Spring Brings New Beginnings |
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From the Executive Director
Dwight Wilson
Welcoming Spring
Spring brings an optimistic quality that I really enjoy. Celia’s House is once again open to visitors and we are able to operate safely knowing our residents and their families are being cared for.
We still ask that you wear your mask while in the home.
Admission Process
Please let people know we are here to support individuals and their families in this difficult transition. We welcome informational calls and are willing to have family discussions in their homes to help everyone with this important decision. One phone call to us begins the process.
Our New Website
We have launched new web sites for Celia’s House, Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice, and The HUB, (Hospice Unique Boutique). I encourage all of you to take a look. It is easier to navigate and we will be updating the site regularly. You can read more about it in the article below.
Community Education
Our organization’s vision calls for us to create a community that understands and transforms the dying process. In support of our vision, we are providing education about hospice and end-of-life care. Eight weekly, one-hour classes through the SOU OLLI courses, start April 1. Sessions will be held on Fridays, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., at Celia’s House. You can sign up through OLLI OLLI https://olli.sou.edu/olliatsou/course/course.aspx?catId=108
One more thing, if you know of any organizations that would benefit from an in-person discussion and presentation on end-of-life care and preparation, please call me.
Thank you so much for your support of our work at Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice. Please feel to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
I can always be reached at 650-743-7997.
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At the Bedside
Eleanor Crescenzi
Volunteer Coordinator
We are so pleased to formalize the No One Dies Alone program at Celia’s House. It is an international program, born in 2001 at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Salem, Oregon.
Recently, I held a one-hour introductory training with volunteers and am now in the process of putting together a team to be on-call for when a resident is in need of this added support.
The program provides added resources for staff who care for the dying, for the loved ones unable to be present or for those in need of a break, and for the residents, whose comfort and dignity in dying is our most important job.
The calming presence of No One Dies Alone is soft singing and a gentle touch to ease the fear of dying. It is drops of lavender on a pillow, the reading of a poem or prayer, and sweet silence in the night as a volunteer bears witness to a resident’s last breath. The calming presence of No One Dies Alone is my not knowing you throughout your life, though in dying we are companions.
It is both a privilege and an honor that we embrace No One Dies Alone as a loving answer to the fears, distances, isolation, and anxieties that end of life reveals.
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Distinguished Service Awards were presented this March in gratitude to retiring board members (Left) Chuck Reiling, 2013-2021, and (Center) Jeanne Denning, 22012-2021, for their extraordinary service guiding the success of SOFH. Susan Hearn was also recognized for her outstanding performance as Executive Director from 2012-2020. The plaques will be mounted on the wall in the entryway of Celia's House among other founding volunteers of our organization.
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Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice Development Director
I am a recent transplant to the Rogue Valley, moving here in August 2019. My husband Chris and I lived and raised our family on an island in the North Pacific in Sitka, Alaska. It was a magnificent place for over 33 years, but eight feet of rain a year and the distance from family drew us here to Oregon. We’ve visited the Valley many times, as Chris’ family lives in Ashland.
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I discovered a new dream job during my first week at Celia’s House and Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice. Luckily, I’ve had several in my life; public broadcasting, working with Alaska Natives and American Indians to improve health outcomes, helping feed people who endured the Almeda Fire and working with the heart-based organization, Brave Heart Volunteers.
Like Celia’s House, Brave Heart aims to help alleviate the suffering of others by providing social and emotional support during some of the most challenging times of people’s lives, through grief, illness, and end of life. I know that this work matches my values and purpose, so I am fortunate to have landed with Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice. This is a place where kindness, mindfulness, and authenticity are reflected everywhere by everyone.
Encouraging philanthropy is a stressful occupation for many, but for me it is an honor. I have the opportunity to help people put their love of humanity into tangible places such as Celia’s House in Holmes Park. I am looking forward to meeting everyone who shares an appreciation for the work of our organization. Your contributions are what make this fantastic place possible.
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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.
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Launching of New Websites
Celia’s House now has a homepage of its own for easy search and access. All the information needed is on one page to take the first step towards finding support in caring for a loved one at end-of-life. www.celiashousehospice.org
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Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice site provides a complete picture of the full organization and inter-dependence of Celia’s House, The HUB, and SOFH. There, people will find the organization’s history, educational resources, and the ways we are supporting end-of-life care in our community. We hope the SOFH site will continue to be a resource for granting organizations, donors and others who want a more in-depth understanding of our goals, values, and mission. www.sofriendsofhospice.org
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and links to online engagement.
We are immensely grateful and thankful for the many volunteers, all committed to end-of-life hospice care education and outreach, that contributed their untold hours of time, talent, and thoughtfulness to this project.
The large team includes designers, writers, coders, proofers, idea-generators, photographers, editors, spiritual advisers, hospice nurses, past and present Celia’s House leadership, board members, and staff.
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Gift Cards are now available at the HUB! They’re great for any occasion.
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SAVE THE DATE. The HUB’s Spring Fashion Show is scheduled for Sunday, May 8, 2022. The details will be available in the April newsletter.
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New items listed on eBay. Visit our eBay store to see some great new specialty items! Check them out here: The HUB eBay store
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Have Questions?
For General Information - Call Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice Administrative Offices:
541-500-8911
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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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