Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
The Center of Hope & Good Shepherd Homecare & Hospice on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 258
We highlight two local efforts that support people through the toughest seasons: a no-barrier warming shelter that keeps neighbors safe overnight and a memorial tradition that helps families grieve together during the holidays. Practical needs are met with tender rituals, and both rely on volunteers and clear information.
• Center of Hope’s nightly drop-in warming shelter hours and services
• Volunteer shifts that cover overnight windows and keep doors open
• Location update at the Douglas Center School Annex
• Immediate needs including water, coffee, hygiene and sanitation items
• Good Shepherd’s Light of Life Memorial ornaments and dedication ceremony
• Reading of names and community remembrance across years of loss
• Year-round donations supporting nonprofit hospice and home health care
• Clearing up hospice myths and explaining access and coverage
• Holidays at the hospice house with meals, decor and family comfort
• We Honor Veterans pinning ceremonies and their meaning
• GMCF’s support role and links to resources
You can always find out more about the work that we do at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation on our website, mcfks.org
Philanthropy today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode, we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour, as heard on news radio KMAN. We return with the GMCF Community Hour. And guess what? We have two guests in the studio now. And uh we're gonna make this uh pretty quick work. Angela Stoutenberg is in. Thanks for for joining us here this morning. It's always a delight to have you here.
SPEAKER_00:It's good to see you again, Dave.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, you are with Center of Hope Ministries, and uh we're gonna talk real quickly about what you do and what we can do to help you.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, so we are the local warming shelter here in town. We're a drop-in shelter. So that makes us a little bit different than the emergency shelter. Um we do co-counsel with BeAble because we see the same homeless people as well as other families and stuff like that. So anybody and everybody is welcome because we are a private organization. We don't have any rules or regulations and we don't have to turn anybody away. So um during the hours of 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. every day, we are open and anybody and everybody can get out of the cold and come in. Um, we have snacks for them, a movie play-in games for them. At about 10 p.m., we do lights out. And um, usually everybody is pretty exhausted from being out in the cold all day. They go to bed before 10 p.m., the lights out. Um, but after that we lock the doors, but anybody is still welcome to come in after those hours. So we always have um at least one or two people that are awake the whole time just to make sure that we're able to receive.
SPEAKER_01:Being awake is a key factor there, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it is. Um, part of the things that we do need is volunteers. So we have time slots for volunteers that helps people stay awake so that somebody doesn't have to stay awake the full hour from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. So we do two to three hour shifts of volunteers. Um GMCF has been so uh gracious to give us a grant this year so that we can actually hire somebody to cover the very hard hours of midnight to 8 a.m., which is usually where I was covering down before.
SPEAKER_01:Where are you located now?
SPEAKER_00:We are going to be located at the Douglas Center School Annex. So the old school is where we're going to be at, across from the old breadbasket.
SPEAKER_01:That'll be convenient.
SPEAKER_00:It will be so convenient. And we are opening here in a couple days on the 19th.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. That's Wednesday.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Gosh. Yeah. It's that time again. What are some things that you need?
SPEAKER_00:So, right now we are definitely in need of volunteers as well as uh our everyday items that we need to run the shelter when it comes to sanitation items, when it comes to snacks and stuff like that. Um, coffee, we provide just hygiene items, things that you wouldn't think of until you're actually there. We have those items on our website and on our Facebook. Our website is the center of hope mhk.com. You can find an Amazon wish list there. Bottles of water are always needed because they come in Thursday, and they're gonna have more than one bottle of water when they come in as well.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. All right. We got a lot of information, a little bit out of time. Thank you for you're welcome.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01:Angela Stoutenberg is her name. Once again, that website, the center of hope mhk.com. And now we're gonna shift gears. Christina Nolte, hello there. Hello. It has been a year since we've uh talked about this again.
SPEAKER_02:I know the years grow so quickly, don't they? It is kind of crazy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. So you got a lot of things that are going on, and you know, here during the holidays, you know, you and I have and just about everybody else have lost someone over the last year. And here you have an opportunity on behalf of Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice to help honor someone that may, it may not have been just in the last year, but whomever it may be. And and they don't necessarily have to have been people that have stayed with you.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. We offer what we feel like is a very meaningful opportunity to celebrate a loved one during the holiday season through our Light of Life Memorial. So a lot of people might recognize it if you see that large poinsetta tree in the Manhattan Town Center. That's us. Um, this has been a very long-standing tradition memorial event that we have here in Manhattan. We've been doing it since 1996. And so it does offer an opportunity for people to purchase a memorial ornament in memory of a loved one. Their name is then written on that ornament and then hung to shine throughout the holiday season.
