Finding Peace

Hospice of Santa Barbara

By Erica Rascón on Dec 26, 2014 in Giving, People

“Will I ever be normal again?”

It’s not the sort of question you would expect from an eight-year-old. The counselor struggled with the answer. The young boy could feel normal again even after the passing of his mother. He could feel safe, happy, and hopeful. He just needed support, time, and the right tools.

Since 1974, Hospice of Santa Barbara has equipped families with the tools needed to face the passing of a loved one or confront the end of life for themselves. The organization serves a diverse clientele, each struggling to face tragedy with a sense of peace.

Steve Jacobsen, Executive Director, has found beauty in the human spirit’s quest to understand the meaning of life and death. “In hospice, when people are themselves facing the prospect of dying or the prospect of a loved one dying, that search for how to make sense of things becomes genuine,” says Steve. “I find it very moving to see how people come terms with things, when they do. There is a part of the beauty of the human spirit that becomes evident.”

Hospice of Santa Barbara is the first of its kind on the west coast. After years of providing traditional hospice care, the organization developed a new method of operation. In 1990, it became a volunteer hospice that collaborates with professional nurses, doctors, caseworkers, and spiritual leaders to offer cost-free support to those in need.

“[The medical] side of hospice comes with a lot of restrictions, regulations, and federal oversight that would cause us to be limited in what we could do for people,” Steve explains. “We don’t provide medical care and we don’t charge anybody for what we do which allows us to be involved as broadly and as deeply as the situation allows. Thanks to the support of Yardi and our other sponsors, we’re able to serve a broad reach of people, a lot of teenagers and low-income families, people of all walks of life.”

Hospice of Santa Barbara serves over 700 adults and children each month.  The organization makes house calls, hospital visits, and offers services through schools to ensure that those in need of supportive services receive what they need without worrying about the costs.

Though it offers a variety of services, the hospice specializes in palliative care which focuses on patients’ needs beyond their bodies: the life-altering emotional, psychological, and social effects that come with serious illness.

Steve expounds, “On our end, our volunteers use whatever skills they have to make people feel comfortable. When we have someone who enjoys doing computer work they can help families with whatever is needed technically. There are people who like to do gardening, like cooking meals, taking people to appointments that don’t have transportation. It’s a very practical way of meeting people’s needs as a volunteer.”

The I Have a Friend program focuses on the unique needs of children. Youth who have lost a friend or family member are paired with a mentor who experienced a similar loss as a child. The mentorship can continue as long as the child needs, often for several years. “It’s really a life changing program, not just for the kids but also for the adults. They see that they can make a difference with these kids by helping them find a connection and find hope; it can also heal some of the pain that volunteers carried as children.”

Hospice of Santa Barbara continues its good work through public and private support. Annual Heart of Hospice, December’s Light up a Life, and volunteer events are an excellent opportunity to show your support. For more ways to get involved, visit Planned Giving.