HomeMy WebLinkAboutApplications_Hospice of SLO County DEI 2022 Application (1)Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
2022-2023 GRANT FUNDING FOR HIGH IMPACT DE&I PROJECTS
Pl e ase provi de al l re que ste d i nformati on be f ore submi tti ng your appl i cati on. Please be as spe cific as possible !
I f accommoda on or assistance is n eed ed in co mple ng this A pplica on, or if a paper ve rsion is prefe rre d, ple ase
contact (805) 781-7100 or D EI@slocity.org
Organization Name :*
Y e ar Establishe d:*
Fiscal Age nt, if diffe re nt than abov e :*
Tax ID #:*
Docume nt Ce rtifying Fe de ral Tax-Exe mpt status, if applicable
Name of Exe cutiv e Dire ctor (or highe st le ade rship position)
Approximate Annual Budge t:
M ajor Source s of Funding:
M ission State me nt:
Numbe r of paid staff (full- or part-time ):
Numbe r of v olunte e rs:
Name of Board Pre side nt or Chair:
PART 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County
1977
n/a
953195126
Hospice SLO County_IRS Determination Letter.pdf 42.4KB
Shannon McOuat
648,800
Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, Bauer Foundation, Cambria Community Council, City of Arroyo Grande, City
of Grover Beach, City of San Luis Obispo, Community Foundation of SLO County, County of San Luis
Obispo, Gazin Foundation, GEMS (Gives Every Month) Donors, Giving Tuesday & Annual Appeal
fundraisers, Light Up A Life fundraising event, Paul and Mary Russo Foundation, Robert Jansen
Foundation, Rubin Foundation, Sinsheimer Foundation, Moca Foundation, A Walk For Healing fundraising
event, Weyrich Foundation, private individual donations
Hospice SLO County is a non-medical volunteer hospice and community grief center. We support those
facing a life-limiting illness, end of life, or grief by providing in-home support, caregiver respite, care
management, grief counseling, support groups, community grief response, pet support, and education. We
envision a community that recognizes death as a part of life, where dying and grieving are embraced as
natural, where all have access to support services without charge, and where no one dies or is left to
grieve without comfort.
8
120
Organizational Le ade rship Chart *
Name of Pe rson comple ting this Application:
Organization M ailing Addre ss:*
Phone :*
E-mail:*
Brie fly de scribe your organization’s mission, primary activ itie s, and ope rating structure s.
Dr. Terry Housinger
HSLO Org Chart and Board Roster.pdf 261.43KB
Sara Otis
City
San Luis Obispo
State / Province / Region
CA
Postal / Zip Code
93401
Country
USA
Street Address
1304 Pacific Street
Address Line 2
(805) 544-2266
hospiceslo@hospiceslo.org
ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION: Hospice of San Luis Obispo County (HSLO) is a volunteer hospice serving
San Luis Obispo County residents who are facing a life-limiting illness, end of life or grief. We depend
100% on community donations, fundraising events, grants, bequests and planned gifts, and the time and
talent of over 120 volunteers to serve thousands of individuals annually. We provide free of charge
services to those grieving or coping with life-limiting illness. We recognize death as a natural and personal
event. In this spirit, we support the community by working with those near the end of life and the people
who love them by providing in-home support, caregiver respite, grief counseling, support groups,
community response and education. Unlike medical hospices, we do not restrict persons who have
prognoses longer than six months, wish to continue aggressive or curative approaches, or wish to continue
life-sustaining treatment. We offer services in partnership and collaboration with other health care provider
agencies in the community. We offer grief and bereavement services to all members of the community
regardless of whether their loved ones received hospice services from our organization. We believe that
the end of life deserves as much respect as the beginning.
PRIMARY ACTIVITIES: Our organization supports the community by working with those near the end of life
and the people who love them by providing in-home volunteers and caregiver respite, grief counseling and
support groups, community response and education. All of our services are provided free of charge. A
breakdown of our main services is offered below. Learn more about our services at
hospiceslo.org/services.
