Monday, December 6, 2010

Suncoast Hospice sends new team to South Africa


February 5, 2011 four staff from Suncoast Hospice will travel to Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa to spend 2 weeks with the Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand. The team will share resources, provide professional training, and learn about providing excellent hospice care from Hospice Wits. As one team member said, echoing what the remaining three also feel, "It will be an opportunity to learn, to inspire,and to be inspired."
Team members include from left to right: Stacy Orloff, vice president of palliative care and community programs; Gayle Stokes, clinical coordinator, information and referral department; David Groeller, director of the center for learning; and Deb Hagopian , regional program director, Roosevelt community service center. Be sure to follow their trip on this blog during the month of February.

Every dollar makes a difference











Almost 6 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. This staggering number represents the world's largest population of people living with this disease. Over 300,000 are children. South Africa has over 1.9 million AIDS orphans. It's really mind boogling and hard to conceptualize how many people are impacted by this disease. I've visited our sister hospice twice and it's still hard for me to articulate the enormity of this.
In order to meet this need, our sister hospice needs your help. Every dollar you contribute to the Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand makes a difference. Consider what $52 dollars a year (a dollar a week) provides:
  • almost a month of medication for a patient, or
  • food parcels for a month, or
  • one and a half nursing visits a month

If you save two dollars a week, your $104 donation pays for:

  • almost one day of in-patient care or

  • 15 days of care at Mapetla per child

$2.00 a day pays for:

  • one month usage of a hospice owned vehicle shared with a nursing sister to make home visits, or


  • slightly more than one month's cost of a cook at the Soweto office. The cooks prepare hot food for the adults and children in the in-patient units as well as the lunch for the HIV/AIDS adult Daycare patients, or

  • A month salary for two community care workers (home health aides)

During this season of giving, I ask you to reflect upon the many gifts in your life and what you can do to make a difference in the lives of those our sister hospice cares for.

Dr. Jill Biden visits Mapatla


Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of the Vice President of the United States, visited Mapetla Day Care during the world cup. Her visit provided a welcome opportunity to highlight the excellent care provided to over 100 children on a daily basis. All children at Mapetla are personally connected to the HIV/AIDS pandemic- as they may have HIV/AIDS and/or a family member. In addition to the academic support given by loving teachers, each child receives daily hot meals. The children learn English and greet American visitors by singing songs.
Hospice Wits has expanded Mapetla's services to include after school care for children elementary school age. Mapetla is an example of the many extraordinary services our sister hospice provides. Hospice Wits relies on donations and grant support to keep Mapetla operational. Won't you consider donating funds to help them keep this important program.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Excitement in South Africa




I’d like to share greetings from our South African colleagues! They say thank you to Suncoast Hospice for hosting Jacqui Kaye and Ritta Khunga from the Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand this past April. Jacqui shares that all Hospice Wits sites have a bulletin board with pictures from Jacqui and Ritta’s trip here and examples of our partnership. This way all of their staff can learn more about us and our wonderful partnership.

Our sister hospice also want to share their country’s excitement about hosting the World Cup Soccer. Those of us who have traveled to our sister hospice in 2007 and 2009 saw the soccer stadiums being built. Hospice Wits has used some team supports to support the World Cup excitement. Attached are two pictures- one of a street scene of celebrants and the other some of Hospice Wits staff dressed in their team’s (Bafana Bafana) colors.

Many foreign dignitaries have visited Johannesburg and other South African cities because of the soccer tournament. I’m very proud to share that Dr. Jill Biden, wife of our vice president, visited Hospice Wit’s Mapetla daycare center. Mapetla provides care to children who are HIV positive, have a parent HIV positive, or are orphaned because of HIV. You can imagine the amount of security work that went into arranging this visit. I hope to have some pictures soon to share with you about that visit.

As Jacqui said in her email, “Our country is looking so fantastic and creative and colourful at the moment – the excitement is palpable…..!!”
Stacy Orloff

Friday, April 23, 2010

They’re Here!



Our colleagues from the Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa have arrived for a two-week visit in the United States

Jacqui Kaye, (HR Manager) and Ntombi Ritta Khunga (patient care manager) were greeted at our Roosevelt location on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, by Suncoast Hospice staff who made the trip in 2007 or 2009, and Suncoast Hospice Foundation staff who helped in making the trips possible.

Photos: Christine Petitti gives Ritta a welcome gift while Dr. Amy Post-Grady, the keeper of maps on our 2009 trip to Soweto and Johannesburg helps Jacqui get her bearings with map of Florida.



Jabula 2010


JABULA! Gospel Fest

Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church
955 20th Street S
St. Petersburg, FL33712-2350

Friday, April 30, 2010
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Join Suncoast Hospice in celebrating the 8th Annual JABULA! Gospel Fest. There will be gospel music and fellowship, all to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa and acknowledge the efforts of our sister hospice, in Soweto, South Africa. Suncoast Hospice calls this special evening JABULA! which is a Swahili word for Rejoice. All proceeds from the free-will offering will help support the Hospice of Witwatersrand in Soweto, South Africa, where HIV/AIDS is a major health issue.

For information call Ann Sherman-White at (727) 324-6795