gift of life
Board of Directors of Gift of Life
Transplant House Rename 705 House
Gift of Life Transplant House
the “Edward and Jayne Pompeian Home”
The Board of Directors of Gift of Life Transplant House has renamed the home located at 705 Second Street SW to Gift of Life Transplant House: Edward and Jayne Pompeian Home.
Edward (Ed) along with his mother, Helen, his sister and nephew moved to Rochester in 1972 so Ed could have a kidney transplant. In 1973, Ed received his first kidney transplant from his mother and a second kidney transplant in 2004 from his son. Ed married Jayne Diercks in September of 1980. Ed founded Gift of Life Transplant House in 1984. His vision and mission was to provide Mayo Clinic transplant patients with high-quality affordable accommodations in a supportive homelike environment.
In 1995, the Dr. E. Starr Judd House at 705 2nd Street SW was purchased and expanded to 32 rooms. In 2000 because of a generous gift from Norman L. Gillette Jr, Gift of Life Transplant House was able to expand again. Now the 705 House provides 48 rooms for guests and
caregivers. What started in 1984 as an eight bedroom home on West Center Street, has grown into 84 rooms at two locations on Second Street SW.
It is our honor to rename the home located at 705 Second Street to Gift of Life Transplant House: Edward and Jayne Pompeian Home. Since founding the Gift of Life Transplant House in 1984, Ed and Jayne have continued to be involved in many ways with the house and the guests. Ed is a long time Rochester businessman and community member.
Ed and Jayne shared their thoughts when they said “We are truly humbled and honored to have our names forever displayed here. It is a special gift to leave a legacy to our children, grandchildren and future transplant recipients.”
Edward and Jayne Pompeian
Pompeian Family
President’s Letter
By Nick Pompeian, Board of Directors
Dear Friends,
Spring is here, and I think we can confidently say it is here to stay. What a difference the change in the weather makes for everyone as we welcome spring with open arms.
Gift of Life Transplant House remains very busy as we continue to serve our guests and caregivers. Occupancy remains high in the two houses as staff and volunteers continue to work extremely hard to maintain the excellence of the house, and the support and love from all of you as our gift of life family continues to grow.
With the changes in the weather, also comes some exciting changes for the Gift of Life Transplant House. As many of you already know, Gift of Life Transplant House received a major gift from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation. Due to the generosity of the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, the 724 home will be renamed Gift of Transplant House “Anne and Henry Zarrow
Executive Director’s Letter
By Ginger Holmes
“It is Sunday night. It has been a cold and rainy week-end. I have traveled 250 miles to Rochester and I am very tired. Now I am lying in bed at Gift of Life Transplant House, scared, nervous, and apprehensive of what is to come tomorrow. My spouse and I will meet with the transplant doctors to determine if I will need a transplant and when. I am pretty low and wonder ‘what next?’ And then I remember what Albert Einstein once said:
There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
– a story from a guest
Home”. Those changes are already underway. Anne and Henry’s storyboard has been installed in the foyer entrance of the home, and exterior signage is planned to be installed in a short while. A formal dedication date has yet to be decided, but we will keep you updated.
In addition to the renaming of the Anne and Henr y Zarrow Home, the Board of Directors felt that it was fitting and well deserved to rename the 705 House after our founder and his wife, Edward and Jayne Pompeian. Very soon the 705 House will receive the new identity of Gift of Life Transplant House “Edward and Jayne Pompeian Home”. A formal dedication is planned for July. We will keep you updated on our Facebook Page.
In closing, we would like to thank you for all of your continued support, and wish you all the best this spring.
In 2015 there were 859 new transplant miracles at Mayo Clinic Rochester: 21 pancreas transplants, 10 lung transplant, 27 heart transplant, 116 liver transplants, 221 kidney transplants, and 464 bone marrow/stem cell transplant. So at Gift of Life Transplant House we see miracles and celebrate life every day. We are here to help ease the impact of the complex medical, financial, emotional, and spiritual burdens families are faced with day to day on their transplant journey. I go home every night with joy in my heart because today I witnessed another miracle.
Gift of Life Transplant House could not be here today for our guests and caregivers if all of you did not believe in miracles also. Thank you for all of your kindness and support.
GOL Health and Wellness Program Update
by Roger Erickson and Barb Schroeder
The Health and Wellness Program seeks to enhance the health initiatives of all participants through various modalities and individual presentations/participations. The fundamental philosophy guiding the program is health promotion to engage the body, mind and spirit.
Health coaching was initiated in January 2016. Students under the guidance of an advisor are available to meet with guests to walk with them on a learning process where the client is in charge. Coaching focuses on the present (here and now) to assist with future direction. Coaching assumes a much greater capacity for success than an individual imagines. Coaches don’t provide answers but offer questions and techniques for tapping into what the client knows and feels. Coaching is not counseling or therapy.
