Home Cook Hero and Volunteer Stories
For several years now, my family and friends have come together at Gift of Life Howie’s House to cook and serve guests a special, home-cooked meal …
We choose to be Home Cook Heroes because we know what these families are going through. And we do it because we want to honor our own hero, our son Gavin, on his birthday.
Gavin had a febrile seizure that led to cardiac arrest in April of 2013. He was 5 1/2 years old. His kidneys were the only viable organs able to be donated — and both of them went to a man in his 40s.
Helping others is, to me, one of the best ways to honor Gavin. – Kate Leong
It meant so much to us to donate Gavin’s kidneys at the end of his life, and we feel joy over and over as we help families staying at the Howie’s House. They come from all over the world, and the Howie’s House serves as their “home away from home” — and so much more.
-Kate Leong
Comcast Cares Day is a worldwide initiative that brings together thousands of Comcast employees, their families, friends and networks from around the world to volunteer and make change happen in local communities.
Over a two day span, volunteers from Comcast’s Tax Accounting team worked hard to make a difference at the Howie’s House by assisting with special projects like painting, repairs, planting flowers and gardening, cleaning, and cooking meals for the families in residence! Volunteers even utilized their artistic skills by painting a beautiful butterfly mural in the lower level of the Howie’s House.
We are thankful to the Comcast volunteers for their time, passion and dedication to the Gift of Life Howie’s House mission!
Is your company looking to partner with a nonprofit organization?
Through volunteerism, sponsorships, grants and program support, hundreds of corporations like Comcast have partnered with Gift of Life Howie’s House to support transplant patients and their families. In return, corporations receive unique recognition and brand visibility through our various communications and social media platforms as well as opportunities for employee team building activities and ways to engage and reconnect with clients.
Gift of Life Howie’s House invites you to join this growing group of corporate partners – who help provide a “home away from home” to transplant families. If your business or corporation is interested in supporting programs, events or other initiatives at Gift of Life Howie’s House, we would be happy to help build an impactful partnership.
For more information contact Sara Cohen, Development Manager at scohen@giftoflifefamilyhouse.org or call 267-546-9812.
Future Business Leaders of America to Create Awareness and Support Transplant Families
Students of the Souderton Area High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) recently hosted a bingo fundraiser to raise funds for Gift of Life Howie’s House as well as raise awareness for organ and tissue donation as part of their community service project.
The fundraiser involved several FBLA students including Jayme Barnett, whose father received a life-saving liver transplant in September 2016.
“The mission of Gift of Life is important to me, especially now since my father received a transplant that saved his life. My focus for this project was to be able to educate others on organ and tissue donor awareness and help the mission that has saved so many lives… I also wanted to support those who are going through the transplant process at the Howie’s House.”
On March 29, 2017, members of the FBLA proudly presented the $3,000 proceeds, which will benefit the Howie’s House’s Adopt-A-Family Program.
In addition, the FBLA group has established an Adopt-A-Blanket campaign where donations are collected to support materials to make blankets. With these supplies, students make warm, colorful fleece blankets for transplant patients and their families staying at the Howie’s House. To date, the group has distributed over 100 blankets to transplant families.
This project also served as their platform at the FBLA state leadership conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania in April, where the group placed 5th in the state for their community service project presentation.
You might recognize Arthur Thomas, a heart transplant recipient who walked his donor’s daughter down the aisle at her wedding last August. That sweet moment became a viral video sensation. It has been viewed by millions and has made a lasting impression on people around the world. But Arthur’s story and impact hits closer to home in a small community in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where a group of students came together to support the Gift of Life Howie’s House and raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Twenty-six years ago, Arthur “Tom” Thomas was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia, a condition that causes the lower heart chambers to beat too quickly. During most of that time, Arthur was able to live comfortably without any serious problems. But in 2006, his condition worsened and he was in congestive heart failure. He finally received the news shortly after that a match had been found and he’d be receiving his precious gift of life with only hours to spare.
