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Happy July! 

Dear Adoray Volunteers,

As July comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible things happening across our Adoray family and to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You, our volunteers, continue to be the heart of this organization, and I’m so grateful for everything you give.

At the 8th Annual Hands for Hospice Golf Outing, even a little rain couldn’t dampen the spirit of generosity and community that filled the day. Together, we raised over $40,000 to support compassionate end-of-life care, an incredible achievement that speaks volumes about the love and support surrounding our mission. This year’s event held even deeper meaning with the introduction of the Angie Perry Memorial Hole-In-One Challenge, in honor of Angie, one of our beloved Adoray volunteers. Her legacy of kindness continues to touch lives and was felt deeply by all in attendance. Angie’s memory now joins those of Al Rose and Marcia Oas, two others whose passion for hospice care lives on through this special day.

Another very special and bittersweet moment this month was celebrating the upcoming retirement of Joleen Larson, our treasured General Manager of Treasures from the Heart and River Falls Store Manager. After more than 22 years of dedicated service, Joleen will officially retire on July 31, 2025. She has been a pillar of leadership, compassion, and creativity—training staff and volunteers, managing store operations, and making Treasures a welcoming and mission-driven place for all. Her fingerprints are on every shelf, display, and moment of kindness shared in our stores.

A touching moment at her celebration reminded us how full-circle this journey has been. A woman donating books that day pulled a newspaper clipping from one of them—it was an old photo of Joleen and her daughter Emily, setting up for the River Falls store’s grand opening. What a beautiful and unexpected reminder of how deeply Joleen’s impact runs.

Message from Joleen

Thank you!

We had so much fun Monday at what turned out to be an entire day of food, fun and laughter that

Marcia and I forgot to take any photos.  I want to thank you all for sharing your time and talents with us.  It has been my privilege to work beside you on this incredible adventure that we call "Treasures".  

I have been beyond blessed to have a job that I loved, to have met so many capable and loving ladies and gentlemen and to be able to work for an organization that is able to help folks at their most vulnerable time with dignity and love.

I am still going through your cards - there are so many, and I can only cry so much.  I am touched by your words and will miss each of you very much.  I am off on another adventure but will keep you all in my heart. 

I love you all!

Joleen

Wishing a Happy Birthday to all our amazing volunteers who are Celebrating their big day in July! 

Ann Richardson once beautifully said, “We cannot change the outcome, but we can affect the journey.” This sentiment perfectly aligns with Adoray's mission: “Partnering to improve the quality of life throughout serious illness wherever our patients call home.” It also reflects our Core Values: compassion, community, and commitment.

 To each of you, our hospice volunteers, know that you are truly affecting the journeys of those you serve. Through a warm smile, a gentle touch, a comforting song, sharing a cup of coffee, reminiscing about “the good old days,” watching birds through a window, taking a peaceful walk, offering a prayer, shedding a tear, or giving a heartfelt hug—you are bringing light and love to moments that matter most.

Your willingness to walk alongside hospice patients in the final chapters of their lives is an act of courage and profound kindness. In each of you, I see the very essence of Adoray’s core values coming to life.

Our 2025 Annual Training was a great success, with fantastic attendance and engagement from all of you. Together, we refreshed our understanding of key policies and procedures, learned valuable insights about various cyber threats, and, most importantly, spent time connecting with one another—sharing laughter, stories, and good times. I truly hope you understand just how much each of you means to me and to the Adoray family. Your willingness to set aside time from your busy lives to attend training and dedicate yourselves to compassionately walking alongside those nearing the end of their life journey is deeply appreciated.

The impact of your efforts is truly remarkable. In May alone, our hospice volunteers completed an incredible 220 visits and contributed 118 service hours. These outstanding efforts reflect a 7.69% volunteer contribution rate for the month (and 7.22% for the year overall), far surpassing the state requirement of 5%.

You are exceeding expectations and, more importantly, changing lives. Great job, Hospice Volunteers—you are doing AMAZING work, and we couldn’t be more proud of what you’ve accomplished! Thank you for being the heart and soul of what we do.

Upcoming events:

August 27th, 9-11:30 am – Volunteer connections (time at the office set aside for Volunteers to connect and share experiences one with another)