Jeannette Butler: Beloved Sister and Dreamer of Residential Hospice
1957 - 2008
Lynn Michaels, Volunteer
For years my sister Jeannette worked heartily in Southern Oregon and beyond to shed light on the importance of hospice care and end-of-life planning. She was an avid speaker to groups in the community.
Jeannette came to the Rogue Valley in 1997 to join her sisters living here. She, her husband, Scott, and young son, Nick, moved here when she was hired as director of Home Health and Hospice in Medford. In 2004, she was hired to open the (then) Ashland Community Hospital hospice office, working with several Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice founders. They all understood the need to have a resale store as a funding source for residential hospice. Jeannette worked toward this goal with fervor, but sadly did not live to see the opening of The HUB in 2009.
I am Jeannette’s oldest sister and am an active Celia’s House volunteer. Jeannette spoke often of her deep desire to see residential hospice in our valley. Being at Celia’s House always reminds me of how happy our sister would be if she could see what has been created by strong visionaries who brought this peaceful and beautiful home to fruition. It is truly a joy and honor for me to work here in her name.
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The plaque in honor of Jeannette that hangs in The HUB. |
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Lynn (left) and Jeannette (right) at the Hospice Tea gathering, held at the Ashland Springs Hotel, 2005. |
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Falling into Place
Dwight Wilson, Executive Director
Most of us in Southern Oregon welcome the fall and the cooler weather that comes with it. So many achievements have been made since I began work with Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice last autumn. We have established a “needs-based” admission process and serve everyone regardless of their ability to pay. We continue to maintain the confidence of the community we serve and the generous donors who support us. We have opened Celia’s House to all visitors and are seeing a surge of volunteer interest. Our governing board continues to provide solid leadership and, by September, has met almost all the goals that were established at their annual retreat in January.
Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice prioritizes the compassionate end-of-life care our founders, and the community hoped for. We are developing a Chaplain program that will include internships and a spiritual volunteer program. This new program will enhance the support of our residents, their loved ones, and staff. This program will be implemented in the coming months.
This fall, we will continue to expand our outreach to the community by offering another OLLI course on end-of-life care. You can anticipate our first annual report replacing our yearly printed newsletter. We are planning several events beginning in the fall, which will take place at Celia’s House. We will continue improving our communication with you through direct mail, email, and social media outreach.
As always, we welcome your comments. Please feel free to contact us if you or someone you know would benefit from our care.
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At The HUB, it's all About "Re"
Rebecca Reid, HUB Volunteer
These two letters, meaning “once again,” pop up repeatedly at the beginning of words that describe the donation-to-resale process at The HUB. Here is how it goes:
The HUB receives beloved furniture, art, clothing, linens, and hard goods from generous donors. We review donations and retain items that meet our high-quality standards. Retained items are re-sorted, refreshed, and sometimes restored. Some are relocated to our warehouse for future sale. Most items we reject are recycled or re-donated to our sister Hospice Shop in Yreka, California. This process reinforces our reputation as a unique upscale resale boutique.
Staff and volunteers redecorate the shop for “Monday Reset,” curating collections, recreating themes, renewing displays, and restocking shelves and racks. Among the rewards of this process are retail revenues that have doubled since 2016 and that continue to support Celia’s House and the mission of SOFH. The HUB’s success is the direct result of generous donors, devoted staff, reliable volunteers, returning customers, and rich community relationships.
A Recent Example of “Re”:
Caroline Morse, a long-time HUB volunteer, donated table linens that had been in her family for four generations. The Monday Reset team recognized the heirlooms’ beauty so curated a display of vintage items around them. The tablecloths were featured in a post announcing our annual linen sale. A customer called and requested that the “best” tablecloth be reserved for her. Coincidentally, Caroline was cashier the day the customer arrived to retrieve her purchase. Both were delighted to meet.
Caroline recounted stories of reunions around tables decorated with the cloths, and recollected the journeys her ancestors made, linens in tow, as they crossed the nation. “Once again” the linen will grace tables of reunion meals for generations to come.
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Detail of heirloom tablecloth donated by HUB volunteer, Caroline Morse. |
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1618 Ashland Street, Ashland, OR
Store Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 10:30am – 5:00pm
(541) 488-7805
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- The HUB accepts donations Tuesday - Saturday 10:30am - 4:30pm. No donations are accepted Sunday or Monday.
- Interested in volunteering at The HUB? Contact us (541) 488-7805
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Cocktails for a Cause Supports End-of-Life Care
Alexandria Castelo, Development & Communication Coordinator
When Luna Café’s manager, Amber, connected with me in June at another organization’s Cocktails for a Cause kickoff evening, I had no idea that in August Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice would end up being featured. The event turned out to be a successful fundraiser for Celia’s House, as well as an opportunity to connect with our community, spread awareness about our residential hospice care, and The HUB.
The kickoff evening for August’s Cocktails for a Cause was Tuesday, August 16th, and drink specials ran through the end of the month. Over those two weeks Luna Café’s Cocktail for a Cause effort raised $421 for SOFH while spreading awareness of our mission. These funds will support end-of-life care at Celia’s House in Holmes Park.
Luna Café continues to feature other nonprofits doing good work in Southern Oregon. We are so grateful to them for including us in their community outreach and to all of you that attended.
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Bouquets: A Small Thing That Makes a Big Difference
Alexandria Castelo, Development & Communication Coordinator
On Mondays, when everyone is eager for that first sip of coffee, Donna comes to Celia’s House and creates fresh bouquets with flowers from the gardens that adorn the inside of the House, and even our administrative offices. Working for years as a florist for weddings and special events in the Bay Area, Donna has an eye like no other. “I love what I do,” she shares. “It’s an honor to be able to bring the gift of flowers into the house, and makes me happy to see others enjoy the bouquets I make.”
Then on Wednesdays, Carol, a garden volunteer, cuts and brings fresh flowers from our garden to residents’ rooms. She always has a smile on her face and goes out of her way to make every individual feel warm and welcome. Her positivity and friendliness are contagious.
“The flowers are something small that make a huge difference,” expresses a family member of one of the residents we cared for, “when we would come to visit, just seeing a fresh new bouquet each week cheered us up during a sad time, and I know my mom appreciated it, too."
Donna and Carol are some of the many lights at Celia’s House. We deeply appreciate what our volunteers do each week to make Celia's House feel like home.
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Donna outside of Celia's House with a few of the many bouquets she makes each Monday. |
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Carol makes sure every resident each week has fresh flowers in their room. |
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We are Here to Help. Please Give Us a Call
Caregiving at the end of life can be hard. For questions or support regarding admissions, please call (650) 743-7997. For general information please call (541) 500-8911 or email us at info@sofriendsofhospice.org.
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Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice & Celia's House
Mailing Address: 217 S. Modoc Ave., Medford, OR 97504
Check Out Our YouTube Video Tour:
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