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Ory Bower Finds Calling in New Role as Volunteer Coordinator

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Ory Bower’s experience with Homeland Hospice has come full circle. He began as a volunteer in 2018, and was quickly inspired by Homeland’s mission to make a difference in the lives of others. Ory joined Homeland’s staff in an administrative position in 2021 and has worked in a variety of positions over the years. He recently took on the role of volunteer coordinator, which gives him the opportunity to work alongside Homeland’s inspiring volunteers.

“When I started as a volunteer, I really connected with patients,” Ory says. “I made regular phone calls to lift their spirits.”

During his time talking to patients, Ory learned to understand what makes each person tick. He fondly remembers a woman who loved to quilt, and would update him on her latest projects and what she planned for future creations.

“She found comfort in completing tasks,” Ory remembers. “This gave her a sense of control in her life.”

Ory believes his perspective as a volunteer will help him in his new role. He understands no detail is too small. Every conversation, note, and encounter can make a difference in someone’s life. He looks forward to new and different ways he can engage with volunteers as well as patients and their families.

Since taking on this role in January, Ory has connected personally with each volunteer to gather their insights and feedback on current and future programs. Homeland’s life-changing work is made possible by volunteers who share their time and compassion with others. From working directly with patients to helping with administrative tasks, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization.

One of the most popular volunteer opportunities is home visits with patients and their families. Volunteers read aloud, chat, play games and look at family photos to help provide patients comfort and friendship. These moments can be moving, and often lead to strong bonds between volunteers and patients.

In addition to personal visits, volunteers have opportunities to connect with patients through programs such as Homeland’s Soup & Casserole program that provides meals for patients and their families. Another program called My Life, My Legacy gives hospice patients an opportunity to tell their life story. The end result is a book with photos and memories for families cherish after their loved one’s passing. This program is very popular among volunteers.

“Our volunteers have so much dedication and compassion,” Ory says. “We truly couldn’t do our work without them.”

Ory grew up and lives in Newport. He attended Messiah University where he earned his degree in ministry. While he didn’t know about Homeland after graduation, he felt a calling to refocus his life to help others. This internal call to action along with his understanding of Homeland’s work will help him thrive in his new role.

“There is so much joy in this work,” Ory says. “I am proud to be part of the Homeland team.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Homeland Hospice, call Ory at (717) 221-7890.

Called to Serve Others: Meet Volunteer Coordinator Tamara Jaroszewski

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Volunteer Coordinator Tamara JaroszewskiAs a young woman, Tamara Jaroszewski of Harrisburg experienced the profound impact of hospice services when her sister died of breast cancer at age 40. For Tamara, hospice work became a beacon of hope and inspiration. She felt called to help patients during their end-of-life journey. Her call was recently answered when she joined Homeland’s Hospice team as the volunteer coordinator. Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program, serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

“I proudly do this work in honor of my sister,” Tamara says. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Tamara joined Homeland after working as a volunteer coordinator for a large hospice organization that served a sizable region. Her work with Homeland gives Tamara the opportunity to build relationships with patients and their families and the dedicated cadre of hospice volunteers. Homeland’s life-changing work is made possible by volunteers who share their time and compassion with others. From working directly with patients to helping with administrative tasks, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization.

“I am getting to know our volunteers personally,” Tamara adds. “I am overwhelmed by their kindness and dedication to our work.”

Many volunteers find personal satisfaction from the relationships formed through patient visits. Often, patients think of volunteers as an extension of their family. Tamara helps support these relationships and assists volunteers to ensure they feel supported in their roles. When a volunteer returned to her scheduled patient visits after a reprieve to grieve the death of her father, Tamara was by her side.

“I knew her first visit back could be difficult,” Tamara says. “We approached it as a team.”

While Tamara has been with Homeland for only a few months, she is impressed by the longevity of service and creativity volunteers bring to their work. Many individuals have dedicated years to the organization and continue to raise their hands to take on new and different projects to bring comfort to patients and their families.

