Volume 9, Issue 3

December 2014

Luminary Night At Shepherd Home 2014 Inside this issue: Wings of Light

1

Wings of Light Order Form

2

Director’s Message

3

Volunteer Spotlight 4 Euchre Night

5

Thinking of Volunteering?

5

Did You Know?

7

Words of Gratitude

7

Shepherd Home driveway lit with luminaria in honor of those we love and have lost. Shepherd Home’s 4th Annual Wings of Light luminary display will be held on Monday, December 15 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on our grounds at 1959 Five Mile Line Rd.

Each luminary will be labeled with a Wings of Light card and donors may personalize them with the name of the person they wish to honor or memorialize.

The luminaries — white bags containing a candle — will all be lit at once to create a glowing nighttime display during this holy season. As they are lit, the glow becomes brighter and more beautiful, just as the community support enhances our abilities to care for the terminally ill.

The event is open to the public. Come spend some quiet time in the glow of the candles under the starlit sky, then join us inside Shepherd Home to meet our staff and volunteers and share some hot chocolate and goodies.

We invite each of you to gather to celebrate and honor the angels in our lives, living and deceased, and to raise needed funds for the Shepherd Home ministry to the dying.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Shepherd Home!

Please call Shepherd Home at 381-0890 for more information, visit our website or friend us on Facebook to order luminaries. Karen Smith and Tracy Dovi are co-chairing this event.

To order your luminary go to our website or use the order form on the back of this page. Please mail or drop off your completed form with payment by December 12th. Thank you!

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Honor and remember all the angels in your life, past and present and help light up a long winter’s night. Monday, December 15th, 2014 from 5 - 7:30pm at Shepherd Home. Please feel free to join us that evening as we enjoy the luminaries, hot cocoa, cookies and fellowship. Personalize your luminaria with the name of your loved one. All proceeds will benefit the residents and caring work of Penfield’s own comfort care home. Luminaries are $10 each. Paid orders due by December 12th Please make checks payable to Shepherd Home or order online to use a credit card at shepherdhome.org We thank you for your generous support!

Please use this order form and attach to your payment. Name ____________________________________________ Phone ____________________ E-Mail Address ______________________________________________________________ Total Number of Luminaries Purchasing __________________ LUMINARY #1  In Honor Of OR  In Memory Of

Mail Or Bring Form and Payment To:

Name: __________________________________________________________

Shepherd Home

LUMINARY #2

P.O. Box 33 1959 Five Mile Line Road Penfield, NY 14526

 In Honor Of OR  In Memory Of Name: __________________________________________________________ LUMINARY #3  In Honor Of or  In Memory Of Name: __________________________________________________________

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Director’s Message coaster ride is the perfect symbol of what loving relationships are like, whether a marriage, a parentchild relationship or a close friendship. Each of us experiences many “ups,” the joyous, peaceful times, and the many “downs,” the times of turmoil and sorrow. We get through it all by holding tightly to each other.

On Saturday, November 8, Fr. Jim Callan, of Spiritus Christi Church, led our Bereavement and Remembrance Service at the Episcopal Church of the incarnation. Over 60 guests, volunteers, and family members gathered to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have spent their last days at Shepherd Home. We also paused to remember two of our volunteers and family members of our staff and volunteers who have died recently.

then down, down, down, and back up, up, up, and down, down, down. They laughed and screamed, but held onto each other the entire time until the car came to a stop and the attendant opened the bar so they could exit.

When someone is welcomed at SH, he or she and their family are experiencing a “down” time on life’s journey. We are honored that we are able to be there for them, to offer comfort, friendship and peace of mind. During this holiday season, we send our thoughts and prayers to those who are grieving a loss of a loved one. Best wishes to all as we welcome the New Year, 2015, and may you and your loved ones “hold on tightly” to each other.

Fr. Jim related a story told by the Candles were lit at our Bereavement and husband of the late Remembrance Service in memory of those humorist and author, who passed away this past year. Erma Bombeck. Bill Bombeck recalls that they went on a roller They were married for coaster ride on their first over 40 years and Bill date: going up, up, up, comments that a roller

Executive Director Betsy Inglis

Please visit our website and provide us with your email address, so we can keep you up-todate on planned events and activities. We promise no spam and you can opt-out whenever you wish. You can also join us on Facebook. If you press the “like” buttons on our page and on our posts you’ll help build awareness of Shepherd Home in the community!

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Volunteer Spotlight “Volunteering has always been an important part of my life and for the past 5 years , I’ve derived much satisfaction from being a part of the facilities committee here at SH. It is a great organization, with terrific people doing so much for those in need of hospice care.” — Dave Sloman

“I’ve enjoyed being on call to help out at Shepherd Home for the last several years. My wife, Marge, and daughter, Kristin, also volunteer at the home. We are honored to be a part of this wonderful ministry.” — Bob Peterson The Facilities Crew help keep Shepherd Home shipshape! The Shepherd Home Board of Directors and staff are very grateful for the many volunteers that allow our home to run so smoothly and fulfill our mission of caring for the terminally ill. In this issue, we’d like to shine the spotlight on our Facilities Committee. Former board member, Bob Hesselberth, chaired the committee for several years and recently turned it over to the capable leadership of Tim Murphy. Tim and his merry band of handy men and women are on call to unplug a sink, clean the gutters, paint the trim, fix the clothes dryer, replace a filter, etc.