In 2007, just one year after receiving his life-saving transplant, Arthur decided he wanted to give back. He set out to educate students about the transplant process at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey where he used to be a college advisor to students. His wife, Nancy, currently serves as a Dean of the school. Arthur’s story inspired students to take the initiative to help spread awareness, and support those whose stories are similar to his. As a result, students created the Lives Saving Lives Club and asked Arthur to mentor as a faculty advisor. The Lives Saving Lives Club is completely student-operated and hosts a number of fundraisers and benefits, which all raise money for Gift of Life Howie’s House. Students have turned what started as a small club into a community-wide effort to raise awareness and funds – and their success has been truly remarkable! The club’s devotion to the Howie’s House began back in 2009 when the initial campaign to start the House began – and has since raised over $30,000! Their outstanding support and dedication to our mission helps provide our guests with comfortable lodging, hot meals, a fully stocked pantry, a free shuttle service and so much more. Such support helps alleviate stress transplant patients and families face day-to-day – mentally, physically and emotionally.
When the students of the Lives Saving Lives Club learned that construction for the Howie’s House was breaking ground in 2011, they began to focus on both donation awareness and supporting transplant patients and families who come to Philadelphia for transplant-related care. The club hosts an annual Organ Donor Awareness Benefit Dinner where students, parents, family members and guests can enjoy a four-course meal and live string quartet. Proceeds raised from the event went toward programs at the Howie’s House – such as the Adopt-A-Family Program. This program, thanks to generous supporters like the Lives Saving Lives Club, allows the Howie’s House to keep nightly fees low, and ensures that no family will be turned away because they can’t afford to pay. In addition to their benefit, the club frequently visits the Howie’s House to prepare and serve meals for transplant families through the Home Cook Hero Program. Arthur knows that visiting with transplant families and patients lets his students see the impact they have on their community.
“The students are seeing folks who are going through this. It’s very real to them, and that’s special.”
The members of the Lives Saving Lives Club are truly making a difference in the community, and have helped many who are going through a similar journey that Arthur went through ten years ago. This experience is not only beneficial for the Howie’s House and transplant families, but also an incredible eye-opener for members in the club. “With this club, I wanted to give the students a different perspective, and to show them just how precious life is,” said Arthur.
Groups and clubs, like the Lives Saving Lives Club, are one of the reasons the Howie’s House is able to offer a “home away from home” to thousands of transplant patients and their families. Arthur and his students are an example of how one small step can lead to helping the greater good.
The sweet smell of freshly baked goods straight out of the oven is something that makes a house feel like home. Whether it’s a crisp and delicious apple pie or warm chocolate chip cookies – most of us can remember a time when our mothers, grandmothers or someone we love made our favorite treat at home. One Home Cook Hero volunteer baking group makes sure that the Howie’s House is filled with these delectable indulgences for families to enjoy at their “home away from home.”
The “Four Ladies and Friends” started baking for the guests at the Howie’s House over a year and a half ago. Sandy Kelly, a retired nurse of 30 years and founder of the group, heard about the Howie’s House after attending a conference at Gift of Life Donor Program. She and three of her friends wanted to honor their friend’s son, who tragically passed away and selflessly donated his organs to save others. What was once four ladies has now grown into a group of people who are eager to help. “We started out as the Four Ladies. Now we call ourselves the Four Ladies and Friends because we have all kinds of people who want to contribute,” explains Sandy, “we were connected because of my girlfriend’s son. It really hit home to help here.”
Sandy and her husband have stayed at similar hospitality houses like the Howie’s House when her husband needed to receive care.
“To me, it’s really important. You know a lot of people who are really sick, and they need a place like the Howie’s House.”
As Home Cook Hero volunteers, the Four Ladies and Friends bake a variety of sweets that are irresistible. You name it – the group can bake it. Guests enjoy their pies, cupcakes, brownies, scones and a variety of different cookies. During the holidays, families also help themselves to themed baked goods, such as Halloween cupcakes, Valentine’s Day cookies, St. Patty’s Day donuts and much more! “My step-daughter helps us schedule a time to visit and also bakes. Some of my grandchildren get involved too. We like to volunteer together – it’s really become a family thing,” said Sandy.
