For those that don't enjoy braving the malls on Black Friday, or the holiday season in general, shopping online is the way to go. You can stay in your PJs, drink as many cups of coffee as you want, and wear your favorite fuzzy slippers. While Cyber Monday is a great day to get some deals, Goodshop Sunday, on November 30 , will not only get you some steals but let you give a little to your favorite charity – like Angela Hospice. Goodshop Sunday is a day packed with exclusive savings and double donations at your favorite stores. Join the thousands of others who have already taken the Goodshop Sunday pledge to buy one gift that gives back with Goodshop this holiday season. And be sure to share it on your social media platforms. After Goodshop Sunday don't put away your wallet too quickly. Visit Amazon Smile and support Angela Hospice there too. If you visit smile.amazon.com/ch/38-2755767 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to Angela Hospice. Angela Hospice i

Thanksgiving is a day to spend with family, give thanks, and eat too much turkey. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about getting the best deal for your buck. The following Tuesday, December 2, aka #GivingTuesday, may not have pumpkin pie or a free DVD but it will put you in the giving mood. And isn't that what the holiday season is really all about? The global day of giving was founded in 2012 by New York's 92nd Street Y, a cultural, educational, and community center that serves people of all ages, races, faiths, and backgrounds, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. #GivingTuesday was inspired by the core Jewish value of tikkun olam, which means, "repairing the world." The team of influencers and founding partners, which includes CEOs and company presidents among others, has launched a movement that has engaged over 10,000 organizations worldwide. “On the cusp of this gift-giving season, #GivingTuesday is such a refreshing reminder th

Name: Vickie Krause How long have you been a volunteer? Three years What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient and family care in the Care Center. What made you decide to become a volunteer? That's really interesting because until I became a volunteer I had no idea Angela Hospice existed or hospice existed. I retired rather unexpectedly from teaching and then found myself praying, "Now what do I do?" I kept saying, "Please use my talents." Doors just started opening and it led me here. It's just amazing. Absolutely amazing, and it is a wonderful fit. I am blessed beyond belief. Why Angela Hospice? I think that's one of the doors (that opened). I read the Observer periodically and for some reason I saw an ad or something about needing volunteers. So I called and one thing led to the other. I went through the classes and it was just absolutely amazing. My eyes were open. Wow. What is your

By: Dana Casadei, Angela Hospice volunteer November for many is the month with Thanksgiving. For some, it's the month when it's finally time to put up their holiday decorations. But for the hospice community, November is a time to raise awareness. Started in 1992, long after the first Thanksgiving, November became the National Hospice and Palliative Care month. The number of hospices in the United States has speedily grown since the first hospice was founded in 1974. That includes Livonia’s Angela Hospice, which was founded 11 years later in 1985. In 2013 more than 1.5-million patients received services from one of 5,800 hospices nationwide. Angela Hospice served 1,760 of those patients. While the numbers for 2014 haven't been totaled yet, Agnes Chor's husband John was one of this year's many patients that received care. During his one month and three days in the Angela Hospice Care Center, Agnes spent nearly every night with him, making it a home a

Angela Hospice staff members share why they support #GivingTuesday in an #UNselfie. The selfie is everywhere. It's probably all over your Facebook and Instagram feeds, close-up after close-up of other people's faces. We've all taken them, no need to lie. But this holiday season how about taking a selfless selfie? On Tuesday, December 2, aka #GivingTuesday, you can jump on the #UNselfie bandwagon. You still get to take a picture of yourself but this time it's for a good cause. Win-win, right? Just  download and print our #UNselfie flyer, fill it out, and then take an #UNselfie. After you're done upload it to Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. Then be sure to tag Angela Hospice and use the hashtags, #UNselfie and #GivingTuesday. Let us know why you are supporting Angela Hospice on #GivingTuesday. Turn it into a group activity at your holiday events by having your friends and family take pictures of each other. Upload them inbetween bites of pie. I

A weekly feature where you can get to know some of our volunteers. Name: Pete Havstad How long have you been a volunteer? Just started his ninth year. What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient care in the Care Center three times a week to help with breakfast. What made you decide to become a volunteer? My mother-in-law was under Angela Hospice care and she spent her last week in the old Care Center. We were there pretty much day or night with her. So I got to see what went on, and met a lot of the nurses and aides. I guess I must've met some volunteers too. Then a little while after that my father-in-law passed away at home with an Angela Hospice nurse there. Again, it was a really neat experience. I thought, 'Maybe that's something I could do,' because there were volunteers. So I signed up, and here I am. What is your favorite part about volunteering? Working with the nurses, aides, and patients. It's really gratifyin

A weekly feature where you can get to know some of our volunteers. Name Kevin Finnerty How long have you been a volunteer? Since April. What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient care in the Care Center What made you decide to become a volunteer? I retired and I was bored. I thought, “I want to do something where I'm giving up myself.” I've taken all these years from employers, if you will, as an employee and given back. But I really wanted to do something to give back. I wanted to learn more about Angela Hospice and about the hospice philosophy. I have never been around people that are in the process of dying. I wanted to learn more about that. I mean, I've lost both my parents but I wanted to learn a little bit more. The classes were just wonderful. Syndie did a great job. And every one of us, despite the fact that it was throughout the winter, we looked forward to getting out in that blizzard, and coming to learn more