• In-home Volunteers - Under the direction and facilitation of our Executive Director and Volunteer
Coordinator, Hospice SLO County in-home volunteers offer practical help to clients as well as respite care
to relieve family caregivers. Typically, our volunteers help by providing companionship and socialization to
clients through reading, singing, actively listening, making crafts, gardening, taking clients out to lunch (as
they are able), running errands, helping with light housekeeping and simple meal preparation, transporting
clients to appointments, providing scribe services, offering life review and reminiscence, arranging pet
therapy visits, providing “normalcy” to those with life-limiting illness and dementia, and holding space for
anticipatory grief expression. Some in-home volunteer services have been altered to accommodate
COVID-19 restrictions and physical distancing. In calendar year 2021, Hospice SLO County in-home
volunteers provided over 3,000 hours of in-home respite care and compassionate support services,
coordinated by our staff. Our in-home volunteers help to keep home caregivers mentally healthy as they
care for a loved one with dementia or other life-limiting diagnosis. Caring for a spouse, parent, child, or
other relative or loved one with dementia or other life-limiting illness is a significant undertaking, and
primary caregivers often need support in order care for another while staying psychologically, physically,
and emotionally well themselves. Our volunteers provide social connection to families caring for a dying
loved one, and can help them to cultivate resilience throughout the anticipatory grief process. Our
volunteers support family members of all ages, from youth to seniors, and are a stabilizing source of
support for the whole family. Our professional staff and volunteers are comprehensively informed about a
variety of community resources and can make referrals to other services or community agencies when
appropriate.
• Auxiliary Support Services - We offer a variety of auxiliary support options for clients, primary caregivers,
and families including End-of-Life Doula volunteers to bring holistic care and vigil guidance to the dying
person and their caregivers and family, Pet Peace of Mind volunteers to help seriously ill people and their
caregivers with the care of their pets, Reiki Therapy volunteers to provide gentle and relaxing energy
treatments to caregivers and their dying loved ones, Threshold Singers to soothe end-of-life clients and
their loved ones with song, and more. Our auxiliary support services are run by our Executive Director,
Volunteer Coordinator, and Care Manager, with help from part-time office staff and volunteers.
• Care Management - Hospice SLO County offers comprehensive Care Management to ease caregivers’
burden of finding appropriate resources and developing informed care plans for their loved one. Our
dedicated Care Manager (whose position is supported by a generous grant from the Arthur N. Rupe
Foundation) meets with families to develop personalized care plans that align with the client’s end of life
trajectory, and coordinates referrals to other agencies that help those in our community. Our Care
Manager specializes in supporting caregivers whose loved ones have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or
other forms of dementia. Our Care Manager and other core staff also provide education and tutorials on
completing advance care directives, facilitate monthly Death Café virtual discussions, host guest speakers,
and provide education at community events.
• Grief Counseling - Our grief counseling services include individualized and family therapy sessions, plus
facilitated support groups and community grief response. Our organization approaches grief as a normal
response to dying and death and views each person's grief as requiring a variety of support options to be
made available. A major goal of our grief counseling services is to achieve a significant reduction in clients’
self-reported symptoms as a result of their engagement with our counseling care. Symptoms of grief
include—but are not limited to—feelings of disconnectedness or numbness, sadness and yearning, fatigue
and decreased sleep, mood swings and tearfulness, waves of anger or other strong emotions, guilt or
denial, difficulty handling the functions of daily life, neglecting self-care or other responsibilities, loss of
appetite, and other symptoms. In calendar year 2021, Hospice SLO County delivered 3,275 hours of
individual/family grief counseling through 2,936 sessions, plus 456 hours of group support through 273
facilitated support groups to those who needed emotional, social, and practical support after an
anticipated, sudden, accidental, or traumatic death.
• Support Groups - Hospice SLO County offers a variety of Support Groups, several of which are specific
to caregivers who are anticipating the loss of a loved one, grieving from a loss, or experiencing
compassion fatigue. As of late March 2020, our support groups have moved to a virtual format (Zoom),
making them not only more equitable but also more accessible to a greater number of community
members. Support groups are facilitated primarily by our grief counselors, and by some volunteer
facilitators. Community members can find ample support in our General Grief support groups, as well as in
our targeted support groups for Family Caregivers, Compassion Fatigue, Spouse/Partner loss, Suicide
Bereavement, and Pet Loss. Our vision is to expand our support group offerings to both virtual and in-
person formats, so that they can accommodate the needs and preferences of a wider variety of community
members who need support (including caregivers and family members who prefer Spanish language
groups, plus groups for children, adolescents, teens, and young adults).
