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Caring Hands Newsletter - Third Quarter 2006
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2006:
4th Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 1st Quarter
A Caregiver's Reflections
By Stephanni Fuchs
Have you ever read the story Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom? This story is about an old man, a young man, and one of life's greatest lessons. The story you are about to read is also about one of life's greatest lessons. My name is Stephannie Fuchs and I am a senior at Freedom High School. When I was asked to share my story about Mrs. Josephine Mercurio, I immediately thought of Professor Morrie Schwartz and one of his students, Mitch Albom, who visited every Tuesday, because you see I saw Mrs. Mercurio every Thursday for about ten months. What she taught me was not from any book or classroom, but from the heart of a very giving, caring, woman and her life experiences.
My mother was involved with Caring Hands through our church and she thought I would also like to be involved. So, I became a friendly visitor. I met Mrs. Mercurio on June 30th, 2005. As I walked into her room filled with all the things that she loved, pictures of her family, her faith, and her beloved cats, I fell in love with her right away. Here we were - this 86-year old, bedridden, gray-haired woman with a large smile and a shy, soft-spoken, 16-year old - looking at each other, wondering what we both had in common. But I soon found out that she loved to watch old game shows and listen to Italian music. She would tell me stories of her family growing up in Pittsburg and how she met her husband. She talked about how her mother died of a broken heart after the drowning of one of her children and even though she sometimes told the same story over and over again because of dementia, I still loved to hear them all the same. My favorite story was how she cornered a robber trying to steal her purse and used a Coke bottle to beat him off. She was not the kind of woman to back down from a fight! Mrs. Mercurio always had a smile on her face and would always brighten up each time I came to see her on Thursdays. To her, I was her "angel." When I would get overwhelmed with my life at school, walking into Mrs. Mercurio's room made my problems seem meaningless. She taught me that God is, and always will be there for me, to devote myself to loving others and the community around me, but most of all, to devote myself to creating something that gives me purpose and meaning. Mrs. Mercurio taught me to accept myself for just who I am. It is not the passage of time that makes me great, but it is the passing through new experiences that will make me stronger and more dependable.
Even with all the high technology and sophistication in this world, my heart still breaks because on the night of May 26th, 2006, (the same day my own Grandmother turned 70); I learned one of life's greatest lessons. On this sorrowful night, Mrs. Mercurio met the good Lord with her family and friends by her side. I was there with her holding her hand and singing those old church hymns and brushing her hair. I had never been that close to death before but I felt like I needed to be there for her and her family.
I feel honored to be part of such an incredible organization and very blessed to have been accepted into a new family. Lewis Thomas once wrote, "We leave traces of ourselves wherever we go, on whatever we touch." Mrs. Mercurio has left a lasting impression on me that I hope to one day be able to pass on to those who come after me.
[back to top]Caring Hands Volunteer Caregivers Program
Receives Major Gift
Caring Hands has many "angels" including our hundreds of caring volunteers who provide one-on-one support to our community seniors and our many donors who help to fund our growing program.
Recently, Caring Hands received a major gift from one of our many angels, the late Miriam "Jerry" Lar Rieu. Jerry was no stranger to John Muir Medical Center or to Caring Hands. She has given nearly $1 million to John Muir Health which included more than $250,000 to Caring Hands. In 1992 Jerry was honored with the "John Muir Award of Distinction." This award recognizes individuals and organizations whose philanthropic support of John Muir deserves the highest appreciation.
In 2003, at 101 years of age, Jerry was honored at Caring Hands' first fundraising event - The Vintage Review. Jerry was fully aware of the assistance that enables elders to stay in their homes, and she recognized that so many seniors are without these vital services. She believed it was important to support Caring Hands for her community, and we gratefully acknowledge and thank her for her legacy of support.
Caring Hands Congregational Coordinators Attend Leadership Summit
In an effort to support and develop the skills of our volunteer leaders, Caring Hands invited its Congregational Coordinators to attend The 2006 Leadership Summit organized by the Willow Creek Association which is based in Barrington, Ill. Eight Congregational Coordinators were able to attend the two and a half days of informative and inspirational training via satellite at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church August 10 - 12, 2006.
This worldwide event was attended by 80,000 leaders in 160 cities via satellite in various locations. The topics for the Summit included interpersonal and communication skills, various management techniques, and leadership development.
Sue Hertless, Chair of the Congregational Coordinators Subcommittee said, "What we were given cannot only apply to the interfaith and the corporate world, but to the volunteer and service sectors. The processes, principals and frameworks are workable in any of these sectors. As human beings we strive to get better and better at what we do, and this training will help us to improve ourselves and our outreach efforts on behalf of Caring Hands."
The keynote featured an exclusive interview with Bono, the lead singer of U2 with Bill Hybels. Bono calls AIDS "the leprosy of our age." He is leading the movement to reduce poverty in Africa, he has lobbied world leaders for the cancellation of third world debt and for funding to fight the AIDS pandemic. In his remarks at the 54th National Prayer Breakfast, he reflected on the response of the Interfaith Community to the global AIDS crisis. He said in part, "When churches started organizing, petitioning, and even lobbying on AIDS and global health, governments listened - and acted." When this happened, he observed, "Love was on the move. Mercy was on the move. God was on the move."
The power of the speakers and presentations touched us all, and we are looking forward to being inspired again next year by the incredible leaders brought together for the Summit.
Pictured back row: Carol Louisell, Program Manager; Linda White, Volunteer Coordinator; Pat Albright, Christ the King Catholic Church; Grala Warren, Saint Matthew Lutheran Church. Front row: Sue Hertless, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church; Jean Walsh, St. Agnes Catholic Church; Joan Schommer, St. John Vianney Catholic Church; Irmgard Willock, Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church; Laurie Maxwell, Church of the Resurrection; Ollie Anderson, Faith Lutheran Church.
New Retirement Planning Opportunities - Charitable IRA Rollovers
If you are over 70-1/2 years of age and an IRA owner, beginning now and ending December 31, 2007, you can give a charity up to $100,000 from your IRA tax free.* Before these rules, an IRA owner would have to first take a distribution from their IRA which is fully taxable as ordinary income and then make the donation which may not be fully deductible to them. This new rule will also fulfill their required minimum distribution requirement, which is the law that requires you to start taking distributions from your IRA after the age of 70-1/2, which is fully taxable. For more information about this opportunity, contact your financial advisor or Caring Hands.
* The distribution is income tax free however you do NOT also get a charitable deduction.
Please Welcome Nancy Ramirez to Caring Hands!
Nancy Ramirez is the newest staff person to join Caring Hands. She started on August 21, 2006 as Caring Hands' first "Hispanic Outreach Coordinator." Previous to joining Caring Hands, Nancy worked as the Domestic Violence Counselor and Case Manager at STAND Against Domestic Violence where she gained extensive experience working in the human services field. She worked extensively with victims of domestic violence and their families, and has experience working with young adults in educational settings as a counselor, mentor, and advisor as well. Nancy received her bachelor's degree in psychology from San Francisco State University.
Nancy will be working with Caring Hands' Hispanic Outreach Sub-Committee as well as the Congregational Coordinator Sub- Committee to identify bi-lingual volunteers to serve mono-lingual seniors. She can communicate fluently in English and Spanish and it is her primary responsibility to bring the Caring Hands Program to the Spanish speaking community. She welcomes these new opportunities with great enthusiasm and commitment!