When asked of her fondest memories as a volunteer, Sandy said, “The most memorable moment for me was when an elderly woman and her husband, who were staying at the Howie’s House for many months, turned to me and said ‘I’m so impressed with it here – the doctors come in and cooked for us! My husband’s doctor who did his transplant came and cooked!’ You can tell people are so thankful for the Howie’s House.” The woman was referring to her husband’s transplant team who also signed up to be Home Cook Hero volunteers.
One of the many reasons the Home Cook Heroes program is so important to guests is because they can connect with others on a more personal level. Part of what makes Gift of Life Howie’s House a “home away from home” are volunteers like the Four Ladies and Friends who generously dedicate their time, talents and resources to serving families. Whether it’s baked goods or a home cooked meal, Home Cook Heroes volunteers ensure transplant patients and their families have a little taste of home while they stay at the Howie’s House. If you’re interested in becoming a Home Cook Hero, please click here.
“The Howie’s House is a very special place for everyone. Not just the guests, but the volunteers too.”
Most donor families, while they may correspond with their loved one’s recipients, don’t often get the opportunity to meet the recipients in person. When a donor family member does have the opportunity to meet a transplant recipient, even if the gift did not come from their own loved one, these interactions can be very meaningful and of much comfort to them. This is the feeling members of Hearts of Gold get when they come to the Howie’s House. Hearts of Gold is a donor family support volunteer group run through Gift of Life Donor Program, and its members meet regularly at Gift of Life Howie’s House to participate in the Home Cook Heroes program, where they can interact with transplant recipients and families.
Diane Milbourne, Hearts of Gold team leader, explains, “Being at the Howie’s House gives us an opportunity to talk to transplant recipients and those who are waiting for a life-saving transplant. It is probably the first time that potential transplant recipients and their families come into direct contact with donor families. It is important for both of these groups to interact, to hear each other’s stories. We are happy to share the story of our loved one and reassure people that the gifts they are receiving are done so because our loved ones wanted to give the greatest gift of all, the gift of life.”
Having served their first meal just a few months after the Howie’s House opened in July 2011, Hearts of Gold has since returned three times every year to prepare dinner or brunch for transplant families. “We remember when we first started cooking, their weren’t too many guests in the House, now there is always a full House. The Howie’s House is truly a blessing for each family who is coming to Philadelphia for their medical needs.”
Hearts of Gold aims to serve meals that bring comfort to the guests staying at the House. Because all of the members of this team have had loved ones in the hospital, they relate to the stress and anxiety that caregivers can feel on a daily basis. The team explains, “At that most stressful time of our lives, we were not interested in eating, but knew it was necessary. We know it is the same for the guests staying at the Howie’s House after a long day at the hospital. Comfort foods are just one small way for our group to help them.”
From chicken pot pies to casseroles and soup, the group always tries to make a different comfort food. However, nothing can top the popularity of their trademark meal, “Breakfast for Dinner.” Serving the guests eggs, bacon, sausage and home fries, Hearts of Gold ties it all together by making their special heart-shaped pancakes!
The group volunteers at the Howie’s House to remember, honor and celebrate their loved ones. The members find healing through the Home Cook Heroes program and other opportunities with Gift of Life Donor Program. “The Gift of Life organization has been there for each donor family at our worst possible time. Physical activities, like cooking together as a group, releases the endorphins in our brains, which makes us look at life in a more positive way,” explains one of the Hearts of Gold members.
Interested in getting experiencing the benefits of the Home Cook Heroes program for yourself? Gather your friends, family or coworkers together and participate in this heart-warming program which provides an essential means of healthy support for transplant families staying at the Howie’s House. Dinners are served every night of the week, along with brunch on the weekends. These meals afford our tired guests with the opportunity to decompress, share their experiences and find solace in a communal setting. Volunteers donate their time and the food, and get to see the impact of their efforts on the families they serve, all the while learning the importance of supporting organ donation in their own lives. Come try it out! Click here to learn more about the Home Cook Heroes Program.
