Home Talk
From Adele's Desk:
As I write this article for the fall issue of Volunteer Happenings newsletter, I am sitting in a beautiful campground in Western Maryland. It is late afternoon and the trees are all a-glow with color. The stream is running by our camper and the cows are mooing quietly in their pastures. Tucker and I are enjoying the rest and quiet time together and watching as the world passed by.
Sitting here, I am thinking about the National Lutheran Home and all the wonderful staff and volunteers that keep the Home running at such a high level for each resident. As I look around at all the things to see, I think of all the treasures God has given to us to keep, love and admire.
I am also thinking about how NLH tries to make the golden years of our residents the best they could possibly be. You, as National Lutheran Home's volunteers, play a very important part in that goal. Being there for our "Golden aged" residents helps them with their frustrations, worries and loneliness.
I hope all of you who were able to come to our Pal/Volunteer workshop in October had an enjoyable time. My topic was "Treasures" and it referred to all of you who give so many hours of your precious time to our residents. Maybe I couldn't bring all the treasures I saw on vacation back to share with you, however we certainly did share some of our personal treasures at our program.
Now, it is on to the holidays. I hope to see you all at the volunteer Christmas Party on December 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. Again this year, we will be collecting toys for the Hoffman Home for girls and boys.
Thank you for all you do for us here at the Home. You are all our treasures and worth your weight in gold. God bless you and your families. Hope to see you all soon.
Love,
Adele
In some of my Volunteer Happenings articles, I have addressed the subject of "change". The world is changing, society as we knew it has changed and we, at the National Lutheran Home are also changing.
One discernible change in the Home over the past several years is that fewer Lutherans are applying for admission. The Home has always admitted Lutherans on a "preferential" basis but if fewer Lutherans are applying, then its facilities were, and still are, made available to any applicant. When the National Lutheran Home was the only Home, covering several states, it could barely accommodate all the Lutherans. Now that there are many nursing homes, Assisted Living Facilities and Retirement Communities in our geographical area, we have opened our doors to all states and denominations. Currently, the Home's population is 56% Lutheran and that proportion is expected to diminish even more over the years.
The best part about this fact is that it's all right. Hardly a ripple has been felt in our community life, for our residents' needs are normal, human needs and all are welcome. Another change is that residents are older and more frail at admission. Lengths of stay are shorter, ranging from an estimated 10 years or so in the late 60s to about four years today. It is becoming more difficult to maintain the first floor as a "Light Care" area, but we have been rather successful doing so. How does this affect what you do in your vital volunteer services? Not at all. However, the volunteer scene may be changing as well. We now have wonderful new volunteers, youth and families. About 60% of our volunteer team comes from our ILP community.
We are accommodating the changes and are trying to keep it “steady as we go” however, we do need you in other ways. We have a new program made up of "Ambassador Volunteers". They are given important information about the home and are asked to take it back to their home communities and churches. We ask them to have this information ready for anyone who may need it.
It has been said that the best kept secret is the National Lutheran Home. We are asking you to help let the secret out and become an ambassador for your church or area.
For more information on this program, please contact Adele Warnke, Chairperson or Dale Snyder.
Kristina Hughes
Happy autumn to all of the Volunteers. Let me say how pleased I was to participate in the Awards ceremony of the youth volunteers at the end of their summer of service. What an incredible turnout, not only of volunteers, but of their families who have supported them. I know how busy schedules can be but they took time out to come and share the celebration with their children and that shows a lot about their commitment to their .
The volunteers this year gave 3,375 hours of service to the Home, which is mind boggling. they could be seen around the Home visiting residents, taking residents for walks, helping them to Physical Therapy and other locations. What smiles they brought to the faces of the residents. They may never know the positive impact they had during their time here, so we want to make sure it is understood that no task completed was meaningless or insignificant. The gift of time is precious and these students gave it in full measure. Thanks again to our volunteers, and we hope to see them throughout the rest of this year and into the New Year.
I am really excited about a new program that we are starting here at the home call the Ambassador program. This new program is being developed to create an avenue for communications between various congregations and the Home. The Home, serving seniors for over 115 years, continues to try and reach out to the community and share the news of its services and its quality care with those who need it. Ambassadors will be formally trained on their role and responsibility to the Home, and on the programs and opportunities available. A training day is being planned for November 4, 2005 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Lang Hall. The primary staff person in charge of this program will be Adele Warnke, our Director of volunteers. Also, assisting with the program will be Dale Snyder, Congregational Relations. We look forward to the success of this program and to the strengthening of relationships with our member congregations as well as the development of new relationships with surrounding congregations.
Take care and, as always, I thank you for your support of the wonderful ministry here at the National Lutheran Home.
Col. and Mrs. Robert E. Parrott have sponsored a fund for donations for the purpose of education for the volunteers at the National Lutheran Home. the fund makes money available for speakers and other educational programs for the volunteer workshops.
The second fund that has been set up, is in honor of the Reverend Doctor and Mrs. Melba Reichard. The fund is for the youth volunteer programs and gives awards to the students that have given the most hours in volunteer service to the Home, want higher education and will be entering their senior year of high school.
If you would like to make a donation to either fund, please mail it to The National Lutheran Home in care of the Office of Development. Please mark on your check which fund the donation is to go to. Thank you.
The National Lutheran Home Volunteer Department invites you to come and celebrate the Christmas Season of 2005.
When: December 19, 2005
Where: Lang Hall
Time: 2 - 4 p.m.
Please bring a toy to share with the Hoffman Home for children ages 3 to 18 years of age.
Please come and volunteer at the National Lutheran Home. We have many opportunities for you to make someone's life a little brighter.
Call Adele Warnke, Director of Volunteers, at 301-424-6245, ext 221
and
talk to her a bout the different areas of volunteerism that are available.
We are sure we have an opportunity you might like.