Home Cook Hero and Volunteer Stories
“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.
“Cooking for the Howie’s House has helped us heal and move forward after losing Gary. It feels good to give back and support where we can – even if it is only something as simple as preparing a home cooked meal for the residents.” – Trish Reichert, Donor Mom
My son Gary Reichert passed away suddenly on November 5, 2013 and by choosing to donate his organs, he gave the gift of life to four people and restored the sight of two more. We decided to start cooking at the Howie’s House in June of 2014 as a way to honor the lifesaving gift Gary gave to others and to help keep his memory alive. “G$” was Gary’s nickname. We chose to name our group Team G$ when we first formed our team for the Donor DASH in early 2014. We decided to continue using it when we come to cook at the Howie’s House.
Team G$ has become a source of healing for all of us. Our group is made up of my son’s friends and family. His loving girlfriend Jennifer, sisters Shannon and Tiffany, cousins Sherry and Jessica, his great aunt and uncle Sara and Mercer, and Gary’s beloved niece Adriana all help make Team G$ a reality. And our team continues to grow—friends of friends and extended family members participate, some of them never having met Gary! The support and camaraderie of Team G$ and volunteering for the Howie’s House has become an outlet to help us all honor Gary’s memory and his gift to those he’s saved.
When we come to cook, we always try to do something different, something that hasn’t been made in a while for the house guests. We try to think out of the box. In the past, we have served mozzarella stuffed meatballs, homemade Salisbury steaks, root beer floats, homemade soups, tuna casserole, Sloppy Joes. We want to make something comforting and delicious that the house guest would make in their own home for dinner.
Cooking for the Howie’s House has helped us heal and move forward after losing Gary. It feels good to give back and support where we can – even if it is only something as simple as preparing a home cooked meal for the residents. We enjoy meeting and getting to know Howie’s House guests, staff and interns. We have a great time working together and preparing a meal for everyone to enjoy. Every moment inside the Howie’s House is memorable.
Happy New Year, dear friends! As you think about New Year’s resolutions, and what 2015 might bring, we are thinking about our New Year’s milestone – 20,000 room nights!
Because of your generosity and commitment to supporting our “home away from home” over the past 3 ½ years, this January we have reached a new important milestone, providing 20,000 room nights to transplant patients and their families!
Since opening our doors in 2011, over 900 transplant families have stayed at the Howie’s House – some of whom had to travel thousands of miles, staying at the Howie’s House for months at a time, while their loved ones were hospitalized here in Philadelphia. Not only that, but your generosity and support has made it possible for us to serve these families more than 80,000 meals, so that they could always come ‘home’ after a long day in the hospital and sit down to a nice, hot meal. We are so grateful we can count on your support.
And our guests are grateful they can count on you too!
We’re not the only ones who want to extend our gratitude. Guests at the Howie’s House also want to share their message of thanks:
“The transplant process is a long process of testing, waiting, and lots of appointments. In our case home is just too far away to be feasible. We really appreciate that this “home away from home” exists. We really do appreciate all of your generosity! Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!” – Steve & Tina
“After long trying days it’s a great comfort to come here and be welcomed by others and a staff of caring friendly people. Only through your support and continued support can all this be made possible day after day. Blessings to each of you. Jeanette, a guest in waiting for a gift of new life.”
“Words cannot fully express our gratitude for your help. We came here after our precious baby received a heart transplant. We were tired, stressed, and out of money. Your blessings gave us the opportunity to stay at a wonderfully clean, hotel style house. Thank you for your wonderful gift.” -Guest of the Howie’s House
We extend our heartfelt wishes to you and yours for a New Year filled with peace, joy and good health.
Happy New Year!
Gift of Life Howie’s House serves as a “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families who travel to Philadelphia for transplant-related care. Amenities include a communal living room, kitchen and dining room, on-site parking, laundry facilities, and transportation to and from local hospitals. Guests are asked to pay a greatly reduced rate per night to stay at the Howie’s House, and no family is ever turned away due to their inability to pay.
It can take just one person to inspire meaningful change, and at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ, for many students that one person is Arthur Thomas. Arthur is a heart transplant recipient who shared his transplant story with the student body six years ago. Moved by his life-saving experience, students Taylor Bloom and Mary Hopkins heard it as a call to action to raise awareness about organ donation, and from there, the Lives Saving Lives Club was created. With Arthur as its faculty adviser, the club has blossomed into a successful, student-run initiative to raise awareness and funds for organ donation.
Now, with nearly 30 active members, the Lives Saving Lives Club holds a number of fundraisers, including a raffle giveaway and the Annual Organ Donor Awareness Benefit Dinner. Much like the club itself, this benefit dinner is completely student-operated. From the string quartet performance to the four-course meal, these young leaders work tirelessly to make this a memorable evening – and what a success! This past year, the dinner raised $5,000 for the transplant patients and families of Gift of Life Howie’s House, proving their hard work has truly paid off.
Since 2009, these motivated students have raised an incredible $27,400 for the Howie’s House! 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 our patients and families face day-to-day – mentally, physically and emotionally. To further support the Howie’s House, the Lives Saving Lives Club has also served as wonderful Home Cook Heroes, cooking a delicious meal for our guests.
This past month, the Howie’s House was happy to receive a visit from Arthur and four other Lives Saving Lives Club members. Arthur was proud to
show these dedicated students how their fundraising efforts directly impact the Howie’s House. It all came full circle for these students when they saw their permanent paver located in our Legacy Garden that states, “The Lawrenceville School Proudly Supports Gift of Life Howie’s House.”
