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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3.2 Organization of Year~~~~ \ ~- ~ -~ \~/~ CITY CLERK File # Q~^Q-^S AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: February 17, 2009 SUBJECT: ATTACHMENTS: RECOMMENDATION• FINANCIAL STATE T: 2008 Organization of the Year Nominations Report Prepared by Caroline Soto, City Clerk Nomination Forms Submitted Present Certificates of Recognition to Nominees None DESCRIPTION: Each year, the City of Dublin recognizes aDublin-based non-profit organization that has provided services which have substantially benefited residents of the community. Vice Mayor Hildenbrand and Councilmember Hart currently serve as the Citizens and Organization of the Year Committee. Immediately upon the close of the nomination period (nominations ended February 3), the Committee arranged for the judging to be done by impartial individuals or organizations outside the City of Dublin. The winning organization will be announced at the City's "Dublin Volunteers -Our Shining Stars" event being held on Friday, February 20, 2009 at the Dublin Senior Center. In addition, the winning organization's name will be engraved on the perpetual plaque, which hangs just inside the Council Chambers. The organizations nominated this year are: Dublin 4H, Friends of the Dublin Library, and Hope Hospice. Representatives from each organization were invited to attend this City Council meeting and invitations have been extended for them to attend the Volunteer Recognition event on February 20th. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Mayor present each nominee with a Certificate of Recognition for being nominated as Dublin's 2008 Organization of the Year. COPY TO: Nominees Page 1 of 1 ITEM NO. G:\CC-MTGS\2009 cc mtgs\2009 -qtr 1\02-Feb\02-17-09\as-org of the yeaz.doc ~;~9 Dublin 4H is a small, youth based organization that does an amazing job contributing to the Dublin Community. The ages in the group run from seven to seventeen with half the members under the age of twelve. With this small, youth based organization it is challenging to achieve community service goals that are on going, innovative, and new, but Dublin 4H is a determined organization and with hard work and perseverance they have accomplished a great many things. They helped with the Dublin Fun Run, they assembled and brought Easter baskets to the senior residents at Carol's Guest House and stayed to spend time with the ladies; they hung door hangers and picked up food in Dublin for the Tri Valley Food Drive. The Dublin Cultural Center expressed thanks to Dublin 4H for putting on a puppet show about ecology/energy, having the youngest members run craft booths and organize a roping contest for cowboy days, and for running games at the ice cream social. Camp Parks had an appreciation event for our military families and Dublin 4H was there to run game and craft booths. Red Ribbon week saw the members tying ribbons around the trees from City Hall to the library. Club members helped with the Hope Hospice Lights of the Valley celebration and at the Basket Brigade the club brought food and assembled baskets of food and delivered them to needy families for Thanksgiving. At Christmas the club raised money selling candy bars to supply a Dublin family with much appreciated holiday gifts. They ran craft booths at the Livermore Kids to Kids Christmas party, where 900 needy children attended to receive gifts and visit Santa, and they volunteered to wrap holiday presents for the handicapped and seniors at Target. The Dublin 4H puppet project has entertained groups with shows at the Dublin Heritage Center, the Art and Science festival, and they ran a craft booth where kids made paper bag puppets at the Kids to Kids party. The members of Dublin 4H are kids with supportive parents. Most of the community service done by the club is researched and organized by the kids. During the research and organizing they learn valuable life skills like public speaking and time management. They are our future and Dublin 4H is preparing them to support our communities through dedicated volunteer service. This is why I am proud to nominate Dublin 4H for organization of the year. ATTACHMENT ~' ti ,` P ~, ~~ --~ /~ ?~. ~~ 2008 Organization of the Year Nomination -Friends of the Dublin Library The Friends of the. Dublin Library is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the Dublin Library with funding for programs and materials, as well as by providing volunteers for library activities. Over 300 members strong, the Friends are passionate about the importance of the Dublin Library to the city, and they work tirelessly to promote public interest in the library. During 2008, which marked the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Friends, they raised nearly $20,000 to fund library programs and materials. Some of the highlights were: • Purchasing 1,280 DVDs for the library's circulating collection, as well as replacement CD/DVD cases and other supplies. • Providing all the materials and supplies for the well-attended "Mather Goose on the Loose" early literacy program, which offers children the opportunity to listen, love and learn language while exploring music, rhythm and nursery rhymes. • Funding the Family Sing-Along twice a month. Family Sing-Along provides an hour of musical fun using various instruments, such as drums, bells, and kazoos, as well as singing. • Acting as a major sponsor of Dublin Reads, acommunity-wide book discussion program program, including the purchase of multiple copies of Epitaph for a Peach, and funding tie-in events such as films. • Sponsoring a San Francisco Asian Art Museum membership for $500, which makes two free museum passes available to the public to check out of the library. • Underwriting the summer events program for children with aver 3,200 in grants for puppet shows, music, storytelling and magic shows attended by well over 1,000 children. • Funding teen programs at the library, including a Twilight party to celebrate the release of the movie based on this wildly popular book series. • Underwriting a series of guest speakers, including Dr. Kevin Danaher on the Green Economy: Challenges