MALACHI HOUSE
| FALL 2022 NEWSLETTER |
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It has been a busy summer at Malachi House as we attempt to navigate through the constant changes. Although we had a second round of Covid at Malachi House, we successfully continue our mission with the strength and guidance of our Cofounder, Kaki O’Neill, and the support of the community, board, volunteers, hospice teams, and especially our staff. Community West Foundation has been supporting us for over 20 years, and recently gifted us with a statue of Jesus by Canadian artist, Timothy Schmalz, which has been placed in Kaki’s Garden, directly in front of Malachi House. The statue, When I Was Naked, is part of the Matthew 25 Collection: a collection of statues that depict Jesus in different times of need. The collection is intended to spark conversation about issues of social justice, privilege, compassion, and empathy. We are honored to be a part of such a profound public art installation. One of our priorities has been to hire a Volunteer Coordinator and welcome back our volunteers. We are excited to have
Martha on board as our new Volunteer Coordinator - learn more about her on the next page. We now look forward to having our beloved volunteers back in the House soon. We had a busy summer giving the house some much-needed TLC both on the outside and inside of the building. We are grateful to those who helped with the process. We are also grateful to all the groups around the city who have participated in Christmas in July at the House by bringing carloads of donations from our wish list. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prioritize the care and love of our dear residents.
John Schriner Board Chair
Judy Ghazoul Hilow Executive Director
A Message from Kaki: the Statue Dedication on June 17, 2022 Right now, I see nothing but kindness, beauty, and goodness. This is the culmination of a dream for me. It is beautiful. It is meaningful. Father Guiao, I’ll always remember your words of the meaningful garden in God’s life. Judy and Bob, I’ll always remember your endless energy and dedication in making a beautiful garden. It really touched my heart when you told me the flowers were brought to the residents rooms. To my son, David, my heartfelt thanks for the continuing maintenance of the garden. The evening is about the placement of the sculpture created, as in God’s own words, “to remember we are placed on earth to give service to others, especially those in most need.” “Love one another” the words etched in the driveway at Malachi House over 30 years ago. In Pope Francis’ words, “Our greatest power is not in the respect that others have for us, but the service we can offer others.” He didn’t expect to become Pope, and I surely didn’t expect to see this glorious garden so honored. Thank you.
RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: SANDRA
MARTHA CROMLEIGH
We are pleased to introduce Martha Cromleigh as our new Volunteer Coordinator. Martha joins us with experience in patient care, volunteer management, and hospice outreach programs.
QUANG FAMILY
Brothers Alex and Edwin Quang have been supporting Malachi House along with their father, Lawrence Quang, for years. They started at an early age by donating their birthday gift monies and in 2016 they began donating their time as volunteers. Every other Friday, the three would help around the house where needed: cleaning floors, sorting donated goods, and playing the piano for our residents. As we begin to bring volunteers back to Malachi House, Edwin is looking to start a new program called “Student Saturdays” – he has been recruiting his peers from area high schools to spend time volunteering at Malachi House. Beyond their charitable endeavors, they are each impressive individuals. IN,
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Alex will be a senior at Padua Franciscan High School, where he maintained a 5.0 GPA. He scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT, PSAT, and ACT, with a nearperfect SAT score of 1540 on his first attempt. Alex is a National Merit semifinalist. He wants to go to college to study astronautical engineering and then medical school to study space medicine/surgery and design for hospital spacecraft so humankind can venture deeper into the universe.
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When not in the office Martha is still community minded. She has been teaching Jazzercise for over 21 years motivating and encouraging exercise and healthy lifestyle to her students. In addition, she has a unique talent handed down from her mom, Linda Sengpiel, World Yo-Yo Champion. Martha, a national Yo-Yo champion when she was younger, still enjoys showing off some tricks occasionally. Martha also enjoys spending time with her husband and two adult children and future son-in-law.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: THE
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Martha is passionate about creating a loving environment for life’s last journey; this stems from personal experiences. In 2001 she discovered firsthand, the importance of the love and kindness of an interdisciplinary hospice team when her mother was diagnosed and later passed away from brain cancer at the age of 57, over a 9-week period. This experience created the desire to be involved in helping the terminally ill and their families in the final stages of life.