• Community Grief Response - Our Community Grief Response Team, comprised of our grief counselors
and trained volunteers, provides timely counseling support, consultation, and education about grief and
coping with loss, including anticipating a loss and coping with the shock of a sudden death. Community
Grief Response services are provided to businesses, schools, churches, community agencies, and other
groups. Our trained counselors work with both children and adults and consult with groups and agencies
on the approach that feels most helpful to them. Recently, we have seen an increase in requests for
Community Grief Response, especially from schools, businesses, and organizations that need support
related to losses associated with COVID-19.
OPERATING STRUCTURE: Our organization currently has (8) eight employees (4 full-time and 4 part-
time), and over 120 active volunteers. We rely entirely on donations, fundraising, grants and bequests for
capital and operating expenses. Our social model utilizes professional staff to recruit, train and supervise
qualified volunteers, and to run our counseling and auxiliary support services. We depend on the time and
De scribe the community(ie s) your organization supports.
qualified volunteers, and to run our counseling and auxiliary support services. We depend on the time and
talent of over 120 volunteers to serve thousands of individuals in our community annually.
Please be specif ic in the population and geographic area.
We are available to support all those in need throughout SLO County, regardless of their financial
situation or cultural background, and we actively strive for inclusivity. Our services are available to all
those throughout the entire County of San Luis Obispo. As our organizational capacity grows, we are deftly
poised to launch targeted outreach initiatives to various marginalized populations and under-served areas
of our community.
We consistently serve clients and families throughout San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Atascadero, Morro
Bay, Los Osos, Arroyo Grande, and South County. During calendar year 2021, 21% of the clients who
received in-home volunteer support from us were located in the North Coast area of SLO County, 21%
were located in North County, 26% were located in SLO City, and 32% were located in South County. As
we attract and train new community members for our in-home volunteer program, we are able to increase
the scope and reach of our in-home support services more assertively. Currently, we are fortunate to have
volunteers who reside in locations throughout the County, including in Nipomo, San Miguel, and North
County who are able to serve clients and families on a weekly basis even in the more remote geographic
areas of the county. We recently received a new grant from the City of Grover Beach to support outreach
to Grover Beach residents, schools, businesses, and community organizations to spread awareness about
our free of charge caregiver support and grief counseling services.
Our Volunteer Coordinator and Care Manager travel to prospective clients’ homes to assess their needs
and ensure the appropriateness of matching each family with one of our volunteers. We also regularly
send volunteers to visit clients in care facilities, though this became more challenging during the COVID-19
pandemic. We also make our care management, grief counseling, and support groups accessible to a
wider audience of SLO County residents by offering these services virtually via Zoom or phone, so that
those with limited access to transportation (or who are homebound due to their primary caregiver
responsibilities) can access our support when they otherwise would not be able to do so in person.
In terms of age of those who reach out to us, our call data from 2021 showed that of the 309 requests for
new client support we received during that calendar year, the age range of the callers seeking support was
21 years old to 105 years old. Of the 309 calls, 189 were from a family member of someone with a life-
limiting diagnosis, 29 calls were from a friend, 28 were from a professional contact, and 63 were from
people requesting care for themselves. Of the clients who received in-home volunteer support from us in
calendar year 2021, 59% identified as female, 40% identified as male, and 1% preferred not to say. Most
of our in-home clients are seniors who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, a disease that does not
discriminate. During calendar year 2021, for example, 52% of our in-home support clients identified as
having some form of cognitive impairment. During calendar year 2021, the age range of the clients we
served with in-home volunteer support was 52 to 105 years old. Of those clients, 17% were in the age
range of 52-69 years old, 23% were 70-79 years old, 38% were 80-89 years old, 18% were 90-99 years
old, and 4% were 100+ years old. In calendar year 2021, approximately 13% of the clients who received
our in-home support identified as Veterans. Approximately 18% of the clients to whom we provided in-
home support in calendar year 2021 were receiving medical hospice care in addition to our volunteer
hospice support. In order to foster accessibility and inclusivity, we do not collect financial or other
demographic data on our clients because it is not pertinent in our organization’s process of accepting new
clients, and not needed for them to qualify for our volunteer hospice care.