The Wellness Program is in the initial stages of development. Guests, staff, volunteers and Board of
Iron Chef Challenge 2016
By Joe Forrer, Board Member
April 7th brought us the 3rd annual Iron Chef Challenge held at Johnny Mango’s in Byron. This fundraising event has gained popularity with a packed house and 5 creative Chef’s from the areas popular restaurants including Jim Nicholas from Wildwood Sports Bar & Grill, Bruce Born from the Rochester Athletic Club, Omar Fegen from Omar’s Kitchen and Café, Nick Bongle from Five West Kitchen & Bar, and Derek Jenson from Chester’s Kitchen & Bar. The evening started off watching chef’s racing against time to create their best appetizer, entrée, and dessert with the guests enjoying the show and a hearty selection of appetizer’s and drinks. As the event rolled along to the music of “Evangelia” the guests enjoyed the creative dishes of the five chefs and shared a lot of laughs. The final tally for the evening
Directors have been offered surveys regarding potential offerings. Categories of possible development include: 1) Self-care; 2) Exercise; 3) Community Outreach; 4) Mental/Spiritual; 5 Physical health topics and other options. Based on results, program development will focus on individual information and on/off campus participation.
Goals include options of guest involvement in any of the above areas. Options may include information on healthy eating, chef demo, low level (impact) exercise, massage therapy, musician’s performance, meditation, and ways to manage pain/nausea, game night or ecumenical church service.
Our goal is to enhance the guests experience at GOL while on their transplant journey. If you have thoughts, want to participate or see the survey please contact Ginger Holmes, Executive Director.
included awards for the Best Appetizer: Nick Bongle & Bruce Born. Best Entrée: Omar Feyen & Jim Nicholas. Best Dessert: Derek Jensen & Jim Nicholas. People’s Choice: Jim Nicholas. 2016 Grand Champion goes to Jim Nicholas. $12,500 was raised for Gift of Life Transplant House.
Special thanks to Johnny Mangouras for hosting, coordinating chefs, and “hamming it up” to keep the audience engaged. In addition to utilizing his MC abilities Johnny also provided the wonderful musical entertainment “Evangelia”. Finally, this event would not have been a success without the help and support from the committee chair, Cindy Forrer, along with the staff and board members of Gift of Life Transplant House.
Targeting Togetherness to Help Others 2nd Annual Timmay 5K Walk/Run
By Jenna Rasmusson
In 2015, the Tim Rasmusson Foundation held the first Timmay 5k Walk/Run, which ended up being a much greater success than ever anticipated. My cousin Karissa Wright had the idea of organizing a race as her high school senior project – and have it be in honor my brother Tim. Many of you know my brother Tim, (“Timmay”), passed away in April of 2014 from an ascending aortic aneurysm. Tim was a donor – and helped countless others through the donation of his organs and tissues.
There was an enormous outpouring of support for our family when Tim passed away – with many noting how good it was to be together. With Tim’s friends wanting to ensure they gathered annually, and Karissa’s project idea, a collective decision was made to form the Tim Rasmusson Foundation (TRF). Our mission is “Targeting Togetherness to Help Others”, as Tim was all about helping others and bringing people together. Because he was a donor, the Timmay 5k was appropriately themed with “Target Donor Awareness.” In 2015, the TRF donated $16,500 to Gift of Life Transplant House. With full hearts we instantly agreed we needed to make it an annual event.
My sister Carlie and I proudly accepted the reigns as coRace Directors for the 2016 Timmay 5k. We were very excited to take this role and perpetuate an event that completely amazed us the year before. It was intimidating to take on this role because of the great success in the first year. For me, a lot of motivation came from wanting to make Tim proud. The event is all about helping others, but for those that know Tim, it’s also a way for us to cope with his passing. Doing something positive in his honor helps take some of the hurt away from losing someone so special. Putting on this 5k was something that could never be done alone and I am incredibly grateful for all of the TRF team, and was very fortunate to have my sister right by my side.
This year more than 520 people participated - bringing their friends and families. Additionally there were dozens of volunteers, including National Honor Society students from Century High School. Everyone came together to make the 2016 Timmay 5k an even greater success, (including Mother Nature - we had our second sunny April day)! This year, we are proud to donate $17,500 to Gift of Life Transplant House.
Ironically the first 5k landed in April, which is National Donate Life Month. This year we decided to always hold the race the day after National Blue and Green day to make it predictable. We invite you to join us on April 22nd, 2017 for the third annual Timmay 5k!
WISH LIST
House Happenings
By Ron Kreinbring
With the arrival of warm weather, our staff has been working on the outside grounds doing the usual spring cleanup and polishing around the entire campus. Our grounds look wonderful with green hues in all areas. We have a few more railings to install to complete some needed safety issues on outside stairs. Also our plans are to increase lighting levels in some parking lot areas for better security. We hope our outside yards always offer a place for rest and relaxation for our guests.
The time has come for us to review the operation of the Founders House which is the smaller house on the Northwest corner of the 705 Second Street Property. In evaluating the house, we have difficult issues to address in order to keep the house up to our standards. The roof system has structural defects relative to roof framing and support. This has contributed to some water intrusion. Also, the house has not met handicapped accessible requirements and has limited use for guests. The costs of repairs and upgrades simply do not add up to a practical solution. The decision by our Board of Directors is to demolish the house and make that space available for additional parking. Parking has always been an issue since we have 48 rooms on this property with only 37 spaces available. This house removal will provide 7 additional stalls for our guests.
