Transplant Patients
Do you remember when we asked you to write an encouraging note to our transplant families as a part of our Welcome Them Home campaign?
Last fall, we set out to collect 1,000 encouraging messages from caring people like you to transplant patients and their families.
We had these notes sewn together into a beautiful welcome banner that is now hanging in our dining room to welcome our transplant families home after long, hard days at the hospital.
It is our hope that these words of encouragement, wisdom, and strength will bring hope to our guests during a difficult journey and that support from our community will bring them joy and peace.
Some of the notes read:
“Welcome to warm hospitality, a comfy bed, warm meals, and a listening ear.” –Lorraine
“You are strong and courageous.” –Anonymous
“Stay strong. The people who work here and the other families will be your greatest support.” –Anita
“This is your home to find comfort in and share with those who understand.” –Rob
“There is hope and love, much of it found right here. Ne strong, never give up!” –Tibor
“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations here at the Howie’s House. Welcome.” –Ed
“You’re patient and loving.” –Anonymous
“Hang in there. Things will get better. Never lose hope.” –Mary Ellen
Thanks to you, we can remind our transplant families of the support they have. No one’s transplant journey will be exactly the same, but finding ways to support one another is a crucial part of helping our families feel comfortable, safe, and supported.
Thank you for being part of such an inspiring project!
More than half of our guests depend on our free, regularly scheduled shuttle service to travel back and forth from the Howie’s House to area transplant centers. This past year, more than 4,600 guests climbed aboard our six-passenger minivan driven by our devoted volunteer drivers. But on too many of those trips, guests were turned away because it was full.
The minivan also has limited cargo space for stowing oxygen tanks and wheelchairs needed by transplant patients. And squeezing into the back row of seats can be challenging or impossible for some of our guests.
With your help, we can make it easier for our guests to get to area transplant centers and #HelpShuttleHope
To meet the increased need for shuttle service as our occupancy grows, and to better provide for our guests’ comfort and wellbeing, the Howie’s House must purchase a new 11-passenger vehicle. Getting on and off will be made easier and faster by its bus-style folding door, low steps, a center aisle, and raised roof. Its larger capacity will enable us to adjust the schedule so drivers have more time to complete their runs and stay on time. It will also have a larger cargo area.
Our new shuttle will cost more than $50,000, not including gas, maintenance, and insurance. We are asking everyone in our Howie’s House community to please consider helping us make this a reality.
By supporting the purchase of the new passenger van, you will help to ensure that our shuttle service continues to meet the needs of Howie’s House guests. Transportation is an important part of the comprehensive services provided within our modest $40 nightly lodging fee. Charitable contributions to the Howie’s House make this possible.
Less stress and cost for guests
In addition to comfort and convenience, the shuttle helps transplant families save on the cost of parking and gas, which can add up to hundreds of dollars a month, and relieves them of the burden of city driving.
“Most of our guests aren’t familiar with Philadelphia and so they have no idea how to get to the transplant centers. They get overwhelmed by the traffic. And they’re already overwhelmed by their own situation. We’re trying to make it easier for them by providing these door to door transportation services,” says Joe Kauffman, Howie’s House Operations Manager.
No one could agree more than Diane Hems who stayed at the Howie’s House while her husband, Don, was waiting for his gift of life, a lung transplant. “Having the shuttle service available alleviated my stress and fears of getting lost in the city. Each day, the volunteer driver safely dropped me off at the hospital and then brought me back to the Howie’s House at the end of the day. There are no words to describe how grateful we are for the services provided.”
Claudia Fernandez often took the shuttle when her young son, Josh, was undergoing a lung transplant. “I liked it because I didn’t have to deal with traffic. It’s not easy driving around Philly when you’re not from there. I found it so convenient and helpful.”
Every ride a healing journey
The backbone of the Howie’s House shuttle service is our devoted volunteer drivers who last year made more than 1,500 trips and drove over 19,000 miles, expertly navigating city traffic and getting our guests to doctors’ appointments and hospital visits.
There are a dozen volunteer drivers who either work regular part-time shifts or who fill in when needed. Most of them are transplant recipients or have been family caregivers. They enjoy interacting with our guests and helping them through experiences they have in common.
John Branton has been a Howie’s House volunteer driver for five years and a volunteer speaker for Gift of Life Donor Program since he received a liver transplant 10 years ago. He drives two days a week, taking the afternoon shift when guests are usually returning to the Howie’s House.