“To be able to provide home-cooked meals and improve someone’s day is a great thing to be a part of.” – Jenn Fisher
Jenn Fisher and her family were delighted to start volunteering at the Howie’s House in the new year. Very different from all of their other volunteering endeavors, volunteering at the Howie’s House has a personal meaning to Jenn and her family. Both Jenn and her husband, Trevin, are transplant recipients whose love story began at the World Transplant Games.
Trevin, a pancreas recipient, and Jenn, a heart recipient, both competed at the 2013 World Transplant Games in Durban, South Africa. They met on the first day of the games and the rest, as they say, is history. As Jenn explains, “Our transplant stories are very similar and we had an instant bond. The day we got back from South Africa, Trevin booked a ticket to Philadelphia to come visit. And we’ve been together ever since.”
Although the Howie’s House didn’t exist at the time of Jenn or Trevin’s transplant, they both very personally understand the need for such a resource. As Jenn states, “I think the Howie’s House is an amazing support for transplant recipients and their families. We are so appreciative of everything that Gift of Life has done to support us; and we would like to give back in any way possible.”
Understanding all too well the overwhelming feelings associated with the transplant process, Jenn and Trevin wanted use their love of cooking to alleviate some of those difficult feelings for the Howie’s House guests. “I think that people have many emotional connections to food and to be able to provide home-cooked meals and improve someone’s day is a great thing to be a part of.”
Jenn also values how being a Home Cook Hero allows her to interact first-hand with Howie’s House guests. She hopes that her and her husband’s positive transplant experiences and success stories can be of support and motivation for anyone going through their own transplant journey. Speaking with the families, whether patients or caregivers, is the most memorable and meaningful part for Jenn. Inspirational does not begin to describe the guests at the Howie’s House, “It’s amazing how much people can go through and still be smiling and have a positive attitude.”
“The Home Cook Heroes program gives us the opportunity to connect directly with the people we help serve – in real time. Every time we’ve been there, the guests – and staff – have been so grateful for what we do.” – Greg Dommel, Voya Financial
As the clock approaches 6 o’clock, inviting aromas of roasted pork tenderloin, breaded tilapia and berry cobbler beckon guests into the dining room. Even after three main courses, lots of sides and plenty of desserts, there are rarely any leftovers from this particular group’s Home Cook Hero meal!
Since its inception, the Voya Financial team has been nothing but committed. Greg Dommel, their team leader, created the Home Cook Heroes program through his company. Like many employers, Voya Financial strongly encourages staff to get involved in the community, offering incentives to encourage them to take advantage of volunteer opportunities, including 40 hours of paid time each year to volunteer.
The Voya Community Partners initiative presents several opportunities to get involved throughout the year. All opportunities are selected by employee nominations in an effort to interact with organizations and causes important to its employees. Because Gift of Life Howie’s House was near and dear to Greg’s heart, he has been ensuring his company’s involvement in our programs since 2011, when the Howie’s House first opened.
Greg has a close personal connection transplantation, as one of his own family members needed a heart transplant in the early 2000s. He mentioned commuting back and forth from Lancaster to the Philadelphia area for transplant care was a strain on his family. He understands the important need of the Howie’s House and is thankful that families traveling g to Philadelphia for transplant care nowadays have a warm and inviting place to stay.
When the opportunity arose, there was no question in Greg’s mind about where he wanted to direct his time in volunteering. He quickly formed the Voya Financials Home Cook Hero team and was excited to hit the kitchen.
