CAMARILLO HOSPICE PRESENTS 24TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY MEMORIAL SERVICE Please join us for the 24th Annual Camarillo Hospice Community Memorial Service at 5:30 PM on Thursday, June 5, 2008 in the Peace Garden at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, as we gather to commemorate loved ones who are no longer with us. With inspirational words, music and ritual, including a candle-lighting ceremony and the placement of individualized fabric hearts on the Camarillo Hospice Memorial Quilt, we will come together to remember and honor the many family members, friends and acquaintances who have helped shape our lives and personalities. MCDONALD'S SUPPORTS GOOD GRIEF CLUB
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: GARY NORRIS
A Family Law Attorney with his own practice in Camarillo, Gary has been an active volunteer in the community for many years. Prior to working with Camarillo Hospice, Gary served on the Board of the Camarillo Healthcare District for 5 years. Both he and his wife Debbie are long-time members of United Methodist Church, where Gary has served on both the Church’s Board of Trustees and Endowment Board. Serving the community is a strong passion for Gary, and we have been very fortunate that he chose to be involved with our organization. He has thoroughly enjoyed his role on the Board acting as an advisor and helping to provide a legal perspective on various issues over the years. While Gary knows he will miss being an active Board member, he also feels that “new people and new ideas can be a good thing for an agency”. Married for 34 years, Debbie and Gary have known each other since they were teenagers and have lived in Camarillo since 1978. They actually were born in the same hospital in Burbank, so they are true southern California natives! Debbie is a retired elementary school teacher from the Pleasant Valley School District. They have two grown children, a daughter Brooke who lives in Michigan, and a son Cameron who lives in San Luis Obispo. A new addition to the household is an adorable Maltipoo puppy named Miss Daisy, who keeps them quite active; otherwise Gary spends his free time on the golf course or with his family. Gary and Debbie both suffered family losses in the past year, and Gary feels that the experience of working with Hospice really helped him to be more comfortable with the whole process and was grateful to know that the support he and his family needed was available. Gary expressed that he has “so appreciated being involved with a community organization that provides real help in situations of real need”. We want to thank Gary for all the help, guidance and support he has given us these past years…it has been a wonderful partnership! We’re not saying “good-bye,” though, because we hope Gary will always be a resource for and supporter of Camarillo Hospice. VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING Twice a year, Camarillo Hospice conducts a Volunteer Training and Community Education Course. The members of the most recent class graduated on May 2, 2007, having completed 24 hours of intensive training in end-of-life issues, hospice care and the role of the patient care volunteer. In addition to featuring guest speakers, the class is taught by Janine Coronado, MSW, Director of Volunteer Services, with assistance from Carole Wadsworth, MA, MFT, Director of Counseling Services. Many volunteers go on to complete special training for our Oral History and/or Bereavement programs. If you’re interested, please call the office for information about future classes.
Our Camarillo Hospice Patient Care Volunteers are a highly trained volunteer corps that provides a variety of services to our patients and/or their families, including: • Listening Let us know how our dedicated volunteers can help you. And for more information on how you can become a patient care volunteer, please go to our "Volunteers" page. PET LOSS SUPPORT GROUP OFFERED Camarillo Hospice now offers a support group for people dealing with the loss of a pet. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at our office (400 Rosewood Ave., Suite 102, Camarillo) from noon to 1:00 PM. Please call Carole Wadsworth at 805.389.6870 ext. 19 for more information or to sign up. |
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“McSmiles” and mutual “McAdmiration” were the order of the day recently as Executive Director Sandy Nirenberg accepted a $5,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California grant from local McDonald’s owners June and Clay Paschen, Sr. in support of the Camarillo Hospice Good Grief Club. The Paschens later enjoyed artwork created by Good Grief Club members.
Gary Norris has been a member of the Camarillo Hospice Board of Directors for 12 years, serving as President of the Board in 2005, but sadly his tenure will be coming to an end next January. We certainly will miss you, Gary!
The Class of May 2007, left to right, Louise Choate, Betty Angle, Debby Mensa (sitting), Kathy Payne, Kira LaMer, Jessie Chen, Whitney Polikretis, Jerry Heyer, Beverly Heyer, Jymme Taylor (standing) and Tim Desmond. Other class members not pictured: Lois Desmond, Richard Blair and Pat Muntz.