A Message from
David Selberg
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Dear Friends,
About 12 years ago, one of our treasured Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) supporters and volunteers, Jill Kitnick, introduced this ingenious idea of creating teddy bears for our client families from the clothing of someone they loved who had died. The program has been a tremendous success ever since.
HSB's Beloved Bear Program offers a soft comforting remembrance during a time of grief by making a stuffed bear or pillow out of a passed loved one’s favorite article of clothing. Each item is handcrafted by HSB volunteers and provides families with a tangible keepsake infused with memories, texture, and even the familiar comforting scent of their loved one.
Not only do these adorable bears provide a sense of security during grieving, but they can also act as a transitional object in the healing process; many families do not know what to do with the deceased person’s clothing — they want the smell of the clothes or the memory of the clothes. The bear provides a way for memories to continue and serves as a joyful memory of a loved one because it is something “new” and appropriate for both kids and adults.
It's difficult to put into words what this program means to family members who receive one of these Beloved Bears. It is a tangible piece of their loved one; something they can see, touch, smell and hold. It is an incredibly powerful healing tool and becomes a “forever” memento for the family.
Hundreds of bears (and pillows) have been made over the years for HSB clients through the Beloved Bear program—each representing a loved one who has died.
We were honored to have this unique program covered by our local TV station KEYT. Please click the video below. I hope you'll enjoy it!
Be well,
David Selberg
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Slow Grief
By Ken Rubenstein
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Ken Rubenstein, now retired, has been an executive, consultant, and technology journalist. He currently enjoys writing prose and poetry, keyboard playing, and has served six years as an adult literacy tutor for the Santa Barbara Library. Read Ken's poem titled Slow Grief below.
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Slow Grief
My grief has yet to peak
A strange place, to see it coming,
Approaches so slow you can be fooled
Into believing it’s not already there.
Yet it creeps in at moments
When the guard is out to lunch
And you sit there naked to the shadow
Like the beast that slouched toward Bethlehem.
It’s okay, I think, to bear the sadness
As it builds and morphs from yet to be
Into here it is, and not to be denied
Then the polite shadow gently invites me to dance.
As I consider this proposal from
The inevitable host in darkness
I know in some part of my being
That light and dark are eternal partners.
Two sides of the same precious coin.
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Amanda Kloots
Wednesday, April 20th
6:00-7:00 PM PDT
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Amanda Kloots will present Maintaining Positivity Through Life’s Challenges virtually on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022 from 6:00-7:00 PM PDT.
In this presentation, Amanda Kloots shares the story of losing her husband unexpectedly to COVID-19, and reflects on this overwhelming loss, love, hope, parenting, and the need for a community during struggles. Through her honesty, audiences come to see that even the most challenging times can be survived with hope and positivity.
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Amanda Kloots is a television host, bestselling author, Broadway actress, award-winning fitness entrepreneur, and most recently a finalist on the 30th Season of Dancing with the Stars.
Amanda can currently be seen as a co-host of The Talk, CBS’ Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show. In the Summer of 2021, Amanda released her memoir, the New York Times bestseller Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero, which was co-authored with her sister Anna Kloots.
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Interpretación simultanea al español disponsible. |
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS |
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Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for the illuminate Speaker Series? Sponsors help make it possible for us to bring in amazing speakers like Pico Iyer, Frank Ostaseski, and Sharon Salzberg to you free of charge.
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Did you miss our recent illuminate presentation with Sharon Salzberg?
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"Thank you, Sharon, for all your wise words, and Hospice of Santa Barbara for offering this to our community!"
"Thank you for your inspiration!"
"Thank you so much for your wisdom and perspective!"
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Click on the videos below to watch the recording in English and Spanish languages. |
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We would like to give special recognition to these members of our Shining Light Society who contributed $25,000 or more in 2021 enabling us to provide services free of charge to thousands of individuals and families in the community! The generosity of our donors is what allows us to fulfill our promise to provide compassionate care for anyone experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness or grieving the death of a loved one. Thank you for investing in our work and shining a light through the darkness for community members, as they navigate the challenges of illness and end of life. For more information on the Shining Light Society, please click here.
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Supernova $100,000 and Above
James S. Bower Foundation
Superstar $50,000 - $99,999
Santa Barbara Foundation
Aurora Borealis $25,000 - $49,999
Anonymous
Christine & Maurice Duca
La Centra-Sumerlin Foundation
Living Peace Foundation
Stone Family Foundation
Thomas & Heather Sturgess
Walter J. & Holly O. Thomson Foundation
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Happy work anniversary to Mary, Sally,
Rebecca, Breana, and Christina!
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Thank you, Mary, Sally, Rebecca, Breana, and Christina for all your contributions to Hospice of Santa Barbara! We are eternally grateful for the dedication and passion of our staff. To learn more about our wonderful staff, please visit our website.
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Mary Wagner, LMFT,
Bereavement Counselor
celebrates her 20-year anniversary.
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Sally Turvey,
Volunteer Services Coordinator
celebrates her 7-year anniversary.
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Rebecca Foley, ACSW,
Bereavement Counselor
celebrates her 2-year anniversary.
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Breana Gasch,
Care Coordinator
celebrates her 2-year anniversary.
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Christina Ferguson,
Development Coordinator
celebrates her
1-year anniversary.
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Are you an Amazon shopper? Did you know that when you shop using AmazonSmile, the company will donate 0.5 percent of your purchase to Hospice of Santa Barbara?
Over the last four years, AmazonSmile has donated nearly $900 to Hospice of Santa Barbara!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Hospice of Santa Barbara every time you shop – and it comes at zero cost to you. It's a donation made by Amazon in your honor. You just have to select Hospice of Santa Barbara at smile.Amazon.com and use smile.Amazon.com instead of Amazon.com whenever you shop!
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Thank you for all that you do to support our work!
It is a remarkable privilege to witness the difference we make for those we serve on a daily basis. It is only through your generosity that we can accomplish all that we do and will in the future.
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Phone: (805) 563-8820
Fax: (805) 563-8821
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