Our volunteer hospice services are unique in that they fill in gaps for support service needs throughout
our community. We value inclusivity and support access for all. We are one of only 22 non-medical
volunteer hospices left nationwide, which is significant because volunteer hospices dedicate themselves to
providing access to all who are dying or grieving in the community, regardless of whether a condition or
situation meets federal Medicare requirements. While our hospice volunteers do not provide skilled
medical care, they offer an array of services that are comprehensive and would be difficult, if not
impossible, to achieve in a setting restricted by third party reimbursements or regulatory mechanisms.
Unlike Medicare-certified programs, volunteer hospices such as Hospice SLO County can serve those who
continue to choose chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery with a curative focus. For low- or fixed-income
families coping with end of life illness but lacking insurance coverage, we remain fully accessible and are
here to help.
Name of DE&I Proje ct *
Est. numbe r of pe ople se rv e d through this proje ct:*
Est. numbe r of SLO CITY RESIDENTS se rv e d through this proje ct *
Total Proje ct Cost:*
AM OUNT OF CITY FUNDING REQUESTED:*
De scribe your propose d proje ct or program.
PART 2: PROJECT INFORMATION
Volunteer Training & Community Outreach
350
250
50,000
10,000
Specify w hat the requested f unds w ill be used f or, the need for this project, the number of people impacted. Include a project plan, if available.
Hospice SLO County’s High-Impact Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion project has two main components. The
first component is comprehensive DEI-informed training for new in-home hospice volunteers so that our
family of volunteers may continue to support those in our community coping with life-limiting illness and the
challenges of home caregiving. The second component is a suite of outreach initiatives to marginalized,
minoritized, or under-served populations in our area to spread awareness of and increase access to our
free-of charge support services (namely in-home volunteer support, grief counseling, support groups, and
auxiliary services such as End-of-Life Doula support, Pet Peace of Mind, and Threshold Singers).
Outreach initiatives will be in the form of mailers, social media, and other media (print, radio).
A portion of the SLO City High-Impact DEI grant will sustain the comprehensive 30-hour In-Home Volunteer
Training our staff conducts four times a year to prepare volunteers to assist clients with their needs,
including in-home respite services for clients’ caregivers and family. Our Executive Director, Volunteer
Coordinator, and Care Manager coordinate our quarterly new volunteer training programs and invite
established volunteers to attend refresher trainings to keep up on best practices and dementia advocacy.
Our volunteer trainings explore personal attitudes towards death and dying, the history of hospice, current
medical and non-medical approaches to end-of-life care, communication skills, anticipatory grief and
bereavement, and practical and emotional support needs of clients and families, including sensitive
attention to family dynamics.
The themes of inclusivity, diversity, and equity are woven throughout all aspects of the training, with an
emphasis on empathic listening and human-to-human connection. Our trainings increase the cultural
competence of future and current volunteers, preparing them to be of service to community members
whose backgrounds or belief systems differ from their own. Additionally, we are actively enhancing our
volunteer training program to increase the cultural humility, cross-cultural awareness, and understanding
of implicit bias among our staff and volunteers. Through the comprehensive trainings we provide, our
volunteers embody the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills for effectively and compassionately
supporting all those facing end of life or anticipatory grief who wish to avail of our services. During
calendar year 2023 (January 1 - December 31, 2023), we plan to recruit, train, and bring onboard 50+ new
volunteers and to retain 70+ current volunteers and keep them in compliance. The costs associated with
our volunteer training program account for personnel costs, onboarding costs for new volunteers, and
supply costs for training materials.
Securing High-Impact DEI grant funding for outreach will directly translate to our organization being able to
dedicate more staff hours towards a number of meaningful outreach projects that focus on increasing
equity, awareness, and inclusivity. Collectively, our various outreach initiatives have the potential to reach
thousands of community members throughout the City and County of SLO, including youth, adults,
seniors, low-income families, Spanish-speakers, BIPOC, LGBTQI+, Veterans and military-affiliated families,
and people with disabilities. This could translate into hundreds of new prospective client calls.