Tamara is excited to see more people participate in My Life, My Legacy, which gives hospice patients an opportunity to tell their life story to a volunteer who records the responses and allows the family to add their thoughts and recollections, as well as photographs. The end result is a printed book for the patient to help him/her find peace, and pride in his/her life story. The book also helps families preserve memories after their loved one dies.

“The books are beautifully written,” Tamara adds. “Our volunteers put their heart and souls into these projects and it shows.”

As Tamara grows in her tenure with Homeland, she looks forward to shepherding new projects as they evolve to benefit patients. For her, each day is a new and wonderful opportunity to build on Homeland’s rich history of service.

“You know when you are in the right place,” Tamara says. “I feel I was destined to do this work.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Homeland Hospice, call Tamara at (717) 221-7890.

A guiding light: Volunteer Susan Stillman’s tech expertise helps Homeland focus on care

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Volunteer Susan Stillman smiling next to a treeVolunteers come in many forms, and Homeland loves them all. They bring a helping hand to activities. They lend a listening ear.

Then there are those like Susan Stillman, behind the scenes but playing a vital role in ensuring that Homeland runs smoothly, and staff do their best for the comfort and care of residents and patients.

Susan retired in 2021 from a career in business analysis, but soon began to use her skills for Homeland, working closely with the development and marketing staff to help transform the customer relationship management (CRM) experience. With sleeker, more efficient systems, staff gets more time to create innovative programs, develop resources, and communicate directly with partners, families, and donors.

“It’s all of the things I loved about my previous job that I’m getting to do again for Homeland,” Susan said.

Susan, a native of Arlington, VA, majored in anthropology and English literature. She said with a laugh that she “was able to parlay those into a career in business analysis.” It started early in her career when she worked at a library that needed to automate its card catalog.

“They didn’t have anybody with the computer skills to do it,” she said. “I said, ‘I don’t have them, either, but I’m willing to learn.’”

From there, she went into tech support, training, and business analysis. Susan explains that business analysts help organizations find and incorporate the software needed to solve problems. It’s a beginning-to-end process involving research, collaboration, testing, and training.

Susan was a business analyst for about 22 years with the American Cancer Society’s Pennsylvania division, based in Hershey. She had come to southcentral Pennsylvania to escape the over-congested Washington area. During the pandemic, her job was downsized.

“I realized I didn’t have to go back to work, so I didn’t,” she said.

Susan fills her time with volunteering that’s meaningful and substantial. With Loving Care Cat Rescue (LCCR), she adopted a pair of cats and began performing volunteer technical work. Today, she manages the adoption application process, serves on the board, and provides resources that cat foster care providers need to succeed.

“With everything, I get to do to help the fosters, assist with the adoption process, and get our kitties into good homes … it’s very rewarding,” Susan said.

Searching for an additional volunteer opportunity, Susan learned about the Homeland Hospice position on volunteermatch.org. She knew she didn’t have the “emotional fortitude” to work directly with patients, but she knew data entry was in her wheelhouse.

Soon, Homeland Hospice staff learned about her professional background, and they happily accepted her offer to help adopt the new CRM system. It was a challenge. They had to unify the separate systems used by Homeland Hospice and the development and marketing departments. With Susan’s help, they found a system that meets the needs of all three operations.

“Susan has been awesome in steering us in the right direction with which system to choose, and she continues to provide support and training as we learn to use this new platform,” said Homeland director of marketing Wendy Shumaker. “It has been a very big project, and we are immensely grateful for her involvement.”

Susan helped merge three databases, run data reports that reveal fresh insights into Homeland operations, and train staff in using the new system.

“I love being able to solve problems, make people’s lives easier, and give them the tools they need to be effective,” said Susan.

The Homeland team is a pleasure to work with, she adds. She credits Homeland Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Murry with keeping volunteers engaged and training them in “the knowledge they need to support the organization.”

“She stays in touch with everybody, so regardless of your role, you always feel connected,” Susan said.

Susan also enjoys cooking global cuisine and is a regular blood platelet donor. She lives in a circa-1935 home in Susquehanna Township, which her husband is “single-handedly rebuilding,” she said.

Even amid her volunteer duties, the avid reader dives into a murder mystery daily. Susan counts Louise Penny and Margaret Maron as her favorite authors.