LEFT: RESIDENT, SANDRA WITH MALACHI HOUSE CAREGIVER, SYLVIA
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR,
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MARTHA CROMLEIGH, VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Malachi House resident, Sandra, grew up in Columbia Station, Ohio as one of eight children. She spent a short time living in West Virginia but has spent most of her life in Ohio. Sandra has three daughters, one son, and a grandson. She was a waitress for most of her life and enjoyed it very much. Sandra enjoys Italian food, reading mystery novels, and listening to country music – Miranda Lambert is her favorite. Sandra is very grateful to Malachi House and loves staying here. She often comments on the love she feels from the staff. Sandra regularly brightens everyone’s day and we are so glad to be a part of her journey.
Edwin has just completed his freshman year at the Fulbright Honors College at the University of Arkansas, majoring in biology with a concentration in premedical studies. He eventually wants to go to medical school and follow in his father’s footsteps as an emergency medicine physician. Edwin earned a 3.9 GPA in his freshman fall semester, and he earned straight A’s this spring semester. Lawrence is in his third year as a Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. He is also the Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Lawrence was recently recruited by 3 of the top 20 medical schools in the country and has accepted a position at Baylor College of Medicine as Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, which started in June. He will be in Cleveland every other week and is looking forward to volunteering at Malachi House with his sons this summer.
STATUE DEDICATION: MATTHEW
25 COLLECTION
We are so thrilled to have the Matthew 25 Collection statue, When I Was Naked, fully installed in front of Malachi House in Kaki’s Garden. In June, we held a dedication to commemorate the completion of the installation. Father Raymond Guiao, President of Saint Ignatius High School and Father Elias Yazbeck, Pastor at Saint Maron Maronite Church both participated in the dedication. Father Guiao gave a blessing in English and Father Yazbeck a blessing in Arabic. We also heard remarks from Malachi House Executive Director, Judy Ghazoul Hilow, and President and CEO of Community West Foundation, Martin Uhle. Malachi House Co-Founder, Catherine “Kaki” O’Neill gave some beautiful closing remarks (see page 1). After the program we gathered in Kaki’s Garden for a celebration with staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and members of the community. We are so honored to have this beautiful statue as part of Malachi House and to be included in this incredible collection; Thank you, Community West Foundation. PHOTOS (LEFT TO RIGHT): FR. GUIAO BLESSING THE STATUE; CLINICAL DIRECTOR, CAROLYN BENDER; DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, EMILY SHUMAKER-CHUPP; VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR, MARTHA CROMLEIGH; COMMUNITY WEST FOUNDATION PRESIDENT, MARTIN UHLE; MALACHI HOUSE VOLUNTEER, COLLEEN O’NEILL; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JUDY GHAZOUL HILOW; FR. YAZBECK BLESSING THE STATUE
VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR:
SUSSY HIDALGO & ANN RITTY
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Fr. Paul Hritz Volunteer of the Year Award: Sussy Hidalgo and Ann Ritty. While our volunteers have been absent from working inside Malachi House since the beginning of 2020, their impact on our mission is still felt immensely. We’re looking forward to welcoming back our volunteers to Malachi House this summer. Sussy Hidalgo has been a Malachi House Volunteer since 2006. To honor Sussy, we asked fellow volunteer, Ellen Peoples, to share a memory of their time working together:
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After our weekly prayer services in the Chapel at Malachi House, John Gerace, Sussy, and I would visit residents in their rooms and invite them to sing hymns, enjoy simple fellowship, and join us in prayer. For our Spanish speaking residents, we were encouraged by their willingness to listen to our hymns. However, John and I were at a distinct disadvantage. Sussy was not. She entered the room with quiet grace and without making a fuss, she immediately began to communicate with the resident in Spanish. The response she got was nothing short of a miracle. Suddenly, the resident was taken back to his or her country of origin, where he or she had been a child and all the associations that are so important in childhood---parents, grandparents, extended family, schools, church, neighborhood friends and experiences---all of it came back and Sussy provided the language and loving acceptance that allowed these precious souls to live it afresh.