I’ve seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives. — Tracy Chapman

We also depend on our facilities committee to help board member, Jeff Burns, with our landscaping and with fall and spring “clean ups.” ~~~ “It is important to support the Shepherd Home; it provides such an important service to our community. The people are amazing, the home is first class and so many families have been helped during such a sad time in their lives.” — Tim and Sue Murphy

“I’ve been a volunteer at Shepherd home for several years both as a caregiver and as a maintenance guy. I spend every Wednesday morning as a “hands-on” caregiver. I also help out with projects around the home. The staff always has a “Henkie-Do list” for me — setting up for special events, changing light bulbs, whatever’s needed. Each week I monitor the test of our backup generator, making sure it is functioning correctly. Being a part of the SH family has been a rewarding part of my life.” — Henk Huussen

“Volunteering takes many forms; not all of us have that wonderful talent of caring for the dying at their bedside. We still want to help; it’s better if the toilets are flushing; the gutters are flowing and the paint is looking “spiffy”. We on the facilities committee do our part keeping the SH looking as great as we can to match the outstanding care given to our residents. We also feel that a beautiful environment can lift the spirits of our guests and their families.” — Jim Peters

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Support Shepherd Home through AmazonSmile! What is AmazonSmile?

How do I shop at AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Shepherd Home is one of nearly a million organizations you can choose to support.

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Can I use my existing Amazon account on AmazonSmile? Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, wish list, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.

New Year’s Resolution — Join Us! Are you like many of us who resolve to reach out and expand our horizons in the new year? If so, Shepherd Home has an offer for you! Please consider joining with your neighbors and friends in the community . . . and friends you haven’t met yet . . . to volunteer some time in our ministry to the dying and their families. We are always ready to welcome your compassionate heart and hands to care for our residents and to offer hospitality to their families. Do you need a health care backgound? No, we offer prospective volunteers the opportunity to “shadow” and to be trained.

Fundraising is another avenue to be a part of our SH family. Our Black and White Ball committee would enjoy having you join this dynamic group that needs help soliciting for our online auction as well as for our live auction. Are you a golfer? The July 27 golf tournament sponsored by the Penfield Business association needs your energy and ideas! Do you enjoy a challenge? Our facilities committee is in need of new members to help maintain our beautiful home and grounds. Thank you for considering Shepherd Home as you look forward to 2015. Happy New Year!

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Did You Know . . .

Amazing how we light tomorrow with today. — Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Shepherd Home’s Tenth Anniversary will be celebrated in the fall of 2015 . . . watch for details!

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Shepherd Home “hands on volunteers” fill 56 shifts each week caring for our residents. That is about 2,800 a year!

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Marge Peterson and her daughter, Kristin, decorate our mantle during the various holiday seasons from Valentine’s Day through the Christmas holidays.

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Josh’s Landscaping, with support from Bill Schmeider, do a terrific job keeping our lawn mowed and fertilized.

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John Betlem Heating and Cooling donates the maintenance of our furnace, air conditioning and generator.

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We decorate our Christmas tree with bows engraved with the name of each of our deceased residents. These beautiful remembrances grace our Christmas tree each year.

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The owner of Bugs and Bees Begone, Jon Olderstein, kindly donates a portion of his services each year to remove bee hives from our property.

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Seven Harley School hospice students are volunteering their time to care for our residents at SH.

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Our 2014 Annual Appeal is in full swing. Watch the progress on the thermometer at the end of our driveway. Clinton Signs created this colorful sign!

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Chico’s in Pittsford Plaza donated 10% of their sales to SH on October 3. To thank them stop in and do some holiday shopping!

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The 11th Shepherd Home Gala, the Black and White Ball, will be held on April 25, 2015.

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The Rochester Christian Reformed Church on Atlantic Ave. holds a Baked Sale every Election Day and the proceeds are donated to SH.

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Each Spring, several workers from Thermo Fisher Scientific participate in the United Way Day of Caring and spend several hours improving our landscape

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Shepherd Home is able to accept donations of stocks and securities and to assist with planned giving.

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Words of Gratitude Dear Shepherd Home Staff: Our family is so grateful for the care you gave to Stan in his final days. I so appreciate all your staff and volunteers do; always gently and with a smile. Helen Zimmerman

To The Angels at Shepherd Home: I want to thank everyone at the Shepherd Home for the warmth, kindness and compassion shown to my mom, Shirley, in the last days of her life. A special thanks to the volunteers who selflessly give of their time and love to a complete stranger. Everyone who visited her was amazed by the work done by all of you at SH. Dean Harrington Dear Friends at Shepherd Home, Many thanks for all the wonderful care given to my friend, Mary Hale ,as well as to her family. Mary was a dignified and loving person in life and you offered that to her in her passing. It is comforting to know that there are people in our sometimes chaotic world who still stop to value others and celebrate their lives. Ingrid Ferrara

Conventional Items We Always Need: 

Paper towels, postage stamps, baby wipes, hand soap, liquid dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and laundry detergent (our washing machine is “High Efficiency” and so requires “HE” detergent).



Gift cards (Wegman's, Tops, Staples, Walmart, Target, etc.) are greatly appreciated for supplies!

Big Wish: 

Landscape Irrigation System — This will help us properly maintain our ever-expanding gardens, a source of enjoyment and respite for our residents, their families, and all who spend time at Shepherd Home. THANKS!

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Shepherd Home

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PENFIELD, NY PERMIT #31

Shepherd Home Our Mission Rooted in faith and love, we provide comfort and compassionate care to members of our community with terminal illnesses, in a way that cherishes the dignity of each individual and meets his or her physical, emotional and spiritual needs. We provide support to families and friends and foster community acceptance that dying is an integral part of living.

Phone (585) 381-0890

E-mail [email protected]

Web www.shepherdhome.org