Unity's 5th Annual Honor a Life Holiday Gathering was held on Tuesday, December 17th, at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. With the evening’s theme of “Light,” the Gathering began with this following poem:

With each flicker of light, I am reminded of all the joy that you brought into the lives of the people who knew you. The glow of the flame reminds me of the warmth of your spirit. I light a candle for you tonight, to remember and celebrate a life well lived. ~ Kelly S. Buckley

During the program, reflections and music were shared along with a reading of the honoree names. As the attendee’s honoree name was read, the attendee turned on a candle. The evening concluded with over 270 attendees raising their candles. In a darkened room, the light was a beautiful reminder of hope and connection.

A special thank you to volunteers Linda Moudry, Liz Obenberger, Renee Meneau, Deb Winters and special guest, Santa, who assisted with set-up, serving refreshments, reading the honorees’ names, bringing up lanterns during the service and spreading Christmas cheer.

A Night To Remember

New Process for Submitting Hours with Hand-Crafted Donations and Projects Effective January 1, 2020, volunteers who make prayer shawls, greeting cards, Veteran lap blankets, pocket prayer shawls, catheter bag covers, walker totes or any other patient-related items MUST complete and submit an In-Kind Donation form EACH AND EVERY TIME you drop off items at Unity or the Resale Shoppe—NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to comply may result in incomplete or inaccurate recording of your volunteer hours. Filled with Love volunteers will continue the current process of submitting monthly timesheets with their projects.

A blank copy of the In-Kind form is attached to this newsletter. Additional paper copies will be available at the Greeter Desk in the De Pere Administration Office and the Resale Shoppe or as a .pdf file upon request from Kelly or Theresa and through Better Impact. Be sure to fill in the portion that asks if you’re a volunteer and how many hours the project took you to complete. You may leave donations at the Greeter Desk without speaking directly with a Volunteer Coordinator.

Hello everyone! My name is Paakou Vang, and I am very excited to say that I recently joined Unity as the Assistant Manager at the Resale Shoppe. My husband Chris and I have a one-year old daughter named Lana. We also have three dogs named Lola, Baby Girl and Tiger. I enjoy craft projects (especially crocheting) and learning new craft skills. I grew up in Green Bay and later moved to Milwaukee for school but I’m finally back to somewhere I can call home. I am very excited to be a part of a great organization and look forward to meeting everyone!

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Buzzworthy News

2019 Volunteer Hours

Please have all 2019 Progress Notes and volunteer hour paperwork to the Volunteer Department no later than January 10, 2020. Hours submitted after this date will not be included in

total hours for 2019.

Please remember that Progress Notes are to be completed and mailed within 24 hours of every patient visit. If a supply of additional Progress Notes

or postage-paid envelopes are needed, please contact Kelly.

2020 Competency Paperwork

Volunteers will have the ability to complete their paperwork online through Better Impact effective

January 31, 2020. A reminder email with details on how to access

competencies through Better Impact will be sent.

If you wish to receive paper copies of your competencies, please contact

Theresa. All completed paperwork is due February 28, 2020.

Med/Supply Hours Hours are to be submitted only via the hours and mileage sheets provided.

Please do not write information in the log book at the Greeter Desk.

Contact Information If you’ve recently moved, changed

your phone number or email address, please remember to update your

Contact Information in Better Impact, or email Kelly or Theresa so they can

update this information for you.

Please DO NOT delete your date of birth from your Contact information in Better Impact. This information is

required as a volunteer so we can complete background checks. If you signed the Informed Consent form

allowing us to share your birthday in the newsletter, please know we only share your birthday, not your age!

Business Development Department

Facility Best Practices for Volunteers

Create Personal Relationships

It’s not WHO you know, it’s how well you know them and how well they know you

Wear your Unity badge on your outermost article of clothing before entering the building

Check in at the Reception Desk or Nurses Station

Introduce yourself as a Unity volunteer

Inform this person you will be visiting Unity patients

Learn first names of facility staff

Understand how you can make their job easier How can you help? Can you bring a message back to Unity for facility staff?

Serve as a resource for facility staff, not just your Unity patient(s)

Quality vs. Quantity

Get to know the staff and those responsible for your Unity patient(s) Administrator/Executive Director Director of Nursing/Nurse manager Social Worker

- continued on page 3

By: Chuck Hawkins, NHA; Unity Business Development Director

In 2020, we will introduce you to various departments and personnel within Unity. Our hope is this will give you a better understanding of how the organization works from the top down.