Also in the 705 House we have updated furniture. In 13 of the units we have new dressers and night stands to replace some worn pieces of furniture. Another freezer unit has been replaced and this seems to be an on-going effort to maintain refrigerators and freezers. Various table tops in dining room areas have been refinished. All these efforts cause us to be thankful for a staff that truly cares about giving the best possible environment for our guests.
New Commercial Vacuum Cleaners
$30 for a guest room night
Paper towels
Paper Napkins
Forever postage stamps
Ziploc bags, assorted sizes
Liquid hand soap – large refill bottles
Liquid dish soap
Hand Sanitizer refills
Regular & decaffeinated coffee
Wrapped candy, especially chocolates
Scrubbing Bubbles
Soft Scrub – Lemon
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Gift Cards to Wal-mart, Target or Hy-Vee
Blue and Green Day Donate Life Day, 2nd Annual “Walk of Remembrance”
By Cathy Dudley
April 17th 2016 marked the Second Annual Walk of Remembrance from Saint Marys Campus to Gift of Life Transplant House.
The day was marked by sunshine, beautiful blue skies and warm spring air. Representative of the beauty that surrounds this event on such a momentous day.
The Walk of Remembrance is a time to reflect upon the many Donors that gave the Gift of Life to others. Secondly it impacts the community as an outward witness for the need for donors for the over 120,000 organ recipients waiting for that precious gift.
Mr. Ken Ackerman Hospital Administrator addressed the families of donors and recipients, under the Donate Life flag flying at the Saint Marys Campus, thanking the families for their loved ones generous gifts of donation.
Susan Gunderson CEO for LifeSource shared on the significance of the Donate Life Flag, commenting that “today there are flags flying across the country to signify the precious Gift of Life the flag signifies”.
Sr. Tierney Truman of the Values Council at Mayo Clinic gave a “Prayer of Spring”, uplifting the crowd towards
reflection and mindfulness of those who gave their lives, preparing us for the walk to Gift of Life Transplant House.
Over 200 people followed Dr. John Thistle and Craig Mann blowing their beautiful bagpipes as they led the donor families (The Olson Family and Stockdale Family) carrying the flag to Gift of Life Transplant House campus. At the house transplant recipient Allen Watanbe received the flag, and together they raised it.
Mollie Luhman shared her personal decision to be a living kidney donor to save lives, and Tammy Danielson led in song as everyone participated in a powerful sand ceremony. Families shared their loved ones name while interweaving blue and green sand in a beautiful vase creating a lovely tribute to all donors.
Gift of Life Transplant House provided a lovely reception and time was well spent sharing stories and giving respect and honor to our donors!
Upcoming Events 2016:
June 27th 32nd Annual Gift of Life Golf Tour nament Rochester Golf and Country Club
July 31st Mayo Annual Transplant Picnic Soldiers Field
August 27th Gala of the Decades… The 1980’s Signature Flight Suppor t
For more information on these events, please visit our website www.gift-of-life.org
GIFT OF LIFE
TRANSPLANT HOuSE MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Gift of Life Transplant House is to provide transplant patients and their caregivers with high quality, affordable accommodations in a supportive, home-like environment.
Gift of Life Transplant House is a proud member of
705 Second Street, Southwest Rochester, Minnesota 55902
GIFT OF LIFE TRANSPLANT HOUSE BOARd OF dIRECTORS ANd STAFF
Executive Committee
President – Nick Pompeian
Vice President – Rodney Anderson
Past President – Mark Litzow, MD
Secretary – Sarah Edgerton
Treasurer – Jesse Buhl
Founder – Edward Pompeian
Board Members
Jake Cote
Roger Erickson, RN, CNP
Joe Forrer
William French
Bob Groettum
Kathy Jensen
Ronald Kreinbring
Paul Mensing
Sheila Nelson
Charles Pagenhart
Bonnie Potter
Thomas Schwab, MD
George Smith
Honorary Lifetime Board Members
Mary Davie
Sylvester Sterioff, MD
Gift of Life Transplant House Staff
Executive Director
Ginger Holmes
Manager of Finance and Administration
Rita Hawkins
Facilities Manager
Ladd Baldus
Operations Manager
Steve Tarara
Office Supervisor/Volunteer
Coordinator
Kari Wedeking
Business Office Assistant/Receptionist
Tami Konakowitz
Technology Coordinator/Receptionist
Mark Stadtherr
Receptionist
Brittany
Bookkeeper
Norma Mooney
Resident Night/Weekend Supervisor 724 House
Debbie Niemeier
Resident Night/Weekend Supervisor 705 House
Val Koehn
Facilities
Bob Himmer, Craig Fritzke, Cory Cody
Housekeepers
Brandy Conway, Missy Johnson, Mark Stoning