and Opportunities; and a presentation about the Kenyan Maasai culture by Elder Sabore Ole Oiye and educator Hellen Nkuraiya of the Asante Africa Foundation. • Supplying the materials for two adult book discussion groups, allowing the library to purchase multiple copies of books being discussed, as well as book group discussion kits available for check-out. Each kit comes with ten copies of a title and a discussion guide. The Friends raised most of these funds by holding book sale events in the spring, autumn, and winter, where the public was invited to purchase donated used books, DVDs, and CDs. Each year, members of the Friends spend hours collecting, sorting, and pricing donated items in preparation for the sales, as well as publicizing, setting up, staffing, and tearing-down each book sale event. Other funds come through membership fees, cash donations, the sale of Dublin Reads t-shirts, and a perpetual book sale held in the lobby of the Dublin Library as well as at the Starbucks cafe on Regional Street. r~j~~ Hope. Hospice ~~ Quality end-of-life care and grief support since 1980 6500 Dublin Blvd., Suite 100 • Dublin, CA 94.568 • Phone: 925-829-8770 • Fax: 925-829-0868 • E-mail: info@hopehospice.com • www.hopehospice.com January 20, 2009 City of Dublin Office of the City Clerk 100 City of Dublin Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 Dear Friends At the suggestion of our volunteers, we are excited to be submitting an application for Organization of the Year. Please find the attached information which addresses the criteria outlined in your nomination guidelines. For over 30 years, Hope Hospice, anon-profit organization founded by volunteers, has served patients and families in the city of Dublin. Our professional team and our uniquely trained volunteers have enjoyed a sterling reputation for quality, compassionate care and grief support to those who have lost a loved one. This year, we are proud to share with you highlights of our Vigil Volunteer program which was born in 2008. The program trains and utilizes community volunteers who are called to support local residents and families at a most sensitive time...during the last hours of life. We invite you to learn more about this inspiring and most needed program and thank you for your consideration. Cordially, Helen Meier Executive Director Enclosures 5~ Diane Stein 11524 Marwick Dublin, CA 94568 January 20, 2009 City of Dublin -Office of the City Clerk 100 City of Dublin Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 Dear Sir or Madame: Asa 35 year resident of Dublin and a volunteer with Hope Hospice, I am pleased to share my rewarding experience over the past years with this outstanding organization. My association with Hope Hospice began as a recipient of their free bereavement support services 17 years ago following the death of a close family member. In their support group I met other members of our community who had experienced similar losses and took a first step toward healing. I became a member of the bereavement staff in 1999 and enjoyed meaningful work as a Grief Support Provider for the next three years until my retirement. I was pleased to have such an opportunity to utilize my training in clinical psychology at that later stage of my life, just as I find great fulfillment in continuing my association with Hope Hospice now that I am retired. My volunteer work with Hope Hospice has offered me an opportunity to continue meaningful work and associations and to contribute to our community. Two years ago, my connection with Hope Hospice grew even deeper. My mother became terminally ill and became their hospice patient. Because she outlived the doctor's expectations by almost two years, our family had along-term association with Hope Hospice. As a caregiver for my mother, I received continual support and information from her nurse and social worker. My mother received, along with the excellent care from the professional staff, lovingly provided support from their volunteer massage therapist and hairdresser. The experience of knowing Hope Hospice as a local resident, family caregiver and a volunteer has been invaluable. Because Hope Hospice is an organization dedicated to serving families during very challenging times, I find special reward in my weekly volunteer work in the Bereavement office. In my active retirement years, I am grateful to be associated with an organization in my own home town that provides so much needed service to our community and I wholeheartedly recommend them as Organization of the Year for the city of Dublin. Sincerely, ~- ~~~ Diane Stein ~~~ ~~ Ho er'~~' p ~ Hospice Achievement: Accomplishments Through Voluntary Service - 2008 Hope Hospice, anon-profit organization based in the city of Dublin was founded by local volunteers. Our volunteer activities continue to be a vital part of our work. While volunteers support Hope Hospice in a variety of ways from fund raising, to office support, to home visiting, a new and unique volunteer program, called Vigil Volunteers, was created to address the needs of patients and families during the final days and hours of life. Local volunteers provide relief for families in Dublin who are exhausted from caring for a loved one. Others sit vigil at the bedside offering a quiet presence for patient and family. The Vigil Volunteer program has its roots in one of the main tenets of hospice philosophy: No one should die alone. Community Needs The addition of Vigil Volunteers to the services provided by Hope Hospice innovatively addresses two community needs. The first is for families who have a loved one living in a facility but whose members either live outside the area or cannot be at the bedside for the entire time their loved one is in the dying process. Vigil Volunteers stay by the bedside and assure that the person will not die alone. A second need is for families whose loved one is living at home. Families do their best to sit vigil by the bedside but often need rest and cannot manage it around the clock. Vigil Volunteers provide needed relief for exhausted family members so that they may return to the patient refreshed. On occasion, Vigil Volunteers may also identify the signs of active dying and