New auxiliary hosts luncheon at 28 Springs
Around 40 women attended the event Tuesday to help raise awareness for Circle of Life Hospice.
The newly established Siloam Springs chapter of the Circle of Life Hospice Auxiliary held a luncheon at 28 Springs on Tuesday to raise awareness and support for the organization.
About 40 women attended the event, which included informative presentations about the organization as well as games and door prizes.
Circle of Life Hospice, which is based in Springdale, serves Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties, according to the organization’s website nwacircleoflife.com. It provides end-of-life care for patients and support for their family members.
Ninety-five percent of patients are cared for at home, but the organization also serves patients in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Patients can also choose to stay at a hospice house in Springdale, said Krista Hamilton, hospice educator.
In addition to patient services, the hospice provides grief support for families for up to 13 months after the patient’s death, and even extends their grief support services to community members whose family members were not patients, she said.
The Circle of Life Hospice Auxiliary has 268 members in Northwest Arkansas, with chapters in Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale in addition to Siloam Springs, said board member Holland Hayden. A Fayetteville chapter is also in the works, she said.
“The point of the auxiliary is to create awareness of what they do, who they are and the amazing services they provide,” Haden said.
The Siloam Springs chapter was established in 2016 and held its first event in November. The local chapter has a five member board, which includes Haden, Audra Farrell, Mary Thomas, Lucinda Jenks and Hamilton. Before Thursday’s event, the local chapter had 26 members, but a number of membership forms were turned in at the luncheon.
Membership fees are $25 each year or $500 for a lifetime membership. They are used
exclusively for the Angel Fund, which takes care of patients’ special needs and wishes. The money can be used for something as small as a birthday cake, or as large as a trip to Disneyland for a young family about to lose a parent.
“We try to make their birthday or anniversary extra special because it will likely be their last,” said social worker Allison Wright.
She shared the story of a patient named Frank, a veteran who loved classic cars. His biggest wish was to go on a ride in a Corvette, so the Angel Fund worked with the local Corvette Club to bring him a big surprise. One afternoon, five Corvettes pulled into Frank’s driveway and took him on a cruise, Wright said. The ride was a huge morale booster for Frank and his family, she said.
There are a number of ways to support Circle of Life Hospice, said volunteer coordinator Susan Yandell. The hospice has more than 150 volunteers who put in a combined 7,285 hours of service. Some volunteers spend time with patients, while others oversee the organization’s petals for patients program that delivers donated flowers, or do projects such as making comfortable pajamas so that patients don’t have to wear hospital gowns when they come to the hospice house.
The Siloam Springs Circle of Life Auxiliary’s next event will be a Cheers for Charity fundraiser at Creekside Taproom, to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25. Ten percent of all purchases during the evening will be donated to the hospice.