Quite frankly I have a problem. We urgently need some funding but the majority of what we have at Heart House is heart!

• Jonathon*, a volunteer, walks up the path to a door he has never gone through to be a companion to a human being he has never met who is facing a terminal illness.

• Ragini, another volunteer, holds in her arms an elderly women who wants to curl up in a safe place and without words, feel quiet love for maybe the last time.

• Mark takes time out from university studies to mobilize the most modern of social networks (Facebook and Twitter) to raise money at Christmas for the greatest of impulses, to give to those in need.

• Sonia and Amandeep, two Heart House volunteers take turns looking after a three-month-old baby who is near the end of her brave but short life.

The team at Heart House is incredibly blessed to have over one hundred trained and generous volunteers like those I have just described. In fact, in the last 5 years over one quarter of a million hours of service have been invested right here in our community! At $20/hr. that works out to a gift of $5 million billable hours! CAN YOU PURCHASE THOSE ACTS OF KINDNESS?

“You have to have a big heart to do what we do.” I overhead that comment recently from someone who has been showing care and support to the dying for over 12 years. Hospice care is not depressing at all”, says Kaye a 10-year volunteer. “It’s about living and making every day count.” “I sometimes wonder why the volunteers do it,” says one client, before adding, “It seems to make them happy.” CAN YOU BUY THAT?

• Jonathan became a beautiful companion to that stranger and helped him cope with his questions and concerns.

• Ragini, helped that wonderful women stay at home until the end, without making her feel like a burden to her family and friends.

• Mark raised $3,000 in 30 days from 100 donors.

• Sonia and Amandeep continue to give needed respite to a mother and father who gratefully can take some time away with the rest of their children from their daily reality of care giving.

All of those volunteers gave time, compassion, expertise and lots of practical love.

Over the past two months I have heard that our trained volunteers have done such things as; helping a client write down her life story for her children to read when they got older; showing how to connect with support systems in the community; providing therapeutic touch therapy; and working through family fears and uncertainties when their loved one wants to die at home. Through it all they were improving the quality of life for terminally-ill clients and the people who love them.
And because of our volunteers, all this care and supportive companionship is a no charge service to our community.

So here is my problem! We need to do so much more. This past year we had an astounding 45% increase in the number of referrals from our community to the Heart House. We are bulging at the seams in our offices. How can I buy more volunteers?

Of course I can’t buy a volunteer! In the words of the Beatles song: “Can’t Buy Me Love.” So I am mailing you this special letter for a much needed solution.

There is the love of giving and then there is the business of giving. Let’s you and I have a heart to heart on the business side! The advertising for volunteers needs to go out, the selection needs to be professionally done, the team needs to be trained, the transportation needs to be reimbursed and most of all, the hundreds of clients and thousands of family members we touch need to be provided all the services our community can provide. Here’s how together we could solve our problem.

• $50 can help recruit a volunteer.

• $100 can help us cover getting the volunteers to the door by providing some of the transportation help to the client’s home, doctor’s appointments etc.

• $500 can provide the professional 10-week training program for a volunteer. (The next training course by the way begins January 27th).

Your gift of money is indispensible to giving Heart House’s compassionate care to those in the community living with life threatening illness. You have the power to help solve our problem. And you, by choosing to give to an organization that mobilizes so many unpaid trained volunteers are multiplying that gift many times over. You, by giving, can insert your name alongside those stories!

Thanks for being such a faithful investor in the past. The team and I truly appreciate your gifts even today as I hear of 6 more urgent referrals that have just come in. And most importantly, thank you for how you will help keep and increase our team of volunteers during these winter months as you take your heartfelt time now to send in your generous gift to the Heart House!

Warmly,

David Walker,
Director of Resource Development
Heart House Hospice

P.S. Volunteer your gift today! Our new volunteer 10-week training schedule starts Jan. 27 so please send the enclosed envelope to us as soon as you can. Or click the “Donate Now” button at www.hearthousehospice.com.

If you would like to make a donation, click on "Donate Now".