We have queued up a mailing initiative to reach out to all of the K-12 schools in SLO County to spread
awareness to youth, families, faculty, and administrators about the free-of-charge support services our
De scribe the community the proje ct will support.
awareness to youth, families, faculty, and administrators about the free-of-charge support services our
organization offers to those anticipating or coping with the loss of a loved one. Of the 86 schools in SLO
County, 14 are specifically in the City of SLO. Another outreach endeavor related to issue awareness and
access that we have lined up is an outreach project to local doctors, businesses, and community
organizations, in order to foster referrals and spread awareness of our free-of-charge support services. A
number of outreach initiatives have been propelled by several members of our Board of Directors through
their community connections, and our Development Director is at the ready to use outreach-specific grant
funds towards targeted social media initiatives to spread awareness of our free-of-charge services to
under-served demographics within our geographic area.
As our organizational capacity grows, we will offer a wider range of age-specific grief support groups for
children, adolescents, teens, and young adults. Additionally, we are enthusiastically working to offer more
Spanish speaking support services, and as such are preparing a multi-pronged outreach initiative for the
members of our community who identify as Hispanic, while simultaneously endeavoring to destigmatize the
practice of seeking counseling support for grief. We have been connecting with peer hospice organizations
throughout the U.S. to glean best practices for our Hispanic outreach program, which is one of our top
priorities for the coming fiscal year.
The two-fold DEI project described herein answers the call for greater access to care for all members of
our community who need help coping with end of life illness, caregiving, loss, and grief. Hospice SLO
County endeavors to reduce socioeconomic, racial and ethnic, age, gender identity, sexual orientation,
and disability disparities by increasing access to in-home volunteer hospice care, grief counseling, care
management, and the other support services we offer. As an organization, Hospice SLO County is unique
in that we are a volunteer nonprofit, non-medical, social model hospice that serves clients experiencing
grief or coping with a life-limiting illness free of charge. We are available to support all those in need
throughout SLO County, and we do not discriminate on any basis. By being offered free of charge
throughout SLO County, without the need for medical insurance qualification, all of our in-home caregiver
support services are exponentially more accessible to a much wider range of community members, many
of whom are primary caregivers to loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. We understand
that death and grief are a natural part of the human experience, regardless of anyone’s race, ethnicity,
gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, citizenship,
national origin, religion, language, intellectual or physical capacity, professional status, background, or
beliefs. It is from this understanding that we empower our staff, volunteers, and affiliates to be
indiscriminately supportive of all members of our community who are facing a life-limiting illness, caring for
a loved one, or experiencing grief. We also offer a variety of support services virtually, in order to further
increase access for those in remote areas of the county or whose caregiving situations make it challenging
for them to visit our downtown SLO location. We send our volunteers to community members’ homes,
rather than requiring community members to come to us. We bridge an important gap in local services for
the dying and grieving, and are often able to respond to requests for support more nimbly than other
agencies are, by intentional design following the original volunteer hospice model.
De scribe the e quity gaps and community ne e ds this proje ct will addre ss.
Specify the population, location of services provided, and any other identif iers your proposed project w ill support.
The members of our community who train to become hospice volunteers with our organization greatly
benefit from the DEI content woven throughout our trainings. By training to become hospice volunteers,
these warm-hearted members of our community become educated in not only the philosophy of hospice
and practical service aspects of being a volunteer, but also in the knowledge and understanding that
illness, dying, death, and grieving are experiences that affect all humans, regardless of their beliefs,
backgrounds, or circumstances. Empathy, advocacy, and compassion are at the core of HSLO’s existence
as an organization and community resource. We promote an inclusive and welcoming environment that
embraces diverse perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds. We actively cultivate diversity among our
dedicated staff and growing family of hospice volunteers, and value an educational environment that
challenges all forms of bias, including both intentional and unintentional bias. HSLO is dedicated to a path
of learning about and confronting implicit bias, privilege, and systemic oppression, and is committed to
striving towards social justice and inclusivity as an organization.