SPEAKER_01:Now you have still three different ornaments.
SPEAKER_02:We do. Individuals can choose from a Dove memorial ornament, a star, or an angel. And again, they choose the individual they want to memorialize, and their name is written on that ornament.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. And you don't have to write the name down ourselves. You got people with really good penmanship.
SPEAKER_02:We have people with beautiful penmanship. Not myself, not me or you, Dave, but we've got great people who come in and write all those beautiful memorial names. And then really the most special part of the light of life is the tree dedication ceremony. We have that scheduled for Tuesday, December 2nd at 6 p.m. This year we're gonna be inside the Dillard's entrance at the Manhattan Town Center. We've kind of been on the opposite side before, down by the theater entrance. So that'll be new for folks who join us every year, but head toward the Dillard's wing. Still gonna see that large poinsetta tree. And then that evening, our chaplain will dedicate the memorial trees. All of the memorial names are read, and then individuals are welcome to find their memorial ornaments and then hang them on the tree. Or if they can't be present, then Good Shepherd staff and board members members will hang it for them.
SPEAKER_01:And the reading of the names. Yes. That is uh that's a powerful moment, especially for a lot of those that are more recent.
SPEAKER_02:It really is. And and as you said, we've all lost people that we know, friends or family, over the past year. But having all of those names read, we remember people who've maybe been gone for five years or 10 years, and we get to kind of honor and memorialize them all together. And that really is special because even if you're just there for your name and to hear your name and hang your ornament, you get to hear people that you know from the community, maybe friends, neighbors, people you've gone to church with. And so it's just a great moment at the start of the holiday season to really remember all of those that we've lost and just kind of take the time to pause and have that special ceremony.
SPEAKER_01:What kind of comments do you get from people that come and and not just with the reading of the names, you know, the dedication and everything, but but it's gotta be just really heartening for someone to be able to put that name up there on that tree.
SPEAKER_02:It is. It's very heartwarming. It's just again, it's it's a brief ceremony. It doesn't take long. It takes about 30 minutes in total by the time we start and and all the ornaments are hung, but it's just such a special moment. What I love about the light of life is we'll have people join us this year who are attending for the first time, you know, who've just lost a loved one this year. And we have some people that I've seen coming to that ceremony every year for the last decade. And so it's neat to kind of see that that intermingling of remembering your loved ones, people who are at all different stages of loss. And as you mentioned, they don't have to have been served by Good Shepherd. So we have some families who come and honor a loved one, and they weren't ever families connected to our care or our support, but it's still great to see us connecting with them through this memorial.
SPEAKER_01:I would also think that you have an opportunity for people to just give and maybe not necessarily an honor as someone, but I mean, you are a nonprofit. There are always opportunities, not here just during the holiday season, but throughout the year to help support the work you do.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Um, we do have some businesses who obviously support the Light of Life Memorial as corporate sponsors. So there's always that way to support this event. But yes, not connected to the Light of Life as the local nonprofit provider of hospice, palliative home health and home care services. We accept donations and support throughout the year at any time. And all of those funds go toward our very proud tradition of providing care to all, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
SPEAKER_01:What are some of the challenges that you've faced here in the last year or so since we've had an opportunity to visit?
SPEAKER_02:You know, the challenges that we face, I think are very ongoing. Just they relate a lot to community where awareness and to myths and misconceptions, particularly about hospice care. Um, some people don't realize there's a difference in hospice provider. We have people who connect with us and go, oh, I didn't know there were other for-profits in town. We didn't realize there was a difference between Good Shepherd and other entities. And so that's a big awareness that we always try to share. And also just again, myths about hospice care, who is eligible, who can receive hospice care, how hospice care is paid for, um, what the hospice house is and how that differs from other uh facilities or care at home. I just feel like the gap in awareness is probably our biggest challenge that that never completely goes away. You know, we just celebrated earlier this year our 15th anniversary of opening doors to the hospice house. Is that crazy? 15 years. I know. 15 years. And over 2,000 clients have been cared for at the time.
SPEAKER_01:We haven't aged a day in the last 15 years. What a great answer.
SPEAKER_02:So that's why I love coming to see you guys. That's great answer. Great answer. Yeah. But to me, I think, man, 15 years and over 2,000 families later. And when we connect with someone who goes, I had no idea this was here, that still seems, you know, strange to me that we still have such a gap of just awareness in our community. So I would say that's our number one challenge, probably always gonna be our number one challenge is just getting out in the community and making sure people have the information. Um, if you don't know what resource resources are available, you don't know who to call to for care and support. So that's always going to be one of our main goals.