To start us off, we’d like to introduce you to Chuck and Casey from Business Development, a new department within Unity in 2019.

So what do they do in their roles? Chuck is responsible for sales and business development strategy, including payer and provider contracting relationships and market analysis. He works on overall business development and additional or new service lines of business. Casey’s role is to cultivate business partnerships to generate hospice referral growth and development. He serves as the agency staff representative with physicians, facilities, discharge planners and community agencies.

(L-R): Casey Burkett, Business Development Representative, and Chuck Hawkins, Business Development Director

Building Relationships in Facilities

As I have been sending out agreement updates with new or existing facilities/providers, I have received excellent questions on how to establish or improve relationships with the facility staff.

To provide some advice, volunteers—in conjunction with Unity’s patient care teams—should reach out to establish communication, dialogue and an ongoing relationship with key staff in those facilities where you visit Unity patients. If you encounter resistance, avoidance or other challenges presented by facility staff, please contact Kelly to inform him. Kelly will then contact Casey Burkett, Unity’s Business Development

Representative, or me; we will be happy to assist.

This topic was recently discussed at patient care staff team meetings, and the best advice received is to over-communicate; be sure to let facility staff know you are in the building and greet them.

The information below provides facility best practices that will help as a guide as you work in facilities.

Let me know (through Kelly) if you have any questions, and please remember that Casey and I are here to assist! Thanks, again, for everything you do to assist the patients, families and Unity!

January Birthdays Terrie Carpenter ........................ 1st

Cathy Yurk.................................. 3rd

Vicki DeMain ............................. 5th

Karon Pasterski ........................ 6th

Jen Schanen-Materi ............... 8th

Dave Schleis .............................. 8th

Linda Arnoldi ............................ 9th

Ellen Segersin ........................ 10th

Roy DeRuyter ......................... 11th

Matthew King ........................ 12th

Sandy Bloedorn .................... 14th

Jodi Greiling ........................... 14th

Shirley VanDerKamp ........... 18th

Ann Krueger ........................... 19th

Sue Mietzel ............................. 19th

Chris Riemer ............................ 21st

John Cardoni .......................... 23rd

Barb Kohl ................................. 23rd

Kate Rothmeyer .................... 23rd

Bonnie Taylor ......................... 23rd

Sharon Zupke ........................ 30th

January Service Anniversaries

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Building Relationships with Facility Staff

Facility Outreach Best Practices: Remember the acronym AAID

Arrival—Notify the receptionist and facility contact that you are in the building

Appearance—Remove coat before walking through the facility

Identification—Wear your Unity name badge above your waist

Departure—Provide a verbal visit summary to your facility contact

Write a brief message in the Notes section of the Patient Binder indicating you visited

Notify the receptionist you are leaving the building; ask if they have any messages they need relayed to Unity staff

Contact Kelly to relay any messages from facility to Unity staff or any concerns you may have about your patient

Complete and mail a Progress Note within 24 hours of your visit to the Volunteer Department

- continued from page 2

Receptionist/Greeter Nursing staff (become “coworkers” of facility staff) Family members of your patients as well as other residents

Optimize Time of Patient Visits Coordinate facility visits so Unity has a consistent presence Take your time; don’t rush

Stay informed of facility resident/community events

Listen for ways Unity can get involved: Unity Patient Care Team attendance Unity volunteers to help at events Unity raffle basket Unity sponsorship

Relay this information back to Kelly; he will share the information with the Business Development and/or Marketing teams

