Caring Hands Volunteer Newsletter Winter 2021

What s’ INSIDE Page 2 Letter from Chris Wilson:

Two Teams Becoming One

Page 4 Volunteer Spotlight:

Ethel Taylor-Young

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021

Page 3 A Whole New

County of Friends

Page 5 Veteran’s Corner:

Meet Bob Moseley

Letter from Chris Wilson Dear Friends, Have you heard about the quote of the 2020?

“Your microphone is muted.”

It just seems to be the subtitle for a year where we have been dealt so many challenges. When you finally get a grip on the most recent change and can’t wait to share it, you discover your computer, phone or tablet microphone is on mute and the moment has passed you by.

I can honestly say our volunteers were quick to find that button so they can speak up and let my team know they can do it, whatever "it" was going to be. When we asked if they would wear a mask and gloves to deliver Honor Salute kits to patients, they said, “On it.” Talk with patients and their caregivers on the phone because you can’t see them in person? “Just give me the number.” Go from co-facilitating a grief support group on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus to on your computer screen via Zoom?

“Give me the link – I am there to share.”

In October, we discovered there were even more dedicated people eager to help as the Hospice of Charles County volunteers began to join our virtual meetings. Since then, we celebrated the holidays together during an online party in December and have already taken part in virtual education with our grief experts at the Chesapeake Life Center. Watch for more educational opportunities coming to you via Zoom from our clinical experts and guest practitioners in the weeks ahead.

We know we have a lot of work ahead of us to continue to share what each of our two groups of volunteers do best to make one amazing team, and we have two new team members to help us do it. Many of you may already have heard from Volunteer Services Manager Bob Moseley, whether in a Teams meeting or by phone. Bob joined us in the fall and has some unique perspective to offer as both a Navy veteran and someone who worked with an organization that helped homeless veterans. You can read about him in this newsletter. Also joining us late in 2020 is Charles County Volunteer Coordinator Heather Grierson. We are excited about having these two join us in our mission of caring for life.

Though we are still months away from volunteers being able to go back into patients’ homes or gather at events, there is so much hope ahead in 2021 with vaccinations rolling out. We are so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for your kind words, your knowledge, your gifts of compassionate caring.

With gratitude,

Christine Wilson, CFRE Director of Advancement and Volunteer Services

Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

—H. Jackson Brown Jr.

A whole new county of Hospice of the Chesapeake volunteers: Meet the Hospice of Charles County.

Charles County friends – we want to introduce the Chesapeake friends.

Since the acquisition was made official in October, we’ve been taking some time to get to know one another. We have been meeting in small groups, in-person on a very limited and socially distanced basis and most recently at our holiday Zoom party in December.

As Hospice of the Chesapeake spent all of 2019 celebrating its 40th birthday, the Charles County volunteers can learn about its history in the article HERE. As Hospice of Charles County won’t be celebrating its 40th until 2023, we thought we could share a bit of its history with all of our volunteers. Maybe even many of the Charles County volunteers will find some new details, too.

Just like Hospice of the Chesapeake, Hospice of Charles County was founded by volunteers and supported by many community and local leaders. With funding provided by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., a group of dedicated citizens began to work on a plan and in 1983 it was incorporated.

friends

There are a lot of parallels between the two hospices. Their growth as respected nonprofits include a history of medical professionals donating their time to lead as well as grassroots fundraising, most notably a shared affinity for golf and much-loved golf tournaments.

Though both have faced bumps in the road of progress, only Hospice of Charles County had to deal with working from a trailer after its offices were damaged by the infamous F4 tornado that left behind a path of destruction through La Plata in 2002.

They would rebuild and return to La Plata in 2003, but its board members were already looking to build something new – and that would come to fruition when the Hospice House (pictured above) began caring for patients in 2012. If it looks familiar, it should – the design was inspired by the Mandrin Inpatient Care Center, which Hospice of the Chesapeake opened in 2006.

As we meet one another in online learning and maybe a chance meeting with air hugs and eyes smiling over masks, keep in mind that our missions and histories are sympatico, which can only mean great things for our patients, families and communities.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Ethel Taylor-Young In many ways, Ethel Taylor-Young is your stereotypical hospice volunteer: It was within a month of her retiring as a federal government employee that she decided to fill her time by volunteering. She decided on Hospice of Charles County because she wanted to give back to a hospice organization having experienced its compassionate care with her own family members.