Beyond the new volunteers we train, the clients and caregivers we serve in the community will also benefit
from and be supported by this project. The outreach components of our project have the potential to
spread awareness of free-of-charge hospice support services to populations that might not have volunteer
hospices on their radar; our outreach endeavors also aim to give access to under-served and low-income
families who cannot access other types of care and could greatly benefit from in-home volunteer support,
support groups, end of life doulas, or grief counseling. We aim to equitably and impartially support the
community in working with those near the end of life and the people who love them by providing in-home
support, caregiver respite, grief counseling, support groups, community response, and education. By
offering all of our services free of charge and not billing third party providers, we aim to be as inclusive as
possible to all those members of the community who wish to avail of our support. As a volunteer non-
medical hospice, we are able to provide support to those members of the community who may not qualify
for or have the means to access medical hospice, respite, counseling, or care services from other
agencies. We believe that the end of life deserves respect, and that everyone is worthy of access to
support through life limiting illness, dying, and grief.
All of our organization’s support services are available to all those in need throughout SLO County,
regardless of their financial situation or cultural background, and we actively strive for inclusivity. As our
organizational capacity grows, so does our capacity to support those in need who have historically been
under-served. With the SLO City High-Impact DEI grant, we will be able to launch outreach initiatives for
youth, low-income families, Spanish-speakers, and other underserved populations through a variety of
channels.
In the table below briefly list 2-3 methods of evaluation and indicators of success or
measurable outcomes.
M e thods of Ev aluation Indicators of Succe ss / M e asurable Outcome s
In the chart below, identify any partnerships/collaborations that are supporting this
project, and their roles.
Hospice SLO County endeavors to reduce socioeconomic, racial and ethnic, age, gender identity, sexual
orientation, and disability disparities by increasing access to in-home volunteer hospice care, grief
counseling, care management, and the other support services we offer. As an organization, Hospice SLO
County is unique in that we are a volunteer nonprofit, non-medical, social model hospice that serves
clients experiencing grief or coping with a life-limiting illness free of charge. By offering our services to the
community without charge, we effectively eliminate the financial barrier to accessing services for SLO
County residents. By being offered free of charge throughout SLO County, without the need for medical
insurance qualification, all of our in-home caregiver support services are exponentially more accessible to
a much wider range of community members, many of whom are primary caregivers to loved ones with
Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. We serve those in the low- or fixed-income brackets who may not
have ready access to social services or are not able to pay for services. We also offer a variety of support
services virtually, in order to further increase access for those in remote areas of the county or whose
caregiving situations make it challenging for them to visit our downtown SLO location. We bridge an
important gap in local services for the dying and grieving, and are often able to respond to requests for
support more nimbly than other agencies are, by intentional design following the original volunteer hospice
model.
Many residents of SLO City and County are currently experiencing the need for in-home hospice volunteer
support for those facing or caring for a family member with dementia or other life limiting illness.
Simultaneously, they are facing economic hardships that may prevent them from accessing much-needed
support services related to health and wellness. Ongoing waves of grief, illness, and caregiver fatigue are
sweeping SLO County, including areas of our community whose residents have historically underutilized
HSLO’s support services. Dealing with dementia and life limiting illness, loss, and grief is immensely
challenging, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges, especially among low-
income individuals and families. End-of-life and loss are ongoing phenomena, with the ten leading causes
of death in California being heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, respiratory diseases,
accidents, diabetes, influenza/pneumonia, hypertension, and liver disease/cirrhosis. Additional causes of
death include homicide, suicide, drug overdoses, and infant mortality. To date, there have been over 500
COVID-19 related deaths in SLO County. Our organization continues to receive copious requests for
support services from throughout the county, and many of our calls come from within the City of SLO. We
are doing our best to make sure our agency rebuilds and diversifies its capacity so that we can continue
providing much-needed support to our community through and beyond our 45th year of service.
It is easy for SLO residents to access our services: a simple phone call or email to our organization is all it
takes to be connected with appropriate care. Prospective clients can also peruse our organization’s
website to explore the variety of services we offer, all provided free of charge. Clients and families who
reach out to HSLO have access not only to our full range of services (in-home volunteers, grief
counseling, support groups, and auxiliary services), but also to a wide range of community resources and
referrals. Our professional staff and volunteers are comprehensively educated about a variety of
community resources, and we have a dedicated Care Manager who coordinates referrals to other
agencies that help in our community.
