

ASSOCIATE BOARD

David Amos

Michael Kelley II. CFP Co-Chairs

Patsy Coughlin, Esq. Secretary

Bryan Evans, Esq.

Meghan Hanrahan

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Judy Ghazoul Hilow