We left the room feeling blessed to have this charming woman as part of our little group of volunteers. The language barrier had been broken, and not simply because Sussy has command of Spanish. There is another language, and Sussy speaks it fluently. I’ll call that language “compassion” and whatever the country of our birth, we understand compassion when it is spoken. Cuba may have been the country of her birth, but compassion has no borders and no boundaries. Thank you, dear Sussy for allowing us to observe compassion, as well as Spanish, so lovingly communicated. - Ellen Peoples, Malachi House Volunteer A N N RITT Y Ann Ritty has been a Malachi House Volunteer since 2006. She first learned about Malachi House from a dear friend she grew up with, Karen (Hurd) Feighan. Ann and Karen remained friends through college and later on, both lived in Columbus. Before Karen died from cancer at the age of 47, she often talked fondly of Malachi House. Inspired by Karen, Ann knew that when she moved back to Cleveland she would get involved with Malachi House. In 2006, after Ann and her late husband, Fred, attended a Malachi House picnic they both decided that they’d like to start volunteering. Volunteering is an important part of Ann’s life – she finds it uplifting and enjoys giving back to the community. Her favorite memories of Malachi House are with Father Tim Gareau holding mass in the Malachi House chapel and blessing the residents.
MALACHI HOUSE 2810 Clinton Avenue Cleveland, OH 44113 (p)216.621.8831 (f )216.621.8841 malachihouse.org
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QUESTIONS? Email us at echupp@malachihouse.org
MISSION STATEMENT Malachi House, created out of a Christian sense of ministry, serves persons who are terminally ill without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin and without cost to the resident or family. This home ministers to individuals who need an available caregiver, who have limited or no financial resources and are in need of special home care in the final stages of life. A trained staff and volunteers provide spiritual, emotional, and physical support with the assistance of a hospice team.
WISH LIST MOST-NEEDED ITEMS • Tall kitchen trash bags (13 gallon) • Toilet paper • Bleach (Clorox & Clorox clean up) • Windex • Jell-O snack cups (plain; no fruit) • Pudding snack cups • Tuna, chicken (canned, in water) • Canned spinach and greens • Salad dressing (bottled, italian & ranch) • Ketchup, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, barbecue sauce • Gravy (canned, jars and dry mixes) • Ensure/Boost drinks-vanilla/chocolate • Boxed potatoes, au gratin, scalloped & instant mashed. • Antibacterial/bleach wipes • Laundry detergent (liquid & HE only) • Dishwasher detergent (liquid; no
pods) • Dishwasher rinse aid • Coffee - ground, regular, decaf (no flavors) • Single-serve liquid creamers • Single-serve powdered creamer packets • Single-serve sugar packets • Juices: orange no pulp, apple, grape • Soda pop (Coke, Pepsi, Ginger Ale, Sprite, cans only, no diet) • Gift cards (Giant Eagle, Dave’s Market, Save-a-Lot, Walmart & Amazon) • First-class postage stamps • Jif peanut butter & Smucker jelly • Cake, brownie, & pancake mix • Cake frosting ADDITIONAL ITEMS • Napkins (plain white, dinner-sized) • Paper placemats (10” x 14” for meal trays; available at GFS)
• Boxes of tissues (Kleenex/other) • Paper towels • Foil • Ziploc bags OFFICE SUPPLIES • Multi-purpose copier paper (8½” x 11” white, 20-lb., not hole-punched) NON-PERISHABLE FOODS • Sugar (granulated plus brown) • Hot cereal – oatmeal • Egg noodles • Spaghetti sauce • Kool Aid • Spices (pepper, onion powder, garlic powder & adobo) MONETARY DONATIONS • Checks made payable to Malachi House • Credit card donations online at www. malachihouse.org
CO-FOUNDERS Fr. Paul Hritz (1923-2013) Catherine “Kaki” O’Neill BOARD OF TRUSTEES John J. Schriner Chairperson Matthew A. Becker Vice-Chairperson Jeffrey D. Neuman, CPA Treasurer Donna M. Skurzak Secretary J. Brandon Walters, MD, FAAHPM Medical Director Joseph C. Granzier Fr. Michael Gurnick Kevin M. Kelly Patricia F. Krewson, Esq. L. Joseph Lee Ann C. Lutz Jonathan Onk Anthony Rinaldi, Esq. Shareefah Sabur John J. Sullivan Terrence V. Upchurch II EMERITUS Diane C. Kennedy ASSOCIATE BOARD David Amos Michael Kelley II Co-Chairs Patsy Coughlin, Esq. Steven Dieringer, CPA Bryan Evans, Esq. Meghan Hanrahan John P. Hausman Elizabeth Kalfas Taryn Kaplan Stephanie Ristau EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Judy Ghazoul Hilow Malachi House is a 501(c)(3) Corporation