As we move into the week of Thanksgiving, I am still processing all of the wonderful connections that we made across Ohio in the last week.
Last Thursday we held our first benefit Cocktails & A Love Story at the Bop Stop in Cleveland. Long-time supporters joined us as well as people who walked in after reading Chuck Yarborough’s article on Cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer. One couple drove up from Columbus to attend. Our event was successful in raising funds so that we can continue providing education about Death with Dignity laws and working toward legislation. It is admittedly a new issue in Ohio and there is a lot of misinformation out there. We are using the funds to provide information and set the record straight. The benefit was also extremely successful in gathering people passionate about this option. Meeting others who feel the same way is powerful and will help us move forward. See photos of the event below.
On Monday I had a delightful lunch meeting with a new supporter who said, “I’d love to help make connections and nudge the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to help you find Family Foundation funding. I’ll give your brochures to people I know and ask them to consider donating, especially if they have donor advised funds.” We at Ohio End of Life Options are happy to approach any Foundation with information about our 501(c)3 organization in order to apply for grants or qualify for donations.
Wednesday night Molly and I drove to Columbus to meet with a group of people from both Cleveland and Columbus. Mary S., who advocates in her father Bill’s memory, introduced herself by saying, “I’ve been making my own decisions since I was 18, I don’t know why I’d stop doing that when I’m at the end of my life.” Attorneys Ann Rowland and Ken Brown enjoyed finding all of their mutual friends and brainstorming ways to create speaking opportunities among their colleagues.
You can get involved by helping us make connections throughout Ohio.
And as you spend time with family and friends at Thanksgiving, please remember that it’s an excellent opportunity to start conversations about everyone’s end-of-life wishes. You might be surprised at what you find out about your loved-ones. The Conversation Project has valuable tools for starting this conversation.
I am thankful for all of the connections that I have made with people whose real-life experiences have made them realize the importance of having all possible end-of-life options in Ohio. I am also thankful for our hard-working board and benefit committee who put together such a successful event.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Lisa Vigil Schattinger, MSN, RN
Founder and Executive Director