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
# of new volunteers trained
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
At least 50 new volunteers trained by end of
CY2023
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
# of new outeach initiatives launched
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
At least 3 targeted outreach initiatives launched by
end of CY2023 (e.g., schools letters, doctors
letters, social media initiatives)
Name of Partne r Activ ity/Se rv ice The y Prov ide for This Proje ct
Prov ide the time line for this propose d proje ct.
De scribe your plan for sustainability be yond the City’s one -ye ar award funding, if applicable .
Using the table below, please provide a broadly-itemized budget for your project,
including the source of any matching funds.
Ite m De scription *Total Cost *Amount Prov ide d by
City Funds *
Amount of Othe r
Funds and Source of
Funding *
1
Example: ABC Business Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
We anticipate using all High-Impact DEI grant funds by the end of calendar year 2023 (by the end of
December 2023). We typically hold (4) four volunteer training programs per year, and DEI funds will be
used to partially sustain (1) one or more trainings. We will dispatch 2-3 outreach initiatives upon receipt of
funding and will carry out all grant-funded outreach initiatives by the close of calendar year 2023.
If awarded to our organization, High-Impact DEI grant funding from the City of SLO will contribute to
sustaining our volunteer training program and growing our outreach endeavors beyond the award year by
giving us momentum in our DEI-specific grant-seeking and fundraising efforts. We will leverage SLO City
High-Impact DEI funding to secure grants from other sources (government, foundation, community, and
private grants), plus community donations, bequests, and fundraising events to cover the remaining
percentages of their salaries. To cultivate the sustainability of our quarterly volunteer trainings and to grow
our outreach endeavors, our organization will leverage High Impact DEI grant funds in the following ways:
• By adding a DEI-focused grant to our list of current funding sources, we will demonstrate the increased
diversification of our development strategies to other prospective grantors who prioritize diversity, equity,
inclusivity, and justice. Hospice SLO County seeks grant funding from a variety of government sources
(city, county, and federal), private foundations, community organizations, businesses, banks, and trusts on
an ongoing basis.
• By specifically showcasing themes of DEI that permeate our volunteer trainings, we intend to
communicate to other prospective funders the importance of supporting our vision to grow our core and
supporting staff to be able to scale our programs and reach underserved populations. This year, for
example, we are actively seeking grant funding to extend our grief counseling services for children,
adolescents, teens, and young adults in SLO County who have lost a loved one.
High-Impact DEI funding from SLO City will serve as a bridge to additional funding that will help us grow our
DEI efforts to support under-served members of our community who are coping with end of life illness, the
challenges of home caregiving, or loss and grief. Securing High-Impact DEI grant support for our Volunteer
Training program and outreach initiatives will free up our development staff to turn its sights towards
funding opportunities that will support the growth of our grief counseling program, community grief
response and other community education programs, plus community education programming (e.g.,
workshops, lectures, classes). Hospice SLO County will continue to actively pursue grant funding from a
variety of sources to sustain and grow our services in the coming years. Necessity for client and caregiver
support within our community has remained persistent during the pandemic, and Hospice SLO County
aims to do everything it can to fortify our institutional capacity to respond to the ongoing demand for
hospice volunteer support within our community. HSLO also continues collaborate with other local
organizations in SLO including the Alzheimer’s Association, the Community Counseling Center, and a
variety of local health care providers in order to raise funds to collectively support the needs in the
community.
PART 3: PROJECT COST / BUDGET
In-Home Volunteer Training
costs (personnel, onboarding,
supplies)
28,000.00$5,000.00$10,000.00$
2
*During application review , you may be asked for f urther f inancial information or f or proof of any matching f unds
De scribe the plan for promoting this proje ct within the City of San Luis Obispo.
How will you highlight the City's support of your proje ct?
By signi ng thi s applicaon, I ce rfy that the i nformaon containe d w i thin is true and corre ct to the be st of my
know l e dge . I agre e to comply w i th the re quire me nts of the Ci ty of the San Lui s Obispo.