While Arthur did not stay at the Howie’s House himself, he emphasizes the importance of providing support to transplant patients and their families, as he has a firsthand understanding of the difficulties they may be experiencing. “Anything we can do to make their lives easier is worth it,” says Arthur. These students demonstrate that age is only a number when it comes to effectively creating change in the lives of our guests. Thank you to Arthur and all of the students of the Lawrenceville School for bringing the Lives Saving Lives Club to fruition and supporting our mission!
Nicki Loshnowsky never anticipated having to designate her five-year-old son, Collin, as an organ donor. And yet, in November 2004, the Loshnowsky family faced a heart-wrenching decision after Collin was struck by a car and suffered severe head trauma. With their world flipped upside down, the Loshnowsky’s found some light in a tragic situation by choosing donation, and subsequently saving five different lives by donating Collin’s intestine, two kidneys, liver and heart – true gifts of life. Through the Loshnowsky’s active involvement with Gift of Life Donor Program and Gift of Life Howie’s House, they have found means to heal, as well as to celebrate Collin’s wonderful life, all the while promoting the incredible impacts of organ donation.
Over the last 10 years, the Loshnowsky family has been involved in a number of Gift of Life initiatives in Collin’s memory. At the Transplant Games of America, an Olympic-style athletic competition for transplant recipients, organ donors and donor families, the Loshnowsky family has been an integral member of Team Philadelphia as honoring their son and connecting with other families who have found themselves on the same side of transplantation. At the Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation, the family bans together as team “Captivated by Collin’s Smile” to demonstrate, through strength in numbers, how organ donation saves lives. The Loshnowsky family will always remember Collin’s infectious smile and his wonderful “belly laugh.”
This past November was Collin’s 10th “Angelversary”, and the Loshnowsky family chose to honor his life by inspiring individuals to perform ten random acts of kindness. Doing their own part, the Loshnowsky family has made it their fervent goal to participate in the Howie’s House Home Cook Heroes program 10 times by the end of 2014, preparing meals for the Howie’s House transplant patients and their families. It is through this program that they are able to share experiences and stories with the guests – what Nicki always looks forward to most. The Loshnowsky’s Home Cook Hero meal on December 2nd will be an extra special dinner in honor of Collin’s 16th birthday.
The support provided by the Loshnowsky family never ceases to amaze us, as they have also hosted successful Wish List Drives in memory of Collin to further support the Howie’s House mission. While Collin cannot be here today, his name and memory will forever be honored through the family’s dedication to Gift of Life.
To learn more about how you can participate in Collin’s 10th “Angelversary”, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/529946973806475/. And don’t forget to share Collin’s story this holiday season as you partake in your own random acts of kindness – just use the hashtag “#cjl10years” when posting on your social media pages.
Here at Gift of Life Howie’s House, we are incredibly grateful for your support, both in this time of Thanksgiving and all year round, and in the spirit of the holidays, we would like to recognize how your generosity truly makes a difference.
THANKS TO YOU, our guests have a warm and caring home away from home where they have comfortable and safe rooms to sleep in and also home-cooked meals, transportation, and supportive services. Our Home Cook Heroes program has served more than 76,000 meals to date for our transplant patients and families. This program allows our guests to relax and not have to worry about having to prepare a hot meal after a strenuous day at the hospital. Additionally, the Caregiver Lifeline program ensures each guest feels supported emotionally and mentally while navigating through the transplant process.
THANKS TO YOU, our guests gain hope and strength by sharing their experiences with others who have walked in their shoes. Because we care for transplant patients and transplant caregivers specifically, Howie’s House guests are able to connect with others going through similar experiences and, as a result, gain a deeper understanding of their own transplant journey. The compassionate environment of the Howie’s House provides a network of support to each and every person who stays here.
THANKS TO YOU, we have never turned away a guest who could not afford our modest $40 nightly fee. Your support of our Adopt-A-Family Program makes this possible. Each $40 donation provides a one night stay for a transplant family, ensuring they are able to rest comfortably in a bed, rather than staying at a costly hotel, or worse, falling asleep in a hospital chair. The Adopt-A-Family Program also helps offset the difference between actually operating costs to house a family for one night ($160) and the $40 a night that families are asked to pay.
THANKS TO YOU, our guests who cannot go home for the holidays will not be alone this Thanksgiving.
As you gather with family and friends around the dinner table for a festive Thanksgiving meal, here at Gift of Life Howie’s House, transplant patients and families we will be doing the same – and giving thanks to you.
To make a tax-deductible year-end gift that will help us serve even more transplant families in their time of need, please click here.
It’s a weekday evening at the Howie’s House, and as dinner comes to an end, you may find guests gathering together for evening activities. This program, completely run by volunteers, provides a much needed time of relaxation and fun for those who may have had a long day (or days) at the hospital. This fall has been full of fun events, including still life drawing and painting, crocheting and knitting classes, and even a performance by a musician! Howie’s House guests enjoy the opportunity to socialize as well as to create or learn something new.
“The ability to express oneself and emotions that are felt, on paper, can be so healing and pleasing. The process is as important as the art produced. And anyone is capable of producing their own art.” -Arlene Bonnet, Howie’s House Activity Volunteer
Howie’s House activity volunteer Arlene says, “I happen to love the interactions I’ve had with the people I have met at the house. The individual stories that have been shared with me have really touched me and the connection I have felt in the process was very meaningful to me. And if even one participant in each art class can experience two hours of peace or enjoyment in the middle of their stressful week, it is so worth it to me to continue.”
The Howie’s House is always looking for creative minds to come up with new and entertaining after dinner activities. It could be an arts or craft project, music, cooking demonstration, or speaking on a topic, we’d love to hear your ideas!
If you’d like to join volunteers like Arlene in this unique volunteer experience please contact Kari Rowe, Volunteer Coordinator at krowe@donors1.org or call 215-557-8090.
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