“I spend about an hour or two a day reading, taking advantage of the fact that I am actually retired.”

Homeland Center offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation. The outreach services of Homeland at Home provide hospice, palliative care, home health, and home care to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.

Homeland volunteer Wendy Shearer: Managing the Homeland Gift Shop

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On a recent Monday, a Homeland resident dropped by the Homeland Gift Shop, wearing a lovely scarf that came from the shop. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular. She just pops in every day to see what’s new.

“They’re wonderful,” she said. “They’re very helpful. No matter what you might want, if you ask for it, they will produce it. They have such pretty things in there.”

Whether practical or fun, the items needed to get through the day can be found at the Homeland Gift Shop. Behind it all is Wendy Shearer, a dedicated volunteer who donates her time and talents to sustaining this quick stop for snacks, toiletries, and gifts.

“Homeland’s a wonderful place,” says Wendy. “I love the elderly. I love kids under 5 and people over 75. My parents always taught us to be respectful of our elderly. Just to reach out to somebody can mean so much to them, and that’s what I see here at Homeland.”

Wendy first knew Homeland as a visitor, when she spent time with a friend from her church.

“The gift shop was just a tiny closet then,” she recalls. “We’d come down every Friday and get a bag of pretzels and a Coke and have a little tea party in the diner.”

In the meantime, Wendy worked for about 20 years as the manager of the gift shop of a local hospital where she also had volunteered. Two women from her tight-knit group of volunteers also became members of the Homeland Board of Managers, the unique volunteer board responsible for maintaining Homeland’s renowned home-like feel in its décor and activities.

When the women asked if Wendy could give some time to enhance the Homeland Gift Shop, a new chapter opened in her life. She left her job at the hospital around 2012 and, since then, has volunteered her time and effort to create a nook where residents, staff, and visitors can find the basics, and a few luxuries.

Around the time that Wendy arrived, the Homeland Activities Department expanded that “tiny closet” into a room with shelving and cabinets. Wendy got to work expanding and upgrading the inventory. With her connections and know-how, she found quality items, reasonably priced in order to “keep the costs down for the residents.” She stocked a kids’ corner with inexpensive things for visiting children.

“If a grandchild comes to visit and wants something to do, they can bring them here to buy a coloring book and a box of crayons,” she says.

The shop, connected to the Homeland Diner, is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. Wendy mans the counter on Mondays and volunteers step in the rest of the week.

“I do enjoy it, and I enjoy finding things for in here,” she says. Some items are donated, but she still works with one of her vendors from the hospital, picking up seasonal fashion items such as jewelry, scarves, and purses.

“Any time I get pocketbooks, they always sell,” she says.

Wendy crochets baby hats and blankets for newborns at the hospital, so she’ll make a set to donate to the shop, too – handmade gifts that residents and employees can buy to welcome new grandchildren or give at a baby shower.

“One resident was looking for a shawl to put over her shoulders in a specific color, and I told her I would make one for her, and I did,” Wendy says. “Then she came in at Christmastime and wanted some special towels to give as gifts, and she bought what I had picked out for her.”

When Wendy worked at the hospital, she joked that her husband, Skip, was “assistant manager of the gift shop” because he would tag along on her purchasing ventures. He still does.

“We went last week and got the cards for in here,” she says. “Whatever I get involved in, he always helps me.”

Skip and Wendy live in Lower Paxton Township. Their two sons are teachers; another died in 2020. Through him, they have a 21-year-old granddaughter who used to help her grandmother run the Homeland Gift Shop.

“She was better with the cash register than I was,” Wendy jokes.

Wendy is an ordained deacon at her church, historic Market Square Presbyterian in downtown Harrisburg. She loves playing pinochle, and she bowls “when my knee allows it.”

Wendy also once worked at an assisted living facility, and she remembers how much the residents there appreciated any help she could provide. She sees that same spirit at Homeland.

“Anybody I talk to here, they praise the help,” she says. “The people who work here are respectful to the residents. Very respectful, and that’s important.”

