Gift of Giving Courtesy of Women Supporting Good Shepherd Hospice
Generous, charitable and bountiful are all synonyms of the adjective “giving.” When it comes to the gift of giving, it can mean different things to different people. This is especially true when you think about hospice. For those who have experienced the benefits of hospice, the gift of giving takes on a personal significance that is quite unique. Yet there is a common thread that runs through everyone — hospice care touched their hearts.
The Gift of Giving at Good Shepherd Hospice
For one such woman, hospice affected her deeply. Although Cindy Sternlicht spent her entire career in healthcare, it did not prepare her to become her mother’s caregiver. “My mother had Alzheimer’s disease, and as she declined physically, responsibilities for her care mounted,” shared Cindy. “During my mom’s hospitalization in 2011, we were presented with the option of a hospice care referral to Good Shepherd Hospice.
“For me, it was immediate relief as the burden was off of my shoulders, and I could just be a daughter” continued Cindy. “Within 24 hours, Good Shepherd Hospice was there with a hospital bed, walker and oxygen. If I had any questions, staff members were readily available to answer them.”
Cindy was affected so profoundly by her experience with hospice care she decided to act and spread the word. “The healthcare staff members have a unique hold on compassion and empathy. It changed my outlook so much. I just wish more people in the community knew that hospice can change a long-held and misguided view on end-of-life care. It did for me.”
In 2012, Cindy and two other women joined with the Chapters Health System Development Department in starting the group known as Hospice Women of Giving.
Hospice Women of Giving Explained
As described by Cindy, Hospice Women of Giving is a group of women with a duo-fold mission. “The group is founded on a desire to build awareness about services offered by Good Shepherd Hospice and gain monetary support for services not funded in any other way,” explained Cindy, who also happens to be the chairwoman of the group. “Every woman involved in our group makes a difference — small and large — whether with a time commitment, advocacy or through donations.”
Hospice Women of Giving is dedicated to strengthening hospice-related programs through collective contributions made to Good Shepherd Hospice. The group also provides women with opportunities for education in an effort to foster and develop women’s capacities for philanthropic leadership and advocacy.
“In fact, on Monday, May 14 at the Lakeland Hospice House, we will have a guest speaker, Attorney and Chapters Health System Board Member James Joiner, talking about an important subject requested by many of our members — the legal aspects of end-of-life and estate planning,” Cindy shared.
The annual contributions of the Hospice Women of Giving members are pooled and used to support unfunded programs and services of Good Shepherd Hospice as voted on by the membership. In three years, the group has provided nearly $35,000 in funding to support Camp Brave Heart, chaplain services with technological resources and Good Shepherd Hospice’s inpatient hospice houses.
Examples of Funded Projects
“Over the years, Hospice Women of Giving has funded projects having a profound impact on patients and families,” said Cindy. “When our chaplains demonstrated the many ways iPads could help them communicate with patients of different faiths and languages through music, pictures and translation, we were thrilled to purchase them for Good Shepherd Hospice.”
Another project that proved to be quite beneficial to patients was the purchase of linen kits. “Hospital beds do not take conventional twin sheets,” explained Cindy. “To alleviate the stress of families needing to run out to get tall twin sheets, our group bought and assembled 400 linen kits for distribution in 2017. The kits were received so enthusiastically by patients and staff that the group immediately chose to fund the project again in 2018.”
During the group’s annual meeting held at the beginning of each year, members review requests from staff. As a member of Hospice Women of Giving, your voice counts when members collectively vote on which patient care-related projects to fund. Also important is the annual education program held each fall, along with several social and membership events. Attendance is never required but always encouraged.
“People sometimes ask if it’s depressing to be involved with hospice, and the answer is quite the opposite. It’s rewarding, and hospice is life-affirming. Ultimately when you support Good Shepherd Hospice, it is a gift of giving from the heart,” concluded Cindy.
At Chapters Health System and its affiliates—Good Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.
About Phoebe Ochman
Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.
Interested in Becoming a Member? Here’s What You Need to Know
Any woman in Polk County is welcome and encouraged to become a member of the Hospice Women of Giving. You will join other women who are committed to participating in the educational and philanthropic goals of the group.
The most important benefit of membership in Hospice Women of Giving is the satisfaction of knowing you are part of a collaborative and informed group choosing to make a difference in our community.
Active Member ($500 annually)
- Invitation to annual meeting to vote on project funding
- Tour of Camp Brave Heart that takes place annually at the Circle F. Dude Ranch
- Invitation to an education program held in the fall
- Special recognition in the Chapters Health Annual Report
- Receipt of a special hospice update with insider briefings
- Personal tour of a hospice house and/or the Bethany Center, the children’s grief center
Junior Member ($250 annually over 2 years) — available to women ages 21 – 39
- Same benefits as active membership.
Get the Hospice Women of Giving member application here. Or if you already are a member, you can conveniently renew your membership here.
If interested in attending the upcoming Hospice Women of Giving event at the Lakeland Hospice House on May 14, please call 863.583.3129. Light refreshments (and wine) will be served. We hope you can plan to join us for this educational session. And please bring a friend who might also be interested!
If you have questions, would like more information, or would like to join the Hospice Women of Giving, please contact Liz Anderson, Associate Vice President of Development at Chapters Health System at 813.871.8111.or andersonl@chaptershealth.org.