Homeland Creates a Culture of Teamwork and Fun

test

homeland staff playing cornholeOver the years, Homeland has learned that bringing together a talented group of professionals working toward a shared mission results in a successful workplace. Providing opportunities for employees to get to know each other outside of their job duties builds a team and creates a culture of compassion and friendship. The staff at Homeland strives to create an engaging culture where employees have fun through volunteering and spending time together.

In April 2021, the directors and assistant directors of Homeland Hospice, Homeland HomeCare and Homeland HomeHealth formed the FUN Committee as a way for employees to take a break from the stress and demands of their jobs, which has dramatically increased since COVID-19 hit the region. The concept was to provide staff opportunities to participate in activities on a monthly basis.

“Many staff members work entirely in the field,” Laurie Murry, volunteer coordinator for Homeland Hospice says. “These activities have given us a chance to get to know our coworkers we rarely see during the workday.”

Laurie has taken the lead in organizing and implementing the activities. The first step was to survey staff to hear what types of activities piqued their interest as well as what the activities should be named. The staff voted to give back to help others as well as connect in different geographic areas throughout Homeland’s vast footprint. As for the winning name; “Staffivities!” won the day.

homeland staff volunteering at the food bankThis summer, staff held a corn hole tournament with food trucks. Staff members who didn’t know one another were paired together to play in the tournament. Since then, Homeland staff members have volunteered at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and collected coats for children in need living in Cumberland and Perry counties through the Warm the Children program.

To celebrate the holiday season, the staff held a cookie exchange and an office door-decorating contest. The team also helped make the holidays brighter for local children by providing gifts for children in need through a program led by Silence of Mary. This has been a Homeland tradition for many years. This year, the program expanded to include all of Homeland’s outreach programs.

Most recently, Homeland staff participated in a deeply personal and heartfelt project in honor of their coworker and beloved friend Chaplain Mark Harris who passed away this fall. The staff purchased 11 wreaths through the Wreaths Across America program, which were placed at the Dauphin County Cemetery on December 17. To know Mark was to love and respect him for his deep well of compassion. Mark served Homeland Hospice as a spiritual counselor. As a former navy corpsman, Mark was involved in Homeland’s We Honor Veterans program, which recognizes the bravery and sacrifice of veterans during their time in hospice.

homeland participates in wreaths across america“Our staff members have big hearts,” Kris Crockett, RN, BSN, CHPN, and Director of of Homeland Hospice said. “Working together to give back to the community has helped us create stronger bonds as coworkers.”

Homeland Hospice, Homeland HomeCare and Homeland HomeHealth are outreach programs of Homeland Center to provide a continuum of care for patients and families in need.

For more information about Homeland at Home services, contact us at (717) 857-7400.

Homeland Participates in Wreaths Across America Day

test

hanging a wreath to honor veterans

Every day, hundreds of people drive by the Dauphin County Cemetery, also known as a potter’s field, not knowing the importance of this humble site or the stories of the people buried there. A simple stone with the words “Every life has a story” marks the entrance to the cemetery. For Homeland Hospice these five words represent the dignity each life deserves. Homeland Hospice is a hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

The Dauphin County Cemetery serves as the final resting place for more than 800 unclaimed remains. World War II Navy Veteran Frank Bakanus, Jr., from Derry Township is buried here. He is the only known veteran who has been identified and given a veteran marker on his grave.

On December 17, Frank and all of the unidentified veterans interred at the cemetery were remembered for their service during a wreath-laying ceremony. Homeland Hospice volunteers and staff placed ceremonial wreaths and flags representing each branch of the military, soldiers missing in action and prisoners of war on the fence outlining the cemetery. Individual wreaths were placed throughout the cemetery. It has become a beloved tradition to place a special wreath on Frank’s grave marker.

homeland honors america's veterans with wreaths“Everyone buried here was someone’s son or daughter,” Laurie Murry, volunteer coordinator for Homeland Hospice says. “It’s our privilege to honor their memory and sacrifice.”

For the past several years Homeland Hospice has partnered with the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office in the National Wreaths Across America Day held in December. Through the program, wreath-laying ceremonies are held at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as more than 2,500 locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad.

Suzanne Sheaffer with the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office serves as the coordinator for the program. She launched the Wreaths Across America Day project at the cemetery several years ago after visiting the site and noticing Frank’s grave marker. As a Gold Star mother, this project has a special place in her heart.

“I think about the sacrifice each veteran has made for our country,” Suzanne says. “On this special day, we bring something amazing to this humble site in their honor.”

The team at Homeland Hospice selected the Dauphin County Cemetery because of its similar mission and history with Homeland. One of the earliest markers at the cemetery is dated July 20, 1870. It began and remains a final resting place for individuals who have nowhere else to go.

Homeland’s story begins during the aftermath of the Civil War. Battlefield casualties were not the only human losses of that conflict, as soldiers’ wives, widows, and parents struggled to provide for dependent family members without the support of dead and disabled husbands and sons. Representatives from nine churches concluded safe shelter for women and children was needed. The “Society for the Home for the Friendless” was formally chartered in May of 1867.

grave reading 'every life has a story'As Homeland celebrates its 155th anniversary next year, the organization’s commitment to our region’s must vulnerable residents continues. Through Wreaths Across America, Homeland honors and remembers the dignity and beauty each life brings to our community.

“Homeland staff and volunteers help make the cemetery look beautiful for the holidays,” Suzanne says. “It is a pleasure to partner with the Homeland team.”

Homeland Hospice is a hospice program that serves 14 communities throughout Central Pennsylvania by providing end-of-life care either in a person’s home or wherever they reside, including nursing facilities. Homeland also provides bereavement support to families for a full 13 months following the death of their loved one. This service is available to anyone in the community who is experiencing grief.

To learn more, please contact at Homeland Hospice at (717) 221-7890.