The team’s natural talent to “rebrand” has not gone unnoticed by Howie’s House guests and staff! Greg recalls one day the team was scheduled to volunteer at the Howie’s House, “Mark and I finished off our grocery shopping with a diverse range of desserts including a Mixed Berry Pie with Lattice Top. During the car ride from West Chester to the Howie’s House, contents shifted. When we unpacked our groceries, the pie was still sealed and fresh – but was no longer anything close to being pie-shaped.” Being fast on his feet and thinking with marketing savvy, Mark took the object formerly known as a pie and placed it in a slow cooker. “Just like that, our pie was rebranded as ‘Mixed Berry Cobbler.’ Interestingly, our ‘cobbler’ was one of the most popular items that night!”
Volunteering at the Howie’s House means a lot to the entire Voya Financials team, even beyond having a personal connection to transplant. “It gives us the opportunity to connect directly with the people we help serve – in real time. Every time we’ve been there, the guests – and staff – have been so grateful for what we do.”
For other corporate companies looking to start a team, figuring out where to start can be a challenge. Greg sheds some light on the issue: “I quickly learned to surround myself with people who enjoy cooking. Initially, most of our Home Cook Heroes team came from my Marketing group, but soon expanded to other departments. We have a revolving door of frequent volunteer cooks, but our lead chef, Mark Siciliano, helps coordinate the planning and execution of our meals.”
The Home Cook Heroes program offers a unique and engaging opportunity to get involved in both the local and the transplant community. It provides a chance to engage directly with the people you are helping. Working with your coworkers, family, friends or classmates, groups of up to 10 people can prepare meals (on or off site) and serve them to our guests. Just bring yourself and your food and we will provide everything else in our modern, fully-equipped kitchen. For more information about the Home Cook Heroes program or to sign up, please click here.
Now an active and healthy woman, last year Joanne wasn’t sure if she was going to survive. After years of suffering with Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion she had in the 1970s, Joanne was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2013. She knew that Hepatitis C affected her liver, but never imagined it would threaten her life. She was shocked when her doctor told her that not only did she have liver cancer, but that she would need a liver transplant to survive.
She underwent a treatment to “freeze” and isolate the tumor that was growing on her liver, in an effort to prevent the cancer from spreading. She was immediately added to the organ transplant waitlist, and knew that she may have a very frightening few months or even years of waiting ahead of her. “While I was on the waitlist, I was really sick. I was weak, felt terrible all of the time and lost tons of weight. It was a really trying time for me and my family.” Joanne said.
After commuting for months from Delaware to Philadelphia for appointments and treatments, Joanne knew that something had to change, and she reached out to Gift of Life’s Howie’s House to learn more about this “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families, and to volunteer. Originally from Audubon, PA, Joanne moved to DE after her husband was offered another job. After 13 months of waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, she received the call that she had been desperately waiting for – telling her that a liver was available.
“When I was so sick and waiting Howie’s House gave me a lot of hope and it felt very safe.” — Joanne
“I didn’t really know anything about transplantation and all of the people who are waiting before it happened to me.” she said. “After a year of driving back and forth from DE, I was so relieved to find out about the Howie’s House. I stayed there with my husband and parents for nearly two months after I received my transplant. When I learned that I had liver cancer and would need a transplant, my husband and I stayed the night at a hotel in Philadelphia. We were both so scared and felt really alone that night. The Howie’s House wasn’t just a place for us to stay – it was a place where I was able to meet other people who were going through the same thing that I was. Just to see people who were recovering and doing well after their transplants – when I was so sick and waiting – it gave me a lot of hope and it felt very safe.”
Joanne has tremendous gratitude for her donor, her family and for the support of the Howie’s House. This Thanksgiving, she and 20 of her family members made the decision that they would put their grateful spirit into action – and cook and serve a Thanksgiving feast to transplant patients and their families who are staying at the Howie’s House. “We will make two turkeys and two hams, and all the sides – stuffing, mashed potatoes and vegetables. We tried to plan a diverse menu so there would be a dish that each person could enjoy.” she said.
“I’ve been feeling so good since my transplant – I just think this is a perfect way for me to give back. This is my first Thanksgiving since I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I want to honor my donor and their family. I know this is the first holiday that they will be facing without their loved one. I just feel blessed to be able to see another holiday, and I don’t want to waste it. I want to help others. Some mornings, I wake up and feel my side and am just in awe that a person – a family – who didn’t even know me could do this. It’s amazing.” Joanne said.