Name of Pe rson comple ting this Application:*
Signature *
Title :*
Date :*
Outreach Initiatives
(personnel, mailings, media
costs)
22,000.00$5,000.00$10,000.00$
PART 4: AWARENESS AND VISIBILITY
We recruit new participants for our quarterly Volunteer Trainings on an ongoing basis year round, most
notably through word-of-mouth from clients, families, and continuing volunteers as they serve the
community. We also recruit for our Volunteer Trainings through our community e-newsletter, social media,
and intermittent print/radio/media ads as funds are available. We keep an interest list of those who would
like to attend future Volunteer Trainings.
For the outreach initiatives pertinent to this grant, we intend to promote our free-of-charge services
through a variety of channels, namely mailers (letters/fliers), social media initiatives, and other media
outlets.
Currently, the City of San Luis Obispo is highlighted as a Gold level sponsor on our website at
hospiceslo.org/sponsors. The City of San Luis Obispo is one of our most important sources of funding.
Most recently, we have received Grants in Aid (GIA) funding from the City of SLO, which makes a
meaningful impact on our organization, in turn letting us make a positive impact on the community. We will
also feature the City’s support of our Volunteer Training and outreach initiatives in our community e-
newsletter and blog. Our sponsors are also regularly acknowledged at our events and media interviews,
where we emphasize the importance of grant funding (especially from city and county sources, as well as
from foundations, community organizations, and businesses) to our ongoing operations as a social-model
volunteer hospice.
PART 5: CERTIFICATION
Sara Otis
Grants Consultant
8/31/2022
Executive Director
Counseling Volunteers
and Trainees
Support Group
Facilitators
Grief Companions
In-Office
Volunteers
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County
Board of Directors
Board Committees
Executive Director
F/T Director -
Development
F/T Director -
Counseling Services
F/T Director -
Volunteer Services
(vacant)
F/T Office &
HR Manager
Outreach
Interns/Volunteers
Special Events
Volunteers
P/T LMFT Supervisors
P/T Coordinator
Community Response
Teams
P/T Volunteer
Coordinator
P/T
Care Manager
In-Home
Volunteers
Supportive Music
Services
Heart in Hands
Doula Volunteers
Pet Programs
Care Management
Interns/Volunteers
Directors shall be elected or appointed for a three-year term and until a successor has been elected and qualified. Directors may be
elected or appointed for one additional three-year term. The Chair shall be elected for a one-year term and can be elected for two
additional one-year terms. The term of the Chair shall commence as of July 1 of each year.
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County Board of Directors
Fiscal Year 2022-2023
Dr. Terry Housinger, Chair
2019 – 2023 (First Term)
Chair Term Ends: July 2023
Signer: Schwab & SESLOC
983 W. Highway 16 | Paso Robles | 93446
(406) 794-2740
thoser2@gmail.com
Abe Lincoln, Secretary/Interim Treasurer
2020 – 2023 (First Term)
Signer: Schwab & SESLOC
1319 Alder Street | San Luis Obispo | 93401
(831) 402-9979
abelincoln4slo@gmail.com
Open Position, Treasurer
Open Position, Member
Rick Berard, Member
2022 – 2025 (Second Term)
P.O. Box 2572 | Avila Beach | 93424
(978) 835-2748
rick.berard83@gmail.com
Dr. Lindsey Faucette, Member
2020 – 2023 (First Term)
777 Pismo Street | San Luis Obispo | 93401
(805) 423-0509
drfaucette@slohealthcenter.com
Len Jarrott, Member
2020 – 2023 (First Term)
1696 Trilogy Parkway | Nipomo | 93444
(805) 705-5135
lenjarrott44@gmail.com
Janice Mehring, Member
2020 – 2023 (First Term)
3042 Fuente Del Oro | Atascadero | 93422
(805) 610-9532
janice.mehring@gmail.com
Debra Trout, Member
2021 – 2024 (First Term)
890 Osos Street, Suite A | San Luis Obispo | 93401
(805) 458-2858
debra@troutandassociates.com
Kris Kington-Barker, Executive Director Emeritus
2021 – 2024 (First Term)
4671 Tumbleweed Way| Paso Robles| 93446
(805) 471-1233
kriskingtonbarker@gmail.com
O'Leary Wallace LLP, Legal Counsel
January 2022 - Present
3196 S Higuera Street, Suite E | San Luis Obispo | 93401
(805) 250-1562 | F: (805) 830-1885
janet@olearywallace.com | matthew@olearywallace.com