Good Shepherd Homecare & Hospice on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode 327

We welcome Christina Knowlte from Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice to share what makes Festival of Wines such a fun night and such an important fundraiser. We also talk about the real-world impact of local hospice care, veteran recognition, grief support, and ways to volunteer.
• festival details at the K-State Alumni Center with cocktail hour and a five-course wine pairing dinner 
• winery guest and wine education from founding sponsor Standard Beverage Corporation 
• live auction highlights including trips, memorabilia, and the crowd-filled grab bag purse tradition 
• online silent auction running the week before the event for anyone who cannot attend 
• Good Shepherd’s role as the only local nonprofit provider of hospice, palliative, home health, and home care services 
• hospice house misconceptions and what families experience when they walk through the doors 
• veteran pinning ceremonies and why they matter at end of life 
• free weekly grief support group open to the public every Wednesday at noon 
• volunteer opportunities and upcoming hospice volunteer training in October 

August 29th, Festival of Wines, goodshepherdh.org.

GMCF

CFAs

Transcript

Sponsor Message And Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:00

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. Here we are back with the GMCF Community Hour on News Radio KMAN. It's always a pleasure to have Christina Knowlte joining us. She is on behalf of Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice, and we got lots to talk about today. Good to see you. Good to

Festival Of Wines Returns

SPEAKER_01 0:28

see you. Welcome back to the show to talk largely about Festival of Wines.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

It's the Festival of Wines time.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

You know, people don't see this because you know it's radio, but but she just brightens up when I as soon as I said festival. And then when wine came in, boom, I elevated.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Winning combination, those two, I tell you what.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

This has been a long time effort for you guys.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

It has been. This will be our 26th annual, so our longest running event and our largest fundraiser of the year, and always a great time at the Festival of Wines.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

And I know that you are at the K-State Alumni Center.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

We are this year.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

And uh that's always I mean, it's a perfect setting for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

It's a wonderful setting for the event. It's we're able to have a wonderful evening. It's casual um but still great food, great wines, wonderful uh live auction. And it's it's just a great and enjoyable night, all for the support of Good Shepherd.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

August 29th, give us some of the

The Night’s Schedule And Pairings

SPEAKER_01 1:32

scoop.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Saturday, August 29th, we've already said at the Alumni Center. So starts at 6, cocktail hours from 6 to 7. Then we sit down for dinner at 7. It is a five-course meal with a different wine paired with each course. Uh there will be a winery guest present from our founding sponsor, Standard Beverage Corporation. So he'll talk a little bit about if the different wines with each course and what they're sampling and just teach a little bit about the wines. Um, but really it's just about the fun and the fellowship of the room. Um, people either sit with their friends or get paired up at a table with maybe new friends. And so it's always a great crowd and a great environment. And then when the dessert course is served, the spirited live at auction starts. Um Andrew Sylvester, wonderful auctioneer, will lead us that evening. And so, yeah, it is. It's just a great, enjoyable time. Like I said, you can't do any better than good wine, good food, good friends, and and all for a great cause.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Tell us about these five courses that you have. I that that's beyond my comprehension. I mean, burger, fries, drink.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Well, it's a little more involved than that, but you know, that's the basics. Uh so there's a welcome wine. So there's always a reception wine when you get there. You sample that. Um, and then we have our salad course and our entree course, our dessert course. And so as you work through the evening, the food, which is uh wonderfully prepared by Bachers catering, Allie and her team, uh, is then paired with a different selection from our standard beverage sponsor. And so, yeah, it's if you're only a white wine lover, you get to have in your white wines, but maybe try some reds. And if you only love reds, you get that and then get to sample some difference as well. So a little bit of something for everybody, and then a custom dessert creation from our friends down at Therapie. This year it also has a coffee liqueur blended in the actual recipe and then paired with a wine. So um, that's gonna be a winning combination. I'm excited for the dessert course. I I mean you can't go wrong there.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

Well, I you know, you you probably have um a little higher percentage of women coming. So that's the whole dessert thing's just a you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

I bet we're an even split. I bet we're an even split. So yeah, a lot of lot of couples who who come as friends every year. Yeah. Um, but we've always got a couple of real fun ladies' night out tables. I'm not gonna lie. They they bring the they bring the heat.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

So I know some of those tables.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Yes. So great blend. Um, some people who have been coming to the event every year for years and years, and then some people who will join us for the first time. So I love that about the festival is you get people who are new to it and just trying it out, and people who are, you know, uh reliable attendees year after year.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

I think one of the fun things, you know, when you talk about those tables full of gals that get together, they get competitive when it comes to auction time.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

You know, that's what makes an auction great. It is, it is.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

And they get competitive even within their circle.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Oh, yeah. My favorite is when they're like phoning a friend and they're calling somebody who's not there, like, hey, will you go in on this? And yeah, that it makes it fun. It's it really does just lend to the overall atmosphere and tone of the

