20 Years

Janet Hitz

Lidia Kuhn 18 Years

Michael McCardle

Linda Norton

Pamela Smallwood 15 Years

Mary Jackie Childers

Deborah Hoelscher 10 Years

Dianne Billings

Grace Torrijos

Loretta Uzick 5 Years

Stephennie Anderson

Anthony Cardella

Francisco Cortez

Julie Ellerhorst

Cathy Hamill

Linda Martinson

Karen Meehan

Blanca Perez

2 Years

William Baker

Patricia Baker

Adrianne Berger

Abby Buchold

Dody Carter

Robert Carter

Mila Moroz Drasen

Melayne Ferguson

Patricia Flores

Catherine Frazier

John Grisaffi

Barbara Anne Grove

Debbie Guerrero

Andrew Kragie

Diana Lopez Morris

Kay Mansfield

Terri McClain

Mary Catherine Mechler

Anna Meyer

Gartha Monroe

Patricia Nix

Laura Noaker

Chika Nworah

Catherine Smith

Connie Swift

Omar Rahal Tarbine

Sravana Borkataky-Varma

2 Years cont.

Elissa Thompson

Simone Tiu

Barbara Vaughan

Joan Whorton

Bryan Wilcox

Sarah Williamson

Volunteer of the Year

Margaret Stone Special Thank You

Anne Baillio

Anne Dare

Rob Henderson

Ana Hernandez

Nancy Syler

Sylvia Valverde

Barbara Wadzuk

Joanne Wilton

Carol Wolk

Gary Yepsen For Over 20 Years

of Service

Jan Aragon

Jan Bartlett

Sandra Frick

Ann James

For Over 20 Years

of Service cont.

Anne Baillio

Sue Gaines

Ruth Landauer

Flossie Long

Lynne Sewell

Holiday Performance by

Danté Anderson

Danté Anderson is a native

Houstonian with a Bachelor

of Music in Vocal

Performance. His stage

credits include Austin in

George Street Playhouse's

Austin the Unstoppable,

Hair with Galveston's ETC

theater, and Horse Head

Theatre's Church.

He has performed with the

Houston Symphony and

Ebony Opera Guild,

and runs a private voice

studio from his home in Memorial. He is the grand-

son of Houston Hospice

volunteer, Joan Whorton.

Vo l u n te e r Re co g ni t i on a nd Ho l i d ay Re c ep t io n Ce l e b ra t es Yea rs o f Se rv i ce

Wel co m e New Ho sp i c e Vo lu n t ee r s

Handmade Pillowcases

On Sept. 14 and 15, an abundance of thread, fabric and heart came

together through the Karen Humphreys’ Pillowcase Program for a non-

stop 24-hour marathon benefitting our overall hospice patient community

experience in the IPU.

This year, Karen led the production of pillowcases along with a team

of retired educators for a Sew-A-Thon event held at the Quilter’s

Emporium on 11925 Southwest Freeway in Stafford, TX.

Houston Hospice was among local hospices invited to participate.

The Sew-A-Thon rallied help to produce pillowcases or donate fabric.

“Thanks so much to those who participated for being such an

important part of our community in sharing your time and gifts for the

care of others with enduring love and dedication,” Humphreys said.

Anyone interested in future Sew-A-Thon events is invited to contact

Karen Humphreys at charityquilts@quiltersemporium.com.

Mary Anna Vickie Jones Lok Yi Anthy Ngai Nicholas Tolat Richard Bado Rachel Keely Emer O'Sullivan Annissa Uy Angelica Bandayrel Peggy Keus Henriquetta Saba Sophie Wan Nikitha Cherayil Heidi Lloyd Rebecca Silva Simone Woodage Barbara Curtis Melissa Lopez Joy Su Shari Wright Alba Garcia Carrera Scott Lorimor Jiali Sun Donald C. Harbison Leslie Mayer Stephanie Talley

The June 2018 volunteer training class listed in alphabetical order:

Sharing

Thank You

D anté Anderson, 28, was not

always comfortable performing

for audiences. The native

Houstonian, who earned his Bachelor’s

Degree in Music from Houston Baptist

University, has family ties to Houston

Hospice as the grandson of volunteer Joan

Whorton who was also honored with the

2018 Senior Companion of the Year award

from the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish

Community Center.

Volunteers will be treated to an intimate

concert when the classically-trained

Anderson performs a music program of

arias and art songs in Cockrell Chapel for

the Volunteer Recognition and Holiday

Reception event.

His stage credits include Austin in George

Street Playhouse's Austin the Unstoppable,

Hair with Island ETC in Galveston,

and Horse Head Theatre's Church. He runs

a private voice studio from his home and

has performed with the Houston Symphony

and Ebony Opera Guild. In the Spring he

will perform in Main Street Theater’s youth

adaptation of Alexander and the Terrible,

Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Anderson tells us how he got started.

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SINGING?

I have been singing at home, to myself, all

my life. I was always shy and would never

let anyone hear me. The first public solo I

sang was in Hamilton Middle School’s

choir. It was awful. We sang O Happy Day

from Sister Act 2 and I had the first part

where Amal/Wesley is scared and

practically inaudible. That was me to a T.