Be friendly, helpful and visible

Hospice Volunteers

Dolly O’Dell .................... 42 Years

Sister Helen Keyzer ...... 31 Years

Howard Hansen ............ 23 Years

Tom Wavrunek .............. 14 Years

Elaine Jones .................... 13 Years

Dr. Paul Koch ................. 13 Years

Diane Wilson .................. 12 Years

Lori Janowski .................. 11 Years

Barb Schneider .............. 11 Years

Shirley VanDerKamp ... 10 Years

Rich Jauquet ...................... 9 Years

Betsey Nickel ..................... 9 Years

Sherry Lemmens .............. 8 Years

Pam Lepel ........................... 7 Years

Carol Stanaszak ................ 7 Years

Cyndy Huxford ................. 6 Years

Denise Farmer................... 4 Years

Linda Moudry ................... 3 Years

Margaret Strenski ............ 3 Years

Laurel Brungraber ........... 2 Years

Jim Gorzlancyk ................. 2 Years

Karen Titulaer .................... 2 Years

Rich Verheyen ................... 2 Years

Charlie Winnekens .......... 2 Years

Steve Clark ........................... 1 Year

Andrew Muchowski .......... 1 Year

Resale Shoppe Volunteers

Cathy Lindeman ............... 2 Years

BEFORE:

Build an emergency kit.

Make a family communications plan.

Sprinkle rock salt, sand or kitty litter on sidewalks and walkways. This helps to make them less slippery.

Make sure you dress warmly and have extra blankets!

Bring pets inside. They can be injured by the cold, too.

DURING:

Dress in layers to prevent frostbite.

When it’s freezing, limit time outdoors. Stay inside!

Sidewalks can be very slippery, and you can hurt yourself if you fall.

If you are outside helping to shovel snow, make sure you wear a hat. It helps keep you from losing body heat. Cover all exposed parts of your body. Wear layered clothing and wear a hat and a scarf, cover your mouth to protect your face and keep you warm.

Wear mittens, if you have them. They’re warmer than gloves.

Put on dry clothes as soon as you come inside.

If you can’t feel your fingers, toes, ears, or nose, or they appear white or grayish-yellow, tell someone immediately. Frostbite is dangerous and you may need to see a doctor.

Signs of hypothermia include that you can’t stop shivering, have trouble remembering things, feel tired or talk funny.

If your family uses a generator, make sure to use it outside. Keep it away from the house to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

If your home loses power, you and your family can go to a designated public shelter or warming center.

Check on elderly neighbors.

AFTER: Continue to wear layers, a hat, scarf and mittens or gloves. These will help to keep you warm and protect you from frostbite and hypothermia.

If you’ve spent any length of time here in Wisconsin, you’re aware that January is our coldest month of the year. While our heartiest outdoors people, especially those who ice fish, greet us on the coldest of days with a broad smile and the comment “We’re makin’ ice today!,” we all need to be prepared for venturing out in the extreme cold. Here is information on just how you can prepare yourself, family and neighbors to move about safely outdoors in our extreme temperatures.

Extreme Cold and Frostbite Page 4

Official website of the Department of Homeland Security

Winter Weather Video

Prevent Hypothermia & Frostbite Hypothermia and frostbite are both dangerous conditions that can happen when a person is exposed to extremely cold temperatures.

The temperatures are deathly cold, often dropping below -10°F and even plummeting to -30°F in the northern highlands. Wind chill screws the nails on the coffin further as the temperature feels colder than it registers on the scale. The average high temperatures are in the 20°F to 30°F range, while the average low temperatures are in the 0°F to 16°F range.

January is the snowiest month of the year as the average accumulation is 15" in the state. Black ice, slippery roads, and snow make driving a challenge - add to it the gloomy days without the sun in sight, and it is no wonder only a small group of snow lovers cherish the winter.

Information shared from Ready.gov, cdc.gov and Wisconsin climate websites. Visit these sites to learn more.

Hypothermia An unusually low body temperature. Signs can be shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness. If you see signs of hypothermia in someone, get them to a warm room. Remove any wet clothing the person is wearing. Warm the center of the body first, such as the head, neck and chest. Keep them dry and wrapped up in warm blankets, clothing, towels or sheets, including the head and neck. Warm drinks can help increase body temperature, but do not give alcoholic drinks. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person. Get the person proper medical attention as soon as possible. A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or be breathing. In this case, handle the person gently and get emergency assistance immediately.

Frostbite A type of injury caused by freezing. It leads to a loss of feeling and color in the areas it affects—usually extremities such as the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation. Signs of frostbite include numbness, change in color to white or grayish-yellow and skin that can become firm or waxy. If you see signs of frostbite, take the person to a warm room. Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on feet or toes that show signs of frostbite; this increases damage. Put the areas affected by frostbite in warm, NOT HOT, water. The temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body. If warm water is not available, warm the affected area by using body heat. For example, use the heat of an armpit to warm frostbitten fingers. Do not massage the area, use a heating pad, heat lamp or heat of a stove, fireplace or radiator as affected areas are numb and can easily burn. Have frostbite checked by a health care provider.

