Santa Clara Valley Hospice celebrates successes at 30th annual meeting
January 26, 2011
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Santa Clara Valley Hospice/Home Support Group celebrated decades of community dedication at its 30th Annual Meeting, where founders, volunteers and staff gathered to mark continued success in providing an array of always free services to river valley residents.
The January 19 celebration was held at Logsdon’s at the Santa Paula Airport.
Hospice Board President Elias Valdes welcomed guests, including featured speaker Dr. Lanyard Dial, medical director/CEO of Livingston Memorial Medical Visiting Nurses Association & Hospice.
It has been a year of successes, but Valdes noted the River Valley Adult Day Program was unable to continue and closed it doors last year. “Perhaps another time, another place it would have worked,” but Valdes said the effort was balanced by the continued success and support of Hospice’s other programs that serve the residents of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and Saticoy.
Former Board President and Co-Founder Cathy Barringer spoke of the beginnings of the organization started by 11 women who first met 31 years ago to form the Hospice. “It took one year,” noted Barringer, who said Co-Founder Joyce Carlson, who was present at the luncheon, was “the mother of this,” along with Kathryn Shively, who organized the budding group greatly assisted by oncologist Dr. Evan Slater and nurse Kathy Zwers. Along with Barringer, Carlson and Shively, founding members were Vi Bruton, Pat Benner, Meg Jackson, Teresa Gilbert, Helen Caldwell, Sally Lou Nesbitt, Nancy Carroll Eagle and Lola Wyche.
Valdes noted, as a retail business owner, that “Everyone who walks in the door has an idea, but it takes effort, energy and creativity” to take ideas and turn them into reality and then sustain them year-after-year.
Fundraising is vitally important to the nonprofit volunteer driven Hospice, and Valdes said this year the annual home and garden tour has been expanded with a unique twist: “We’re going to have a Barns, Ranches, Homes and BBQ Tour” that will also feature an elaborate display of vintage farm equipment owned by generous members of the Topa-Topa Flywheelers Club.
“We’re really excited about this,” and Valdes said he has been told that “one of the barns on the tour is better than a museum, really fascinating, and people will never get another chance to see it... without trespassing!”
Pins noting “Making A Difference in the Lives of Others” were distributed to Hospice volunteers.
Valdes noted, “When you are young you think you’re going to die in your sleep, but I want to die” telling his loved ones how he feels about them - the true value of programs such as Hospice, whose goal is keep those on that last journey in their homes surrounded by family.
Hospice provides for the emotional, social and spiritual support to persons with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Hospice also provides everything from equipment loans to respite for caregivers, transportation to medical appointments to home cooked delivered meals and flowers to an extensive library of books, DVDs and cassette tapes. These and other Santa Clara Valley Hospice/Home Support Group services are offered free of charge, and the organization also provides $500 grants to help qualifying families with funeral expenses.