Live Auction Thrills And The Grab Bag

SPEAKER_00 4:35

evening.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

So let's talk about some of the things that are going to be auctioned off because that's a a key part of the fundraising effort.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

We have some great trips, great experiences that are gonna be auctioned off. Um, we've got a signed Travis Kelsey jersey that was donated.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

He heard a little bit about him.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

We mentioned him, yeah, a little bit. So there's some sports memorabilia, some trips, some jewelry. One of my favorite packages that we do every year, it's called our grab bag, and it's a designer purse. But the fun of the purse is that it's walked around throughout the evening, and all of the guests can stick anything they want in the purse.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

Oh, really? No.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

So maybe somebody's putting in, you know, a $20 bill. Maybe somebody's putting in a gift card from their purse that they haven't used. Maybe somebody's tossing in a bracelet that they never wanted from their husband. You know, I don't know what it is. But every everybody tosses something in. And by the time it gets up on the auction block, you have no idea what kind of goods or cash or cards or items are in it. And so it's a beautiful purse to start with, but then it's stuffed with a fun variety of all kinds of things. And the winner goes home with a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

So do you encourage uh your guests to bring something to put in the bags?

SPEAKER_00 5:53

We usually let them know ahead of time. And so, again, for some of our annual attendees, they come prepared for this, and then other guests, you know, go off the cuff, and you would be surprised at some of the things that that are found in that grab bag.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

So you want things of value, not like uh a lost tooth or we'd prefer not that.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Yes, a little more, a little more value, yeah. But um, that one is one of my favorites. It's always fun because you just never know what the result is gonna be at the end of the night. And the winner always has such a great time going through that person, seeing that everything that ended up in the I had honestly, I don't think I'd ever seen this done.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

And I and and you know, I work a lot with these types of things.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

You do, you do, yeah. Yeah. So it's kind of a tradition of ours at the festival. And uh it just again, a lot of fun. That's our whole goal for the evening. Want to come and have some great food and great wine, but we really just want to have a great time.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Cool, cool. I like that idea.

Online Silent Auction All Week

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Well, let's talk a bit about uh the silent auction.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Yes. So for those who may not be able to attend that evening, again, we were just talking about all there's always great things going on in Manhattan. And so if you aren't able to attend in person, we have an online silent auction. And it runs the entire week before the live auction event. So it starts Monday, August 24th, and it will run that whole week. So you can log on, check out the items, bid from home, um, even if you aren't able to join us in person on the 29th.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

You know, this is one of the things, and I think that this kind of came out, you know, maybe of the pandemic, you know, that this started to become a thing, you know, when you have all these the the technology that allows you to participate in a fundraiser, one way or the other, even if you aren't able to to attend it. That that opens up a lot of doors for you.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Yes, you're exactly right. This is a change we made after 2020 and realized by offering an element of the festival online, then it does capture all those folks who might want to support Good Shepherd and participate in the event, but they might just be out of town that weekend or they've got a wedding or they've got another commitment. So it still allows them to join in the the event and in the support.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Okay. Well, the auction is one thing, but there's all kinds of other things to to to add to this. Where can people find out more about what's happening with uh the Festival of Wines?

SPEAKER_00 8:04

They can go right onto our website. Okay. So that's good shepherdh.org. We also have a Facebook page, Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice, and all the event details are on there as well. So they can check out information about the event, about the auction, or to purchase tickets on either of those sites.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

You still have tickets available?

SPEAKER_00 8:21

We do still have tickets available.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Okay. All right. That's a very important fact to be able to share today.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

It is, yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

So you have this amazing event, and it is a signature event, not just for Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice, but in the community, because this is a cause, and you if I recall right, you just had your 20th anniversary. Is that right?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Uh 16th anniversary of open doors to the hospice house. But but we have been here in the community since 1978.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

That's almost 50 years.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

I know we're getting close to our 50th anniversary. I know. Good job. Thanks. Thanks.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

You know, and and and you weren't even born yet, so that's even that's true, actually.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

It is true.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

So so so let's talk a little bit about, you know, why this event is important to the work that you do.

Why The Fundraiser Matters For Care

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Well, for those who may not know, Good Shepherd is the only local nonprofit provider of hospice palliative home health and home care services. We provide those services in Manhattan and a 45-mile surrounding radius. We go out into people's homes, into assisted living centers, into skilled nursing facilities, or we provide care at our Good Shepherd hospice house. And all of that care is provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

It's an important thing to know.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

I I think some people don't realize that, or maybe if you've never been faced with needing those type of services yourself or for a friend or for a loved one, you may not realize the scope and the challenge of accessing that care or finding out if you're eligible or getting services started. And so it's very important for people to know just what's out there so that if that time ever comes in your life where you need to be informed about those services or or even just where to start, that you know that you could pick up the phone, give Good Shepherd a call, and and we can help guide you in the right direction.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

You know, and I um I think back, it's been a few years now, it's been maybe gosh, twelve years now since one of my very good friends uh passed away there. And I just remember walking in, you know, and uh seeing firsthand the impact that you have, the the level of relief that you provide those families uh for their loved ones to be able to, you know, enjoy their last days. You know, it it is so profound.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Well, I appreciate you saying that because I think there's a lot of people, and and sometimes that still surprises me after 16 years in the community.

