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Santa Clara Valley Hospice/Home Support Group celebrates 23rd year

February 04, 2004
Santa Paula News

Santa Clara Valley Hospice/The Home Support Group celebrated a year of expanded services and noted ambitious plans for the future at its 23rd Annual Luncheon meeting held Jan. 14th at Logsdon’s at the Airport.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesSanta Clara Valley Hospice/The Home Support Group celebrated a year of expanded services and noted ambitious plans for the future at its 23rd Annual Luncheon meeting held Jan. 14th at Logsdon’s at the Airport.“Today is more of a gathering, a party,” celebrating the accomplishments of 2003 and plans for 2004, said President Cathy Barringer.The volunteer-driven Hospice, which provides emotional, social and spiritual support to persons with life-limiting illnesses and their families and offers an array of other services and programs.“I’m really proud of this organization,” and its services for the residents of the Santa Clara River Valley communities of Santa Paula, Saticoy, Fillmore and Piru.Founded in 1979, “Eleven of us from Santa Paula and Fillmore traveled throughout Ventura County,” for training to start the SCVH, noted Barringer. “Joyce Carlson was a mother of this organization,” she added.The first Hospice office was a corner in Carl Barringer’s business building and as the programs grew so did the need for space.Now located in the First United Methodist Church’s Faulkner Hall, SCVH offers bereavement services, equipment loans, referrals, community education, lending library, support groups and home support services including medical appointment transportation, pet therapy and meal preparation/delivery, among others. All SCVH services are free of charge.
“It’s wonderful to see so many supporters,” said Volunteer Coordinator Margaret Nesbitt, who described new SCVH programs including Pet Therapy.“Cathy was very dogged in her determination to get the program going,” noted Nesbitt with a laugh, and Pet Therapy is becoming increasingly popular in area nursing and living facilities.The Hospice Board of Directors now numbers 35 said Barringer and the organization has a “great group of volunteers” from office staff to directors and “incredible community support” for the array of fundraisers which financially support SCVH.Support of another kind was also forthcoming when Hospice moved from its longtime home to FUMC’s Faulkner Hall: “It drew the community together,” who donated – and applied! – 86 gallons of paint among the other materials and labor contributed to the new Hospice offices.A dedicated board has created such successful fundraisers as the Home & Garden Tour and the holiday season Light Up a Life: “So many people always help and we have a community that supports us and Hospice services,” said Barringer.Director Bill Hardison noted that the Hospice Endowment started by the late Bill Price in 1992 has almost $400,000 due to “prudent investing and outright donations.”Future plans include an adult daycare center said Barringer, an effort that has acquired not only a location but seed money from Hospice. “We’re showing good faith and commitment to doing our very best,” to create such a vitally needed facility in the river valley.Overall, “None of us have it all together but together we have it all,” noted Barringer, a reflection of Hospice’s perennial can-do attitude and continued success.