Gift of Life Donor Program has worked tirelessly for the past 41 years to coordinate donors’ generosity with those in need. Since 1974, Gift of Life – the organ procurement organization for eastern PA, southern NJ and DE – has helped save nearly 40,000 lives through organ donation, and enhanced over half a million lives through tissue donation. Currently, nearly 5,900 individuals in Gift of Life’s region – and over 122,000 nationally – are awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. In the U.S., 22 people die each day while waiting. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org. It only takes 30 seconds to register and one organ and tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 50 people.
Gift of Life Howie’s House serves as a “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families by providing lodging, meals and supportive services to those who travel to Philadelphia for transplant-related care. Since opening in July 2011, the Howie’s House has provided over 27,000 lodging nights of care. For more information about the Howie’s House visit www.GiftofLifeFamilyHouse.org
Watch a clip from PHL 17 Action News or listen to the KYW interview here!
Home Cook Heroes Program
The Home Cook Heroes program at Gift of Life Howie’s House is an essential means of healthy support for our guests, providing them with a home-cooked meal every evening, along with brunch on the weekends.
The program also allows for community volunteer opportunities – engaging groups and organizations to donate food and time to prepare a nutritious and comforting meal. These meals afford our tired guests with the opportunity to decompress, share their experiences and find solace in a communal setting. Volunteers also see the impact of their efforts and also learn the importance of supporting organ donation in their own lives.
Meet Home Cook Heroes team, New Verizon Pioneers
From brunch to dinner, the New Verizon Pioneers have tackled it all. Ever since seeing a billboard for the Howie’s House and reaching out in November of 2014, the group has been coming in to cook and care for the families nearly every month.
“We really feel appreciated at the Howie’s House from the second we walk through the doors thanks to the staff and guest. Everyone is willing to help us and always greet us with a smile. Everything is clean and in working order. We love getting the thank you card after our visits.”
Formally known as Verizon Pioneers, the group is made up of employees, retirees and friends/family from Verizon Communications and their affiliates in the local community. Quite the amateur-chefs, the group enjoys making comfort foods and crowd-pleasers for our guests. They try and simulate family-dinner style meals, creating a cozy and welcoming environment for all the individuals here at the Howie’s House.
One of their favorite parts about volunteering at the Howie’s House is getting to know the guests, other volunteers and staff. “Our interactions with the guests are extremely touching and uplifting. Your staff helps keep the food warm and then puts away the leftovers for us. That is a huge help and we LOVE that! Everything we do is super appreciated.”
The New Verizon Pioneers have managed to grow close to many families staying at the Howie’s House and have made some great memories including outdoor barbecues and making s’mores with the guests.
The group encourages others to get involved with Home Cook Hero as well. It is as easy as “try[ing] out a new recipe from Pinterest each time you cook at the house.”
Many volunteers come for different reasons, whether it be their appreciation for connections formed over a home-cooked meal, a desire to give back or in memory of a loved one. As the New Verizon Pioneers say, “We all have been the patient and/or caregiver at one time or another. We totally understand how wonderful it is to have a meal cooked with love. We understand that mealtime is a good time to sit and talk with others going through the same experience. Our team gets more out of it because it allows us to work together with our friends and share our love of cooking with others who may not have time to prepare a meal.”
Want to try your hand in our kitchen? The New Verizon Pioneers say: “You don’t have to be a gourmet chef. Just find a few recipes you and your family like and make just make a bigger version of it.”
The Home Cook Heroes program offers a fun and creative way to volunteer in your community while engaging collaboratively and cooperatively with your family, friends, coworkers or classmates. Groups of up to 10 people can prepare meals (on or off-site) and serve them to our guests. All you need to bring is your group and the food, and we will provide everything else in our modern, fully-equipped kitchen. For more information about the Home Cook Heroes program or to sign up, please click here.
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