Hospice House Comfort And Misconceptions

SPEAKER_00 10:53

How many people may not have had the opportunity to visit a friend or a loved one at the hospice house? They may have never walked through our doors. And I think that does surprise people when they come and visit, how home-like it is and how comforting it is, and how we really try to focus on just letting people spend time together and enjoy that time together and really have the highest quality of time for the time that remains. I think there's a lot of misconceptions about what a hospice house might be like or look like and feel like. And I think it surprises most people just how welcoming and comforting and that sense of relief and support that you get from our team who is there 24 hours a day to provide that round of clock end-of-life care. Um, again, if you've never witnessed it or experienced it, it's definitely something that that might be hard to imagine.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

I haven't been a part of one, but the way that you send off some of the veterans.

Veteran Pinning Ceremonies

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Yes, our veteran pinning ceremonies is certainly one of my favorite parts of the care that we provide. Um, we are a partner of the National We On Our Veterans Program. It's part of the National Hospice Organization and the Department of the VA, in which our team is trained to do special care and special recognition for our veterans at end of life. And so we have veteran volunteers who are trained to then come in and meet with our veteran hospice clients. Um, we conduct a pinning ceremony. We read them kind of a final salute, final words of appreciation and recognition. It's very brief, but very, very meaningful. And it is one of my favorite programs that we offer.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Yeah, no kidding. Anything else you want to touch base on? Anything new developing uh with uh the house?

SPEAKER_00 12:36

Well,

Free Weekly Grief Support Group

SPEAKER_00 12:37

uh, you know, when I talk about things the community might not know, uh, we always talk about the care that we're currently providing, but we don't always think about the care that we continue to provide to the families and the friends of the loved ones after the loss. And and an important thing that we offer to the community is a weekly support group. It's held every Wednesday at noon. It's at St. Thomas More Church. It is free and open to the public. Uh, you do not have to have been a a client of Good Shepherd to go to this grief support group and and receive support. But um I think that's important and part of the the care that we provide that we don't always remark on, is that we continue that caring, we continue that support with our families um after the loss. And so if anyone finds themselves in a position of needing a little bit grief support or or just support as they work through their grief journey journey, um, every Wednesday at noon uh is a wonderful grief support that we offer.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

And as you know, as someone who has lost their spouse, you know, the impact is something like that, an organization that it you know, that that makes this possible. That network of people, you know, you build lifelong friendships. You are able to share, you know, your deepest fears, your greatest sorrows, and all the things that are frustrating and and scary because it's there. It resonates with the people that are going through it. And thank you for doing that.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

Well, I appreciate those words, and you're absolutely right. I think that's why grief support groups are so valuable because you find partners in that grief journey. And and maybe your loss is a different timeline than theirs, and maybe someone's lost a parent and you've lost a spouse, but it's still that that camaraderie and that understanding that is like no other unless you've walked that path yourself. So, yes, we have a lot of people who through those grief support groups find connections. They find friendships that last far longer than than just attending the group itself.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Are you good on people, staff, volunteers?

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Well,

Volunteering Opportunities And Training

SPEAKER_00 14:38

we are always open to volunteers. I mean, that's a wonderful thing. We have over 80 volunteers at Good Shepherd. Really? We are always open to more volunteers. So we actually have another volunteer training, a hospice volunteer training session starting up in October. So if anybody has an interest, they can give us a call or hop on our website to learn more about that. But we love to always welcome new volunteers. Maybe you're somebody who wants to come into the hospice house and just bake cookies. Um maybe you're somebody who wants to sit with someone and and provide some companionship and socialization. Maybe you're somebody who wants to drive somebody to a medical appointment and help them with that type of an assistance.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

But I'd have to clean my car.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Well, well, I don't know if they're gonna dive that deep, but you know, I that might be a unique challenge to a volunteer. But we'd love to welcome on new volunteers and connect them with our organization and with our clients. It's it's a a wonderful way for them to give back. And as you can imagine, many of our volunteers say they get far more in return than they ever feel like they're giving.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

Well, thanks for the work that you do and your staff and all those volunteers because you have become a wonderful, loving, giving um asset to our community.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Well, we appreciate that. Thank

Tickets, Website, And Wrap-Up

SPEAKER_00 15:48

you.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

August 29th, Festival of Wines, goodshepherdh.org.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Christina and Alte, always a delight to have you in.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

We come back in just a couple of minutes. We're gonna be uh teaming up with uh Pedro, Melendez, and Alex Garcia, and we're gonna learn about an organization called the Makers Guild. This is gonna be fun. Looking forward to this. We'll be back in just a couple of moments here on the GMCF Community Hour that we do every Monday morning at nine on News Radio KMAN.