Now retired, John was a small business owner and insurance executive. He says that he often shares with guests how the transplant enabled him to return to a normal life.
“The conversations that go on in the shuttle are oftentimes very emotional,” says John. “Not everyone winds up with a good outcome. So those kinds of conversations are tough. But even when it’s disappointing news, it’s better to share it with other people who can empathize and understand what you’re going through.”
Riding the shuttle also enables families the time to share their experiences with one another, gaining support and strength along the way.
Ashley Adams, who rode the shuttle when her husband Bobby was gravely ill and waiting for a lung transplant, found it comforting to talk with other families and the volunteer drivers. “It was really great being able to talk with everybody about what they’re going through. It does really help,” she says. “One of the drivers had a lung transplant so I was asking him a lot of questions about it. Bobby and I ended up getting married in the hospital and it was this shuttle driver who arranged for a friend of his to marry us.”
Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution today to support the urgent need to purchase a new passenger van and #HelpShuttleHope.
“I was nervous the first time I came through the doors of Gift of Life Howie’s House.
My mom had been so sick for so long … she was having dialysis three times a week. So I was really thanking God that she had the opportunity to receive a kidney transplant. I came to visit her for a week over the holidays, and I expected the Howie’s House to be a big, noisy, busy hospital. I was very surprised to find that it was a beautiful and quiet!
We had a really special Christmas together. We made a gingerbread house along with some of the other families who became friends to us, which was really nice because our other family was so far away.
The Howie’s House was a great blessing to us and to a lot of other families. Please make a gift now, while every dollar can go twice as far to help other patients and their families when they need it the most.” -Yani Barrow
To help families like Yani’s who rely on the Howie’s House during a most difficult and uncertain time in life, a generous friend has offered a $50,000 Matching Gift opportunity. Like you, this caring friend wants every transplant family to have access to an affordable place of rest, delicious home-cooked meals, and a warm and caring community of support. So every gift received prior to the December 31st deadline will be matched dollar for dollar, ensuring that more transplant families will experience a “home away from home” at the Howie’s House.
When you think about the winter season, you may think of the holidays or freshly fallen snow, which may bring you happiness and joy. You may also think of the treacherous weather, cold air, and shorter days, which can cause you to dread the winter season. It is not uncommon to feel sad, irritable, sluggish, or even have difficulty getting up in the morning. These feelings during the winter months are common and are often referred to as the “winter blues.” When you are feeling down, it can be easy to convince yourself that you cannot do things you enjoy – here are some tips that may help you beat the winter blues.
1. Maintain a Healthy Routine:
The winter is full of excuses for not staying active or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is important to keep doing everyday tasks that you normally do at other times of the year, including exercising and eating healthy. This consistency may help you focus on the task at hand, rather than the blues. You can stay active by stretching, doing yoga, dancing to your favorite song, or participating in your favorite winter sport. The smallest activity can help you get through even the toughest day.
2. Soak up the Sun:
The shorter days in the winter play a big role in feeling the winter blues. Many people get out of bed when it is still dark outside, go to work, and then come back home when it is dark again. The lack of sunlight can throw off your rhythm – both emotionally and physically. Try to go outside for at least a few minutes during the day, especially when the weather is mild. If you cannot get outside, try opening blinds, sitting by a window, or turning on overhead lights. This extra light may help you regain this rhythm.
3. Talk (or Think) It Through:
If the winter months make you feel blue, remember that you are not alone. Talk to your family and friends. Most likely, they have felt or are feeling the winter blues too. Share tips with each other that have helped. Another way to fight the winter blues is by writing down or thinking about at least three things you are thankful for each day. By focusing on the positive, you can help change your mood and outlook on the season.
4. Do Something You Enjoy:
It may be hard to become motivated when you are feeling blue. This can be especially hard in the winter when it is cold and dark outside. It is essential to still do things you enjoy! Challenge yourself to take up a new activity, socialize with friends and family, or make a list of winter activities you like to participate in, such as ice skating, playing in the snow, or simply reading a book while drinking hot chocolate. Try to do something fun every week, or even every day. It is important to look forward to something you like to do, instead of feeling like you are trapped inside.
If you are finding that the winter blues make it hard for you to function and those feelings continue for several days or weeks, consider reaching out to a counselor or therapist who may be able to help. For more information or support, you can also email one of the Caregiver Lifeline Program social workers.
“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.
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