That’s pretty much where the stereotypical part of it ends. Since the Waldorf resident started as a Patient Care Volunteer in 2009, she believes she has cared for at least 100 patients. She also has participated as an 11th-Hour Volunteer (known as Vigil Volunteers to the Hospice of the Chesapeake team), made calls in the Volunteer Call Center (now part of our Caring Callers team), worked at the Volunteer Security Desk at the Hospice House in Waldorf and has even helped with fundraising.

It isn’t just the variety of roles she plays as a volunteer, but the commitment she makes to each of those roles. “Ethel truly is in it all the way,” Charles County Communications Specialist Gladys Aguirre said. “From the moment I met her I was greeted with open arms by her and the patients love her. Even when I hear her talk over the phone to them, I can hear their love for her.”

Ethel Taylor-Young sits in the garden at Hospice of Charles County’s Hospice House in Waldorf. She has been a volunteer since 2009.

After she shared that story, she said, “I have had so many rewarding experiences.

Thank you so much for asking. It puts a smile on my face. Wow. I am just smiling thinking of all the love and compassion and heartfelt ways that Hospice of Charles County embraces patients and families.”

Once Ethel is assigned to a patient and his or her family, she is just as Gladys said, in it all the way. She will run errands for them, read to them, just be there for them. “I would always send birthday cards and then bring them a cupcake on their birthday,” Ethel said.

After a patient died, she was still there for the family, attending their memorial service.

Since October when Hospice of the Chesapeake and Hospice of Charles County began to merge their teams together, Director of Advancement and Volunteer Services Chris Wilson said that Ethel’s name kept popping up. “We look forward to working more with Ethel as someone who can help us grow in Charles County. We are so fortunate to have her 12 years of experience to share with our team and all of our volunteers.”

When we asked her to share one of her most favorite patient care experiences, her voice brightened up. “I think my favorite moments were working with a 13-year-old. He couldn’t talk, but he talked with his eyes,” Ethel said. “Those gorgeous blue eyes would follow me when I walked into the room. The other children would squeeze into the big seat with me when I would visit. I so appreciate them inviting me into their family and into their lives. I so much enjoyed being there for them as they went through that process.”

Her experience and knowledge is something she loves to share with friends and church family, many of whom call her when they want to learn more about hospice. She has also managed to bring quite a few of them onboard as fellow volunteers, “They have been able to experience some of the rewarding experiences I have experienced.”

Veterans Corner: MEET BOB MOSELEY

Bob Moseley had a decision to make in 2020. After 22 years of active duty in the Navy and then 13 years as a federal government civilian, he had worked enough to enjoy retirement. In recent years, he had worked helping homeless veterans and was a teacher at a religious school while earning a degree in pastoral care, and really enjoyed the work as it was so meaningful. Also factoring in the decision was the desire to move out of Maine and head further south to live near his children and grandchildren.

When he decided he would continue working, he was moved to consider working in a hospice environment, having had a positive experience with hospice care when his mother died. He saw the position for Volunteer Services Manager at Hospice of the Chesapeake, applied, and in June, he and his wife Diane packed up their Yorkie Winston and moved to Annapolis, coming full circle in a sense as this Navy couple now lives in U. S. Naval Academy housing.

In his role as Volunteer Services Manager, Bob leads the volunteer coordinators in Anne Arundel, Charles and Prince George’s counties. He also heads up our We Honor Veterans program, now in its 11th year of serving the needs of Veteran patients, their families and the community.

As a veteran and as one who served veterans, Moseley is impressed with our program. “As it stands, it’s great,” he said, noting that in December, the national We Honor Veterans program renewed our status as a Level 5 partner for the second time. We are one of only 5 in the Delmarva region. Of course, like so many of our volunteer programs, much of our veteran outreach has been stalled due to COVID-19 restrictions. This includes our Vet-to-Vet Volunteer program and in-person events such as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, Veterans Day and the Tribute Wall unveiling. In some ways, that has provided the team with a grace period to expand on its programs with Hospice of Charles County. He is excited about building on the We Honor Veterans program and is working with Volunteer Coordinator Heather Grierson who is organizing the program for team members, patients and families in Charles County.

Through the last 10 months of COVID-19 restrictions, he is proud that Chesapeake was able to complete more than 250 Honor Salutes in 2020, even if the majority were virtual. “Really, what I would like to see is to get back to a place where we can do this in person, both for the veteran and the volunteers who are performing the salute. It is very positive and meaningful, and they are pretty inspirational,” Bob said. He also intends to perform salutes himself, “I think I can still fit into my uniform.”