alert the family members who may be sleeping or attending to other personal matters. Vigil Volunteers: • Support families as they face the new experience of a loved one dying • Provide a much needed break for caregivers • Bring a calm presence when it's needed most Innovation Providing Vigil Volunteers is a new approach to the comprehensive nature of hospice volunteerism. It complements the overall compassionate care provided to people with a terminal illness and is an added service born out of community need when a serious illness puts undue burden on families. Mobilization Hope Hospice has a complement of over 50 volunteers working throughout the year with 15 currently available to provide a bedside vigil to patients in Dublin and surrounding areas during their final journey. The program is coordinated by a retired physician, a volunteer who makes herself available to the volunteer team 24/7. Her spouse received care from Hope Hospice and her own experience helped define the need for Vigil Volunteers in the community. The fulfilling nature of the work, as experienced by Vigil Volunteers, has created a new energy in the community for serving people at a most sensitive time of life. Ongom~ Involvement The Vigil Volunteer Program continues to expand as needs change. Enrollment in the program is growing and has become an important part of the organization's volunteer activities and development. Leadership Hope Hospice is the leading hospice in Dublin offering innovative end-of--life support and bereavement services. We take pride in the extensive professional training offered to community volunteers. The Community Volunteer Training, an 8 week intensive, is a mandate for all new staff members and volunteers at Hope Hospice. It develops sensitivity to end-of--life issues, offers opportunities for personal and professional growth, and provides an opportunity for civic leaders and concerned citizens to collaborate and participate in a vital service to their neighbors, colleagues, and the community at large. Because of the support of the Dublin community, Hope Hospice will retain Dublin as our future home base as we serve families throughout the San Ramon and Tri-Valley area. Hope~~i' Hospice The mission of HOPE HOSPICE is to provide compassionate, quality, end-of--life care and grief support to patients and families. We rely on the generous donations from members of our community to underwrite costs that are not covered by private and public insurance. Online donations can be made through our zvebsite at: www.hopehospice.com Your support enables us to continue providing specialized, quality hospice care and grief support to all, whether or not they have the ability to pay. Hope Hospice, Inc. 6500 Dublin Blvd., Suite 100 Dublin, CA 94568 925-829-8770 www.hopehospice.com Hope Hospice is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, licensed by the State of California Department of Health Services, and Medicare/Medi-Cal certified. Pursuant to TitleVl of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Hope Hospice, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age. ,_~~:._ ~: ~ ~~ -.,y,~, ~N ;~. ~` ~~Hr' .. L ~~.:~: °~~- ;.~, .cam h ~~i: ~ `~. i~ Z w ~ ~N~ ~~. :f~ '~. '~ ~ ., .~: -~ _.:: ~. Hope' Hospice When do we call Hope Hospice? When you and your physician decide that additional curative care may not be effective, request an informational meeting with a Hope Hospice nurse. Hospice care is available for any end-stage illness such as cancer, heart or lung disease, dementia, and Lou-Gherig's Disease (ALS). What individualized care would I receive from Hope Hospice? • Pain and symptom management • Emotional and spiritual support • Medications that relate to end-of--life care • Durable medical equipment, such as a walker, wheelchair, or hospital bed • Teaching family members how to care for you • Helping with your personal care needs, such as bathing or washing your hair • Dedicated volunteers who will visit with you, and specialized volunteers such as massage therapists or a video biographer • Staff members are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week • Pre-bereavement support for your family When medical science can no longer add days to life, what matters is the quality of life that can be added to each day. Because you matter to the last day of your life, Hope Hospice is committed to providing the highest quality of care to you and support to your family. The hospice team of trained professionals including a physician, nurses, social workers, home health aides, a chaplain, and volunteers will be there for you, helping to assure pain and symptom control to make you as comfortable as possible. You continue to make your own choices and retain the dignity you deserve. You decide what is most important to you at this time in your life. It may be spending special time with family and friends, visiting a special place, or completing unfinished business. The last days of your life maybe filled with unique and rewarding experiences. Where are Hope Hospice services provided? Hope Hospice services can be provided in your home, at a Skilled Nursing Facility, assisted-living residence, or a board and care home with a hospice waiver. Who pays for Hope Hospice services? Medicare Part A, most insurance plans, and Medi-Cal all have coverage for hospice care. Hope Hospice provides exceptional, high quality compassionate care for anyone needing our services. What other support services does Hope Hospice provide? The Hope Hospice Bereavement Program offers up to 18 months of grief support. This includes a personal consultation; an invitation to participate in on-going grief support groups; follow-up phone calls, visits, and -,:~, mailings. Grief support services are available to caregivers, adults and children, or anyone in the community who have suffered the loss of someone special in their life. The Hope Hospice Resource Lending Library is available to all. Community education about Hope Hospice services is also available through our annual community training, presentations and informational exhibits at community events. For more information, please. contact our office at (925) 829-8770 or visit our website at: www.hopehospice.com