I had horrible stage fright and almost threw

up on stage. I gained confidence in my

church’s praise team and really blossomed

when I got to HCC.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO STUDY

CLASSICAL SINGING?

Strangely enough I was inspired by the

movie “The Fifth Element”. I was

enchanted by the scene with a blue alien

lady singing this beautiful aria and would

watch the movie just for that. I YouTubed

that scene so I could watch it by itself, then

watched all the suggested opera videos on

the right-hand pane and fell down the rabbit

hole. I wanted to be a professional R&B

singer, but after hearing the likes of

Luciano Pavarotti and Beverly Sills I

decided to learn to do the truly difficult

stuff. I’d love to do some Whitney Houston,

but opera is a whole ‘nother caliber

of singing.

HOW DID YOU DEVELOP AN APTITUDE FOR

SINGING IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES?

In college we studied diction for English,

Italian, German, and French to learn the

rules for pronunciation, and it just came

naturally to me. I guess I’ve always had

an affinity for languages and my musical

ability made it easy to recreate the sounds

that I heard. I may not know what I’m

saying but I can sound like I do.

(Just kidding. A good singer looks up the

words first.)

WHAT WERE YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLES?

YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS?

My biggest obstacles were money and,

unfortunately, my university. I couldn’t

afford to go to the school that I really

wanted to after transferring from HCC, and

after going to HBU I missed out on some

opportunities while I was there because

they cost too much. Then, without throwing

too much dirt around, the administration

made some decisions that, to make a long

story short, left me without the skills I

needed after graduation.

My biggest achievement, I think, is being

cast in the children’s musical Austin the

Unstoppable last year, going to New York

and touring it in Houston schools after

Harvey. The show was about a family

dealing with diabetes and school nurses

called us with testimonials about non-

compliant

diabetic children who decided to follow

their regimen after seeing it. The best part

was knowing we had a real impact in

children’s lives and brought some joy to

them after the storm.

WHO ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST

INFLUENCES IN YOUR LIFE, PERSONALLY

AND MUSICALLY?

I have too many musical influences to

name, but my biggest role model is

Lawrence Brownlee, another short black

opera tenor with an enviable international

career. When I first started out (after the

soul-crushing revelation that I wasn’t a

baritone) I wanted to be just like him,

sound just like him, sing his repertoire.

Then my voice changed and I sound

nothing like him anymore, but I realized my

voice is unique and there’s nothing I can do

about that without ruining it.

My biggest personal influence is my mentor

Hope Shiver, with whom I studied at HCC

and after HBU. She’s the one that gave me

a pedagogical foundation and helped me

find my true voice. Then, of course,

there’s my family, my mother and

grandmother and siblings who support me

and try to see all of my performances.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ASPIRATION?

An international multi-genre singing career.

Failing that, I’d just like financial stability,

preferably doing something in music or

acting, and the time and ability to sing,

even if it’s in a volunteer choir.

Enjoy Danté Anderson’s Music Program

2-4 p.m. in the Cockrell Chapel at Houston

Hospice on December 8. Music selection

list:

Arias Un aura amorosa

Cara Sposa

Una furtive lagrima

Vainement ma bien aimee

Dopo note atra e funesta

Art Songs Standchen (Schubert)

Waldesgesprach

Neue liebe (Mendelssohn)

Fleur jetee

Nell

Air chantes

Come away death (Finzi)

To Julia: the night piece

Caro mio ben

Danza danza

Vo ca l i s t Ov e rca m e S ta g e F r i g h t i n Co l l e g e , M a s te r s A r t i s t ry

Phone: 713-467-7423

houstonhospice.org

Houston Hospice

1905 Holcombe Boulevard

Houston, Texas 77030-4123

MISSION STATEMENT

Houston Hospice provides uncompromising,

compassionate end-of-life care to patients and families

in our community.

Through the efforts of specially trained and highly skilled

interdisciplinary teams of health care professionals and volunteers,

Houston Hospice patients and their families are guided through

the process of illness by receiving clinical care, psychosocial support,

spiritual guidance and volunteer assistance.

G i v e t o H o u s to n H o s p ic e Wh i le Yo u Sh o p

*Choose Houston Hospice code

(81260) at Kroger *Choose Houston Hospice

code (2278) at Randalls

When you shop at AmazonSmile,

Amazon donates 0.5% to Houston

Hospice. Go to smile.amazon.com

and support us every time you shop.

George Library Richmond, Texas, including El Campo service area

Tuesdays, February 12, 19 & 26, 2019

Texas Medical Center Houston, Texas

Saturdays, June 8, 15 & 22, 2019 and Saturdays, October 5, 12 & 19, 2019

VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Red Tape Day is a mandatory meeting scheduled for anyone wishing to maintain an active status as a hospice volunteer. At each Red Tape Day, we will have renewal packets available to help you complete the necessary paperwork required for compliance. You only need to

attend ONE of these meetings. If you are unable to attend any of these, please call Elisa or Brenda to schedule a make-up session at 713-467-7423.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 - Northwest Office - 1:30 p.m.

7906 N. Sam Houston Pkwy West Ste. 200, Houston, Texas 77064

Saturday, January 26, 2019 - TMC - 10:30 a.m.

1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas 77030

Please RSVP at 713-677-7121 or jcalabria@houstonhospice.org