SPEAKER_01:What's it like at the Good Shepherd House here during the holidays?
SPEAKER_02:You know, it's probably different than most people might think. I think a lot of people think it would be a very somber place or sad place. But um, first of all, we have some amazing volunteers who come and decorate just like we would in our own home. So right now it's fully decorated for fall and for Thanksgiving. Um, we have volunteers who provide a full Thanksgiving meal for all of our clients and families who we'll be caring for on Thanksgiving. They do the same thing on Christmas and New Year's and special holidays throughout the year. So um again, we're a very home-like environment, and and that's a big goal of ours, whether it's during the holidays or any time of year, is that we're still doing our part to help create more memories and and create you give me every time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, you know, it's it's you know, and I I'm just gonna recall, you know, a few times that I've been in there with some friends that uh, you know, in their last days and uh how comfortable an environment it is. You know, you have these rooms which, you know, they're they're not by any means stark. They're just, you know, they're they're lovely. They're very homey, they're very comfortable. The chairs are nice and comfortable. And so you get to be able to just pull right up and have a um a warm and meaningful conversation with those individuals. And uh I just think it's one of the greatest gifts that you can give, you know, an organization that does that. And I know that you have a lot of volunteers. And and you and you you do have tremendous amount of staff also that help support all this. And it's uh that's a that's a all hands-on-deck effort, isn't it?
SPEAKER_02:It is. We have a tremendous group of volunteers, uh, 85 plus volunteers who do everything like I just mentioned, from decorating the hospice house to baking cookies and baking meals to people who sit and provide companionship or even transportation to medical appointments. And and those special volunteers in combination with our trained staff, dedicated professionals who can really provide expert pain and symptom management at the end of life and really provide um valuable education and support to families. You know, you mentioned sitting in a comfortable chair and spending time. The the what I think thing is so special about the hospice house is it's designed equally for the friends and family of the clients that we serve as for the clients themselves. And it really is about providing that time to be together and connect together. Um, and again, it it is about the memories of those who live on.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And I know one of the most um wonderful things you do for those that have served, that uh you have a special ceremony, a pending ceremony that is very, very rewarding, not just for that individual, but for their families. And and I'm certain to a certain degree that uh it means a lot to your staff and those volunteers.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, those are called our We Honor Veterans ceremonies. So we are a proud partner of the National We Honor Veterans Program, something that's a collaboration of the National Hospice Organization and the Department of the VA, in which our our hospice staff are specially trained to honor veterans at the end of life, but also recognize unique needs of veterans at the end of life. So part of that program is to be able to conduct and host uh We Honor Veterans pinning ceremonies, in which we have veterans in the community who are trained to go and conduct these ceremonies. And they really do serve as just kind of a final salute of appreciation and recognition, and they're beautiful ceremonies. Um, again, not only for the client, for the veteran, but for their friends and family to get to participate in that and and witness that. And absolutely for our staff, I have been fortunate to get to be present at dozens of those, and they are just beautiful.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So let's get back to the tree. That's it. Manhattan Towns are going to be in the Dillard's wing this time.
SPEAKER_02:Yep. That'll be the only difference that we're all kind of not used to. So just head in opposite direction in the mall. But you'll see that large poinsetta tree, and around those will be the smaller light of life trees that'll have two dev trees, one star tree, and one angel tree. And after our dedication ceremony on Thursday, December 2nd at 6 p.m., they will be fully decorated with all of our memorial ornaments.
SPEAKER_01:That's one of the warm, wonderful things that we have in this community. Thank you for doing that. And thanks for all the work that you and your staff and all those volunteers do to help make those last days of someone special even better.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you. Well, we appreciate the opportunity to share a little bit about it and always encourage people just to reach out or a phone call away or head to our website if you do want to learn more about hospice quick care or if you just have general questions about the what-ifs or or whatnots. And so always available as a resource for the community.
SPEAKER_01:You reminded me that, you know, here I am in this new studio and and I need to get a box of Kleenexes in here. So I know my visits are always popular. We'll name that the Christina box.
SPEAKER_02:There you go. I'll proudly take that. I'll proudly take that label.
SPEAKER_01:She's Christina Nolte with Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice and Angela Stautenberg. Thanks again for uh sneaking in here and talking more about the the work that you do at Center of Hope.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you.
SPEAKER_01:You bet. When we come back, Jane is going to be back in. She's uh taking off her dancing shoes, and we're going to talk about some of the things that are happening in the community. And we got a lot of things as it's uh you know approaching holiday season. This is the GMCF Community Hour. You can always find out more about the work that we do at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation on our website, mcfks.org.