The ‘collective heart’ of Homeland volunteers gives time and passion

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Barry Ramper and Gloria Mineur

Barry Ramper, CEO and Gloria Minuer, volunteer enjoy the program together.

The volunteers of Homeland share more than their time. They also share life lessons in generosity, giving, and selflessness.

“For you to take the time you take to serve the best interest of our patients, residents, and clients – sincerely, I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Homeland Center President and CEO Barry Ramper II said during the annual celebration of all things volunteering.

Volunteers provide essential support for Homeland Center and Homeland Hospice, offering companionship to residents and patients, and administrative help to office staff. At the thank-you dinner, Homeland’s culinary staff served a meal of grilled chicken breast, fresh asparagus, rosemary roasted red potatoes, and tempting desserts.

Held in the Main Dining Room, bouquets of daisies and carnations adorned the tables, and walls and windows flaunted crisp new décor – flowers and redecorating all done by Homeland Center’s unique, volunteer Board of Managers. The program started with selections sung by Brothers in Arms, a young a cappella quartet sharingexpertly performed barbershop standards.

The ‘collective heart’ of Homeland volunteersEach volunteer received a small herb planter, an appropriate memento of the seeds of volunteerism that blossom into inspiration. Those honored for the most hours logged and for longevity, plus the dedicated spirit they gave to Homeland Center, over the last year were:
• Barbara Pak, 165 hours, who visits residents and helps with lunch duties.
• Judie Marcus, 304 hours, including 276 hours working in Homeland Center’s gift shop and 28 hours for Homeland Hospice, where she helps clients stay engaged.
• Lee Jackson, 187 hours supporting the Homeland Hospice bereavement program, plus additional hours decorating holiday trees and preparing hors-d’oeuvres for an event.
• Ann Phillips, 122 hours supporting the Homeland Hospice bereavement program and Homeland Hospice 5K and Memory Walk.
• Longevity: Gloria Minuer, 19 years.

Good friends Doris Coyne and Flora Jespersen were recognized posthumously for their 20 years of volunteer service by Homeland Activities Director and Volunteer Coordinator Gillian Sumpter. They are, Sumpter hopes, “playing bridge and taking charge in heaven.”

Sumpter also presented a clock to the daughters of the late Herm Minkoff, host of Homeland’s popular Sports Talk with Herm. His lively, bi-weekly gathering covered not just athletics but their meaning in society and sometimes the controversies that come with them.

“My father loved this place,” said Herm’s daughter Sheri Solomon. “For days, he would put his discussions together, and he would be so excited. After our mother passed away four years ago, Homeland became a significant place for him. Thank you all so very much for letting him have the joy of Homeland every other Thursday.”

Homeland Hospice Coordinator of Volunteers Laurie Murry thanked all the volunteers for their dedication.

“When you give away an hour, it’s gone. It can’t be copied. It can’t be duplicated or regulated,” Murry said. “We would be poorer if we didn’t remember that the giving of your time is the richest thing you can do.”

After the ceremony, longtime volunteer Gloria Minuer said she always enjoyed directing engaging activities such as You Be the Judge, where residents heard the details of actual court cases, passed judgment, and then learned how juries ruled.

“I don’t think there’s any other place like Homeland,” she said. “They do their best to keep everything on the highest level possible.”

Lee Jackson and Laurie Murry

Lee Jackson, Hospice volunteer and Laurie Murray, Coordinator of Volunteers for Homeland Hospice

Volunteer Lee Jackson said he feels gratification for doing work at which he excels. He has learned to appreciate the behind-the-scenes work needed to maintain excellence at Homeland Hospice. “Working in the office and seeing what they do is pretty amazing,” he said.

Ramper closed the night by telling guests that Minkoff, who regularly posted 5K times that beat much younger runners, will leave behind a legacy of motivation that will inspire him “for the rest of my life.”

Homeland could not have maintained the highest-level quality of care for 152 years without “a strong, committed volunteer group that supported, assisted, gave counsel, gave guidance, and supports development efforts.”

“It’s not about the number of people involved,” Ramper said. “It’s how committed the hearts are of the people who are involved. The most important thing in this room is a collective heart that is unsurpassed.”