Shoppe news

Sunday - Closed Monday - 9 am to 6 pm Tuesday - 9 am to 6 pm

Wednesday - 9 am to 6 pm Thursday - 9 am to 6 pm

Friday - 8 am to 5 pm Saturday - 10 am to 2 pm

1641 Commanche Avenue Suite G Green Bay, WI 54313

920-339-5501 www.UnityResaleShoppe@unityhospice.org

Shoppe Manager Alicia Schram

aschram@unityhospice.org

Shoppe Assistant Manager Paakou Vang

pvang@unityhospice.org

Director of Development Diana Butz 920-339-5571 dbutz@unityhospice.org

Volunteer Coordinators Kelly Lautenslager 920-339-6768 klautenslager@unityhospice.org

Theresa VanDenPlas 920-339-6770 tvandenplas@unityhospice.org

Psychosocial Scheduling Coordinator Kristin Winnekens 920-339-5575 kwinnekens@unityhospice.org

Director of Psychosocial Services Lisa McMahon 920-339-6792 lmcmahon@unityhospice.org

Senior Director of Quality and Operations

Christina Schlueter 920-339-6788 cschlueter@unityhospice.org

www.unityhospice.org 2366 Oak Ridge Circle

De Pere, WI 54115 920-338-1111 1-800-990-9249

Office Hours 7 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday

For volunteer questions or concerns,

please contact Volunteer Department

personnel via the direct numbers and

email addresses listed. Weekly Office Volunteers Support Services is looking for 2 or 3 reliable volunteers who have good computer skills to help by verifying documents are attached correctly in patient electronic records.

Ideally, volunteers would be able to help 2-3 hours per week. Time and day of the week (Monday-Friday between 7 am and 5 pm) is flexible based on the volunteer’s availability. All training is provided. Contact Theresa.

Weekend Jack and Engrid

Meng Hospice Residence

Volunteers Kelly is looking for additional volunteer help at the Meng Residence on weekends. Flexible

Now that the holidays are over, it might be time to clean house! Please keep Unity Resale Shoppe in

mind for your furniture, decor, clothing, or any other items you're looking to get rid of. All proceeds from

the Shoppe benefit Unity Hospice, and help us provide hospice care to those who cannot afford it.

Donations must be clean, working, and in good condition.

Do you have items you’d like to donate to Unity Resale Shoppe but don’t have a way to get them there? Be a part of our Donation Pickup Day on

Wednesday, January 22nd, when we are partnering with a local moving company to help donors transport heavy donations to the store.

Donors are asked to donate $50 to help us offset the cost of the moving company. Call (920)339-5501

today for details!

Plus, don't forget... Unity employees and volunteers get 20% off their purchases every day. Present your

Unity badge at check-out. Stop by today!

O P P O R t U n I t I E s

shifts include greeter desk, hospitality and kitchen. Contact Kelly.

Stylist/Barber Volunteers Needed in Rural

Communities If you know a licensed stylist or barber who may be interested in providing haircuts to Unity hospice patients in our rural communities, please encourage them to contact Kelly.

Resale Shoppe Volunteers Are you looking for a fun way to

volunteer? Consider sharing your time and talents at the Resale

Shoppe. Flexible shifts with varied opportunities are available. Training provided. Contact Alicia or Paakou

for more information.

In-Kind Donation of Goods/Services

Donation Made By:

Please check: Unity Volunteer____ Unity Employee____ Family Served by Unity____ Community Donor____ If Unity Volunteer: Hours to be credited ______ Yarn supplied by Unity – please circle: Yes No

Description of Donated Item(s):

Quantity: ____________________ Estimated Value: $________________________

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

Street:

City, State, Zip:

Phone:

Email:

Date Received:

Received by (Please print):

Appeal/Event:

In Honor of: In Memory of:

Donor does not wish to receive an acknowledgment letter.

To be copied each Friday by Volunteer Greeter. Originals then delivered to Support Services and copies delivered to Volunteer Services

F:\VOLUNTEER\Forms\In-Kind Donation Form\In Kind Donation Form 12.9.19.docx Last Updated – 12.9.19 by Development