Toni and Trish Hospice Director Speaks to Noon Rotarians
February 23, 2010
By: Stephen Kent
John McKelvey
Last Weeks Meeting - February 23, 2010
John S McKelvey, RN is Executive Director and Founder of the Toni and Trish House in Auburn spoke to Rotary about the Hospice he founded in honor of his mother Trish McKelvey and Bay City nurse Toni Waskevich.
The objective of the Toni and Trish House is to create a peaceful environment where terminally ill people can spend their final days. The House is unique in that it is not operated under a medical model.
Toni and Trish did not know each other but they both had the dream of founding such a house. Toni died in an automobile accident at the age of 52 and Trish died of cancer at age 75 in 2005.
Their families independently started to plans to found homes for terminally ill patients. Each woman left funds that formed the seed. The families eventually met and pooled their assets and interests to open the Toni and Trish House in March 2008.
The mission of the house is to "affirm that life in its final months and days can be lived in dignity, peace, and comfort, with compassionate care in a peaceful, respectful home-like environment."
The house is primarily staffed by volunteers who receive training by the staff. The house offers shelter, meals, and personal care, as well as round the clock emotional and spiritual bereavement support for the guest and their family. The house works in collaboration with community hospice agencies.
The House can accommodate up to three patients at a time. There is no charge for the service. Many patients are from lower income groups but those with family are also welcome. Typical stays are a few weeks. Patients with longer term prognosis or with special medical needs are referred to other organizations.
Visit
toniandtrishhouse.org for more information.
CLUB NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rotary welcomed two new members who were inducted Tuesday.
Nita Gibson is the Manager of Bay City's new Holiday Inn Express.
Claudia Tesch Weiler is Manager of Independent Bank's Essexville branch.
Housing is needed for members of the GSE team over Easter Weekend. Contact Mike Stoner if you'd like to house a Rotarian from Portugal.
The Community Grants Committee is accepting grant applications. The Club will be giving out $9,000 this year. Grant applications and full information is available on the club web site
RotaryBayCity.org.
Vocational Days are coming up. Griff, Ralph and Dee Dee ask that, if you plan to host students, please fill out a form as soon as possible and turn it in to one of them. Bay Med will host students on March 2, and Delta College will do March 16. Since Delta takes such a large group, the committee prefers that Rotarians who host students take the March 2 date.
Click to Download Host Information Form.
Meeting Times:
Lunch is now on the table at noon allowing members to start the meal earlier. The meeting starts by 12:30 and the speaker starting by 12:50. The meeting typically adjourns around 1:15!
Make-up On-Line at
www.RotaryEclubOne.org
If you would like a new picture for the club's directory, or if you need a new new name badge to reflect a classification change please contact Steve Kent.
DATES TO REMEMBER
The Rotary Concert committee (formerly the Lee and Molly Newton Rotary Concert) has scheduled to meet the third Tuesday each month at 11:15.
Upcoming Programs
(See the official schedule at
RotaryBayCity.org )
March 2: Rotary Vocational Day 1 The speaker will be Ken Droz, Communication Manager of Michigan Film Office who will talk about the film industry in Michigan.
March 9: 10 minute Rotarian
March 16: Rotary Vocational Day 1 The speaker will be Rick Sigsby speaking on the story of the Saginaw Valley Conference, which was established in 1904.
March 23: Doug Newcombe will speak on the State of Public Schools.
Visit
RotaryBayCity.org