Remembering the happy times together, Sandy Hise, Housecall Providers donor, volunteer, and ambassador, shares a selfie with her father, Don Bower.
When caring for her father became less about spending quality time together and began to feel more like running a taxi service to and from doctor’s appointments, Sandy Hise found Housecall Providers. She has stayed connected to our organization in the ten years since.
Hearing Sandy describe the fondness her father, Don, had for Alex, his primary care provider, one can’t help but be infected with her cheery optimism and appreciation for Housecall Providers. Sandy recalls how Don and Alex would tell each other stories and laugh deep belly laughs, and how Don’s quality of life (and Sandy’s by extension) was improved by his in-home medical care.
“I remember how Alex would come in and check on dad regularly; he would sit there like his buddy and talk with him,” Sandy explains. “Dad was a great storyteller, so the two of them had a lot of fun together sharing life stories and so forth.”
After Don passed, Sandy became a regular donor and signed up to be a volunteer. For several years she enjoyed her connection with the organization she supports as a donor, volunteer and ambassador.
The pandemic took its toll on the connection, though. With only virtual events to keep her connected over the past three years, and with a busy schedule of her own, split between the Oregon coast, the Portland metro region, and Lake County in southern Oregon, Sandy hasn’t been able to celebrate Housecall Providers’ mission with other supporters in person, and agrees it’s time to change that.
When asked if she is ready to attend a live event, Sandy replies, “I am really tired of Zoom meetings. I have a woman’s group that has been meeting twice a month for nine years. During covid we started doing Zoom calls and we got sick of it. And now we are back together in person. The personal connection makes a difference.”
Community support means more than just being a donor or a volunteer, even though those are critical roles. It also means bringing people together to celebrate the organizations like Housecall Providers that form the community networks of care that hold us together.
While Sandy is ready to get together in person, we understand that this is a complicated issue. We would love to hear from supporters and ambassadors like you: What are your thoughts on celebrating together? Please CLICK HERE to take our supporter survey to let us know how you feel. If there is enough interest, you may be able to meet Sandy and other supporters of Housecall Providers at a live event this year!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Barb Gorman at bgorman@housecallproviders.org or 971-202-5535. From all of us at Housecall Providers, thank you so much for your input.
