FALL 2021
Whatcom Hospice Reaches New Level of National Veterans Program We all need to hear “thank you” and it is never more important than at the end of life. We are proud to announce that Whatcom Hospice is now a Level 3 Partner with We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. This progression demonstrates Whatcom Hospice’s high level of commitment to Veteran-centric care, which includes special recognition for Veteran patients, a Veteran-to-Veteran volunteer program, staff training on conflict-specific medical and mental health concerns, and knowledge to assist Veterans in navigating VA benefits.
with a certificate of appreciation and an American flag pin, Ray’s face lit up with pride. He grabbed the hand of the hospice chaplain and said, “Thank you. That meant so much to me.”
The program has been helpful to patients like Raymond Olson (pictured above), who was born in Whatcom County, enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17, and was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict. His daughter, Joan Jones, who cared for Ray at home in his final days, was so grateful to gather family members at Ray’s bedside for a special “pinning ceremony” performed by our uniformed military volunteer, Dave Magelssen. After being presented
“We find that many of our Veteran patients feel underappreciated for their service, which was often very difficult,” says Chaplain Jennifer MacDonald. “Being acknowledged has a profound impact that you can see in patients’ faces. It’s like a healing happens,” she said. Since partnering with We Honor Veterans in 2012, Whatcom Hospice staff and volunteers have performed more than 420 service recognition pinning ceremonies.
Whatcom Hospice also has a Veteranto-Veteran volunteer program, with five Veteran volunteers who are available to serve Veteran patients upon request. Whenever possible, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Amie Carr tries to pair Veteran volunteers with patients who served in the same branch of service. Patients and family members are very appreciative of these volunteers, who have a unique ability to bond with Veteran patients, reminding them of a brotherhood they cherished. After the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, we hope to further strengthen the Veteran-to-Veteran volunteer program by training and onboarding more Veteran volunteers to support patients directly or to participate in pinning ceremonies. As a Whatcom Hospice Foundation donor, you are helping to support the We Honor Veterans program. Thank you for caring for these very special and deserving members of our community! Learn more about the national program at www.WeHonorVeterans.org.
Donor and Volunteer Spotlight: Pat Kust Whatcom Hospice Foundation is extremely grateful for the many donors and volunteers who give of their time, talent and treasure to support Whatcom Hospice patients and families. Pat Kust is one of those very special individuals! 2
Pat has been a Whatcom Hospice volunteer for 31 years. She loves visiting with hospice and palliative care patients in their own homes or living facilities. She often brings flowers and pretty much just listens a lot. “Everyone has a story that should be told. Listen. Establish a friendship,” is her advice for all of us. “If you can make someone’s life happier, just go for it!” Growing up with five siblings in a devout Catholic family on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Pat learned the golden rule – “Be kind to others. Treat them the way you want to be treated.” She still has vivid images of her dad pushing nursing home residents in their wheelchairs to Monday night Mass each week, a task he did faithfully until he was more than 80 years old.
Pat’s dad half-joked that he wished all four of his daughters would become nuns. Pat’s sister, Dorothy Ann Kundlinger, has served as a nun with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration for more than 60 years and has been involved with hospice since before 1990. Dorothy’s selfless work with terminally ill patients and their families inspired Pat to become a Hospice volunteer as well. Pat is retired from a commercial fishing business she and her husband, Peter, owned in Alaska from 1970 to 1995. Her teaching certificates for Wisconsin and Alaska were expired so classes in creative writing, geneology, oceanography, computer classes and Bible study groups were wonderful challenges. Volunteering and companioning with Hospice patients has been most rewarding. Gardening is a year-round joy for Pat. She says it is “cheaper than going to a therapist.” Pat has included Whatcom Hospice Foundation and other charities in her estate plans, ensuring that her legacy of helping society’s most vulnerable will live on long after she is gone.
Thank you, Pat, for your incredible history of care and concern for others!
Hospice House Patients Give the Gift of Sight Jenna suffered from vision problems her whole life. As a teen she struggled to see the board and coursework at school. She also relied on friends and family to help her with daily activities. When Jenna received two corneal transplants to treat her corneal blindness, much more than her vision was restored. She continued her education and became a teacher. Jenna’s renewed independence and impact on her students was made possible through the selfless act of cornea donation and the gift of sight. SightLife, a nonprofit eye bank, partners with facilities like Whatcom Hospice House to help families honor their loved one’s wish to donate. After they pass, a SightLife Transplant Donor Coordinator reaches out to grieving family members
with ways their loved one can serve others through cornea donation. To ensure the process is advanced with compassion and purpose, SightLife centers the needs of donor families and patients every step of the way. Already this year, the generosity of Whatcom Hospice patients has helped make 18 corneal transplants possible. Last year, 39 Hospice House patients donated corneas to help transform the lives of others like Jenna. For more information about SightLife, please contact Sarah Gillespie at 208-6701645 or sarah.gillespie@sightlife.org.