While we are still working virtually, Bob has been organizing small online group meetings with his team and the volunteer corps. He also is planning on personally calling and contacting as many volunteers as he can. “Just to say ‘Hi! How are you?’ ” Since joining the team, he said he is impressed every day by the sense of service the volunteers and his team demonstrate. “I am really glad that I made the decision. I’ve been welcomed and supported by everyone,” Bob said. “There are probably things that people can do that would make them more money. But that doesn’t matter. It’s being able to get involved with something that really helps people that matters.”

To reach Bob, email rmoseley@hospicechesapeake.org or call him at 410-279-6020.

PHOTO: Volunteer Services Manager Bob Moseley poses in the Veterans Memorial Garden on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus in Pasadena.

Being there

Grief Support CORNER

IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY

We use terms like “virtual” and “in-person” to describe how our grief support groups and workshops are being held. In reality, even “virtual reality,” it is all in-person. Real people who have experienced loss share their grief journey in real time, working with a counselor or facilitator to process those feelings.

What Chesapeake Life Center has been able to do during the COVID-19 pandemic is to continue to be present for grievers. Much of that support has been through a telehealth platform. In recent months, with the support of our Chief Medical Officer Eric Bush, MD, some of it has been in-person, though in groups of six grievers or less and following strict health guidelines for the protection of all involved.

The center is proud of how our counseling team adjusted to the restrictions of COVID-19, offering bereavement services not only in groups and workshops, but also to individuals and families. But as our volunteers know, it has greatly impacted how they can give of their time and talents to the life center. The availability of COVID-era volunteer opportunities is limited and includes a small, masked crew that comes in to make bereavement calls and do administrative tasks like scanning and preparing mailings. Both can be completed solo in a sanitized cubicle with the support of team members close by.

A few volunteer co-facilitators have been able to pivot with us, logging into virtual grief support groups to share, comfort and offer insight. One such person is Carol Fritz, who has been volunteering with the center for 27 years. Carol began volunteering with Camp Nabi after the death of her teenaged daughter. In 2014, she was approached by one of the counselors who asked if she would like to co-facilitate the Child Loss Support Group. She jumped at the chance to help others with the grief she has lived with since Katie’s death in 1993. “I’m really committed to it. When my daughter died I had so much support from family and friends, I was really blessed. I felt that was what my purpose was, to help others.”

When the group began to meet online in response to the COVID-19 restrictions, CLC Director Susan Coale asked if Carol would continue to co-facilitate via Zoom.

Again, she was there. “I really like the connection of being in person, however, I enjoy the Zoom because I know we are able to keep it going. We’ve had a good number of people showing up. For me, it’s certainly worth it to still be able to connect with these people.

They know there are others like them and others that care.”

As we turn the corner into 2021, we talk about going back. Truthfully however, things will never be exactly the Carol Fritz loves to work with children and families, and her joy shows in same. And that is a good thing, Susan said. “It’s not this photo from a past Chesapeake Life Center event. going to be what it used to be. We’ve learned new We have had to sideline our concierges, the volunteers things. We’ve developed creative new programs. We’ve expanded our offerings and the who greet group participants; most of our co-facilitators for groups taking place on campus; people who help with set up, register participants and clean up at public events; way we communicate. We are never going to want to be all virtual. But there will be a greater variety of options available than there were before COVID. As we move through and front desk volunteers who greet clients, answer the phones and take referrals for grief, we grow. We learn new things. And so CLC is doing that, too.” counseling.

Education CORNER

Throughout 2021 we will be offering our volunteers free online educational opportunities to help you in your important work of caring for our patients and families. We were happy to see many of you take advantage of our first offering of the year: The Chesapeake Life Center Volunteer Gathering invited all of our volunteers throughout the organization to join them for a learning opportunity with Susan Coale, the center’s director, aptly called: “I am so tired: Coping with pandemic fatigue.”

We will continue to add to our integrative arts videos, recently including Hospice of Charles County bereavement counselor Hayley Bacon’s “A Minute for Myself” series.

These videos can be helpful to the patients and caregivers you connect with as well as great selfcare tips for yourself. Her goal is to reduce stress and encourage overall wellness when facing uncertainty, by offering tips on grounding yourself through your mind, body, soul and surroundings.

Find her videos in our growing playlist on YouTube HERE.