A well-deserved thanks for Homeland Center and Homeland Hospice volunteers

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Thank you, Homeland volunteers!Typing handwritten recipes into a computer, even with a broken wrist. Playing table games with an elderly hospice patient who outfoxes his opponents every time.

The spirit of volunteerism energizes Homeland Center and Homeland Hospice. Homeland Center’s 104 volunteers and Homeland Hospice’s 54 volunteers enjoyed an elegant dinner recognizing their contributions in helping Homeland maintain the highest standards of personal attention and engagement.

“Thank you,” Homeland Center President/CEO Barry S. Ramper II told the volunteers. “We deeply appreciate your commitment in choosing to use the most valuable commodity you have – your time – in the interest of serving others – namely, the residents of Homeland Center, patients of Homeland Hospice, and clients of Homeland HomeCare.”

About 80 volunteers joined Homeland residents and staff in the Homeland Main Dining Room, enjoying a meal of raspberry marinated herb chicken breast, parmesan roasted red potatoes, and green beans almandine, prepared by Homeland culinary staff. There was a special treat as well: a repeat performance of song parodies written for Homeland’s 150th-anniversary gala by local actors Rick Stevens and Debbie Smith, accompanied by pianist Steve Rudolph.

Each volunteer received a “Kind” bar – a chocolate bar from Matangos Candies, customized with Homeland’s logo – and thanked for making a difference in the life of a resident or patient. Special awards were received by:
• Sherry Lank, most administrative hours for Homeland Hospice, 163.5 hours.
• Ron Brinkley, most patient care hours for Homeland Hospice, 148.5 hours.
• Wendy Shearer, Homeland Center gift shop volunteer.
• Tyana Jennings, a teen volunteer who spends much of her free time as a companion to Homeland Center residents.

Each volunteer has a story to tell of touching a life or many lives.

Thank you, Homeland volunteers!Homeland Hospice volunteers Phil Talarico and Ken Decker rotate Tuesday mornings playing dominoes and card games with an elderly Dillsburg-area patient who is always smiling and ready for the challenge.

“I have only beaten him in Five Crowns less than five times in over a year,” said Talarico, of Upper Allen Twp. “He wipes me out every week.”

The Dillsburg patient is surrounded by family, but other hospice patients “don’t have that advantage,” said Talarico, a 10-year Homeland Hospice veteran. “People like to have company, so it’s a good thing to let them talk and share.”

For patients nearing the end of life, hospice volunteers are a comforting presence, said Decker, of Silver Spring Twp. “They need somebody to be at their side. I know that God’s there with me to help that patient take the final step.”

Homeland Hospice volunteers include companions to patients, errand runners for families, vigil keepers, envelope stuffers, and support group assistants, said Leanne Porterfield, coordinator of volunteers.

“They are givers – of time, of passion, of self,” she said. “Homeland Hospice is blessed by their amazing gift and spirit. They are certainly deserving of our heartfelt gratitude.”

At Homeland Center, volunteer Barbara Cleeland says she does “the humdrum work” such as alphabetizing files to help development office staff concentrate on fundraising.

“They have more important things to do,” she said.Thank you, Homeland volunteers!

Barbara also brings 46 years of high-level management to her post. From the 1960s until retirement in 1984, she was West Coast reservations office manager for British Airways – the first woman to hold that post for the airline. Among her fond memories of working for the airline is seeing the curvature of the earth and the deep cobalt blue of the atmosphere while flying on the Concorde from Washington to London in the 1970s.

Barbara had a broken wrist when she typed in all the recipes, many handwritten, for the 150th anniversary “Heritage Recipes from Homeland Center.”

“We had recipes from residents and family members and board of directors,” she said. “They came in all shapes and sizes.” However, with help from software supplied by the cookbook publisher, “it didn’t take long.”

Barbara also serves on Homeland Center’s Board of Managers, supporting projects to keep Homeland’s public spaces refurbished.

“We like to have the place looking nice,” she said. “It gives a good appearance. My father was here. My sister was here. I know it matters to the residents.”