Many hands help Pine Tree Hospice serve the region
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
SANGERVILLE — For 30-plus years area individuals and families have been served, free of charge, by Pine Tree Hospice (PTH) during the time of dying and bereavement. The organization’s many programs are carried out by numerous volunteers, “The Many Hands of Hospice” as stated on the cover of the 2015 annual report, and all those giving of their time to PTH were honored during the annual meeting Nov. 19 at the East Sangerville Grange.
“There is a part of me that hates to give special recognition because my hat’s off to anybody that volunteers,” PTH Coordinator of Volunteers and Client Services Lisa Joy White told the crowd of over 50 gathered at the Grange. “I cannot say thank you enough to all of you.”
White and Executive Director Jane Stitham then named the director care participants: David Burrill, Rita Burrill, Meg Callaway, Marsha Hansen, Doug Hewes, Gary Kingsbury, Ora Larrabee, Beverly Nason, Clint Rohdin and Nancy Rotkowitz.
Evergreen training participants: Callaway, Dodie Curtis and Nason.
Five-year Service Awards: Barb Austin, Barbara Brown, R. David Bures, Karen Pomeroy and Dale Shaw. Ardie Hacker received a 15-year Service Award.
Special recognitions were made to bereavement facilitator Andrew Thurlow, direct care volunteer Suzanne McKendry, indirect care volunteer Allie Kinney, board member Sue McNulty and volunteer chaplain Rev. Ray Beless.
“I love Pine Tree Hospice, it means a lot to me and I think it’s prepared me for what I’m doing now with grief ministry,” Rev. Beless told the audience.
The election of officers for 2015-16 — all four positions are the same as the year before — consisted of Kathleen Thibault as president, Matt Raynes as vice president, Donna Peterson as secretary and Rhonda Taylor as treasurer. Peterson, Hansen and Pam Goulette were each elected to second terms to the PTH board of directors.
“What I could do is start at this table over here and thank each and every one of you,” Stitham said, saying everyone does something for PTH and its clients. “What an honor to be a witness to that and to know we have helped someone’s journey in one way or another.”
She joked that she feels like a matchmaker in connecting volunteers to other members of the community. Stitham mentioned examples of volunteer services have included playing cribbage with clients, cooking a special meal and driving two hours down and back to pick up family members.
“Pine Tree Hospice is not the work of one person or one type of volunteer,” she said. “It’s the work of one team.” Stitham said this work is demonstrated in the fact that the number of families served increased to 104 from 75 compared to the year before, and the total volunteers hours rose 17 percent to 4,618.
“We have to thank the people that make this happen,” she said, mentioning the Foxcroft Academy Key Club and all these students do for PTH.
“We have a volunteer in Colorado,” Stitham said. She explained this resident of the state in the Rocky Mountains has posted items on eBay daily over the last week “and we will receive 100 percent of proceeds.” Stitham said this same volunteer made requests through social media saying November is Hospice Month and in recognition of the month can people help PTH by sending stamps?
“She was from Dover-Foxcroft so it’s near and dear to her, so this is her way of giving back,” Stitham said. She said those at the annual meeting can give back by being ambassadors for PTH. “If you know someone who’s struggling, call Pine Tree Hospice, that’s all you have to do.”
Each year PTH recognizes a business that quietly helps the organization, and Stitham said in 2015 Mayo Regional Hospital is the honoree. She said Mayo Regional Hospital has provided PTH with office space since the organization began and “the hospital through the years has always been there.” Stitham said the organization’s home at the Basket House recently was re-sided to help create better visibility.
“So what can Pine Tree Hospice do for Mayo Regional Hospital?,” Stitham asked. She said the organization has volunteers continually on call to assist patients and their families and also provides hospice education for hospital staff.
“We wanted to do something special tonight,” Stitham said, saying PTH officials decided to give the hospital some items for its family room. The gifts include DVDs, copies of one of Stitham’s favorite books “The Next Place” by Warren Hanson and a stuffed animal giraffe that is taller than some of the kids who may use the family room.
She said she wanted to recognize the “incredible staff” and had White, Program Assistant Yvonne Davis and Administrative Assistant Sherri Jackins come forward for a round of applause.
Stitham said PTH is fortunate to have relationships with the region’s high schools. “This year the Many Hands of Hospice is our theme,” she said.
Talking with Foxcroft Academy Assistant Head of Academics Jonathan Pratt, a PTH director, Stitham said art students at the secondary school created examples of their interpretation of the 2015 organization theme and images of these works of art were assembled in the video presentation “The Helping Hands of Hospice” shown at the conclusion of the annual meeting.
For more information on PTH and its numerous services and many volunteer possibilities, please contact 564-4346 or wecare@pinetreehospice.org or go to www.pinetreehospice.org, www.facebook.com/PineTreeHospice or www.facebook.com/EvergreenPTH.