Join us for the 21st annual Light the Night Gala Auction! Save the date for Whatcom Hospice Foundation’s 21st annual “Light the Night” Gala Auction, to be held Saturday, November 13, 2021. This year’s event will once again be held in a virtual format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The event will feature both live and silent auctions as well as other fun opportunities to support Whatcom Hospice. The 2021 auction co-chairs, Erin Baumgart, Liane Koester and Tammy Yorkston, invite you to join us as we Light the Night in the Secret Garden on November 13, 2021.
Registration is free and Party in Place Packages are available for $100 including admission 2021 Emcee Dave Walker and for two. Register Auctioneer Gaye Godfrey early! Bidding and other event features start the week before the event. Limited Party in Place Packages are available. See details and register online at whatcomhospice.org.
Longtime Hospice friend and auctioneer, Gaye Godfrey, along with Emcee, Dave Walker, will be sure to make the evening a fun and memorable event for Hospice. We recommend using two devices to participate – for instance, you can watch the live broadcast on your smart TV or computer while bidding through the online bidding website on your smartphone or tablet. Proceeds from the auction enable Whatcom Hospice to provide life-affirming care for people facing the end of life. Over 400 community members participated in last year’s first ever virtual event, raising over $315,000 for Whatcom Hospice. We hope you will join us this year in our goal to raise even more to support Hospice care in Whatcom County. Events such as these would not be possible without support from our generous sponsors. The 2021 Light the Night Auction is presented by Peoples Bank. We are grateful to each and every one of our sponsors including WECU, First Fed, MSNW Group, LLC & Louws Truss Inc., Windermere Real Estate & Windermere Property Management, Chmelik Sitkin & Davis, CSS Integration, RSR Investments, LLC, Hoagland Pharmacy, Icy Strait Seafoods, Jonathan Rands, Attorney at Law, Yorkston Oil Company and many others. For more information contact Joanna Doyle at jdoyle@ peacehealth.org or (360) 788-6865.
The bidding fun begins when the silent auction opens on November 8th. On Saturday, November 13th you will be able to watch the live auction broadcast through Facebook and on YouTube beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Board / Staff List Board of Directors Lynda Erickson President Trisha McIntee Secretary Paul Twedt Treasurer Erin Baumgart Auction Co-Chair Pattie Washburn Board Development Chair
David Yorkston Facilities Chair Doug Wight Past President Lynne Baron Erika Buse Katherine Deets Linda Diebert Lindsie FratusThomas Lesa Ferguson
Carol Garguile Philip George Sylvia Holmstrom Tom Kenney Mike McCallum Richard McClenahan, MD Joyce Pedlow Charles Prosper Sarah Rothenbuhler Orphalee Smith Steve Swan Robert Tull
Foundation Staff Anne Rasmussen, MBA, CFRE, Chief Development Officer
Emma Harris Administrative Assistant
Whatcom Hospice Foundation
Britt Kane Assoc. Development Officer
Shaaron Coleman Stewardship Coordinator
Whatcom Hospice Leadership Shelley Rice, MD Medical Director, Hospice
Mailing address: 2901 Squalicum Parkway Physical address: 3001 Squalicum Parkway Bellingham, WA 98225 phone: (360) 788-6859 email: info@whatcomhospice.org web: whatcomhospice.org
Joanna Doyle Special Events Specialist Jennifer Fix, CFRE Development Officer Connie Gabelein Foundation Operations Coordinator Karen Haggen Development Officer
Gurpreet Dhillon Service Line Director Cancer Center, Palliative Care & Hospice Jodi Newcomer, RN, BSN Nurse Manager
Whatcom Hospice (Clinical Services) 2800 Douglas Avenue Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 733-5877
Please notify us if you do not wish to receive fundraising materials from Whatcom Hospice Foundation. Contact us at (360) 788-6859 or info@whatcomhospice.org.
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LITHTEX NW 2901 Squalicum Parkway Bellingham, WA 98225
Whatcom Hospice offers free Holiday Activities
Whatcom Hospice Celebration of Lights Drive Thru Display On December 3rd and 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the public is invited to drive through the Whatcom Hospice Campus located at 2800 Douglas Avenue in Bellingham for a special holiday light display. Whatcom Hospice House, Hospice Administrative Office, and grounds will be lit with hundreds of candles and lights in honor and remembrance of loved ones. Simply
drive through the horseshoe-shaped driveway and enjoy! Upon exiting, mask up to receive a votive candle to bring the light home with you. Additionally, we are providing a seasonal booklet containing information and tips to help you plan for coping with the holidays after a loss.
for the second half of the program will learn to create meaningful art projects for both self-care and gift giving. A box of supplies will be shipped to your house and you will be guided through creating a memory keepsake item in honor of your loved one. Choose the workshop time that works best for you:
Free Online Class: Coping with Grief During the Holidays
November 11, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. November 18, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. December 6, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
The holiday season can be very difficult for those who have experienced a recent loss. Whatcom Hospice will share some tips for making your way through the season during a free online workshop entitled, “Coping with Grief During the Holidays.” Participants who wish to stay
To register please contact Michelle Walsh, bereavement coordinator, at mwalsh3@peacehealth.org or 360-7886300, ext. 4664. This activity is funded by donors like you – thank you!