Institute (BI) in Anaheim, did not have his guitar by his side.

Most unusual. You see, David always had his guitar with him. Though he’d been blind at an early age, he’d been playing the guitar, and even had a job at a Mexican restaurant at one time. But, as Ali discovered when he saw his friend at the BI in their Salsa class, someone stole David’s guitar.

This was very disheartening so Ali decided to do something about it. When he came to his shift at the hospital, he went to the Volunteer Office and told Julia Lieberman, our Volunteer Coordinator. Julia called the Thrift Shop and asked them to be on the lookout for a guitar. Ali himself spread the word that he would be happy to buy a used guitar at a Pawn or Thrift Shop. Happily Julia found one, minus two strings, and gave it to Ali, a gift from our Thrift Shop. Ali, overjoyed, purchased new strings and was intent on giving the guitar to David when he next saw him at the Salsa class.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, Ali wanted to surprise David with the guitar. However, there was an even bigger surprise; it was David’s birthday! The instructor had composed a special birthday song for David and then Ali presented the guitar to a very grateful David.

How hopeful life is when someone takes the initiative to help another in such a meaningful way. In this case, thank you Ali for taking this mission to it’s happy conclusion, and to Julia, and those at the Thrift Shop who shared in it’s outcome. May we all be inspired to look out for each other.

AND THE MUSIC GOES ON . . . . .

A short time before Thanksgiving, Ali Reshamwalla, who is a volunteer in Es-cort and Messenger at Saddleback, LH, and who is legally blind, noticed that his friend David at the Braille

A great big Thank You to our DVS, Tamara, and her staff, Julia and Stacey, for the wonderful holiday luncheon for the volunteers in Dec. The food, games, decorations, gifts, and singing, espe-cially the singing, were lovely and lavish and very

much appreciated. Thank You, too, to CEO, Steve Geidt, for including the volunteers in the complimentary

employees holiday luncheon. We appreciated the thoughtfulness of the Administrative Staff that served at both functions!

Upcoming

Dates

Jan 16 OCCHV General

Meeting Grand Catering Ctr.

Orange, CA

Jan 19, 2012 White Elephant

Sale 7-2 pm, CR 7

Saddleback Memorial Medical Center

Laguna Hills and San Clemente (949) 452-3728 JanuaryJanuaryJanuaryJanuary

Leadership Chair

Sharon Joffe, 2012 Volunteer

Board President

Main Info Desk

Carol Cooper

Emergency Room

Marilyn Reck

Surgery Waiting Rm

Gay Ferguson

Women’s Info Desk

Dottie Dehlin

Volunteer Newsletter

Bernie Dehlin

Volunteer Website

Marnie Kiefer

Thrift Shop

Ellen Clark

Escort & Messenger

Lloyd Takahashi

Fundraising

Scholarship

San Clemente

Jeanne Snider

Patient Services

San Clemente

Juanita Northrup

EM/Info Desk

San Clemente

Janet Zauneker

Info Desk

______________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2

2012 Volunteer board

San Clemente

Robin Hake, ED

Kay Workman

OCCHV Rep Jean Armstrong

Cardiac Services

Sharon Molineri

Gift Shop

positions

NEW S.A.L.T. LEADERSHIP POSITIONS At the December S.A.L.T. (Student Advisory Leadership Team) members set up their organization of leaders.

Co-Chairs

Ghazal Ghaysar and Alex Mardock

Fundraisers/Events

Paul Kim Sarah Ashrafnia

Sub-Committee Camille Paran Anhthu Tong Carol Huynh

Newsletter Jacob Joseph

Sub-Committee

Ghazal Ghaysar Kendra Rysan Wayne Mauro Anhthu Tong

S.A.L.T. Patrol

Stacey Mah

Sub-Committee Armita Mahmaneshrad Kristen Imperial Sarah Ashrafnia Wayne Mauro

Orientation – Interviews – Training

Jonathan Tran Kendra Rysan Thi Tran (San Clemente) Armita Mahmaneshrad

Media

Vy Tran

Sub Committee Jacob Joseph Wayne Mauro Paul Kim Alex Mardock Kendra Rysan

______________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3

INAUGURAL BAKE SALE The December Bake Sale has been deemed a great success! Not knowing what to expect, we netted ~$1000. This is more than was hoped for, AND we could have done better as we were 'Sold Out' by 10:30 am after three and a half hours! Our Chairperson,

Sharon Joffe,

did a tremendous job in organizing the event and did everything possi-ble to make it a success. We want to thank all who supported us by baking and helping in other important ways: Jackie Caetano, Robbie Single, Bonnie Trussel, and Joyce Etherton. A special pie (a French apple) baked by our CEO, Steve Geidt, was auctioned and netted $75!

We look forward to next year and having an even better sale. All proceeds go to the Student Scholarship pro-gram and other special volunteer projects. Thank you to all volun-

teers, and keep supporting our fundraising events.

Lloyd Takahashi, Volunteer Fundraising Chair

Next fundraiser: White Elephant SaleNext fundraiser: White Elephant SaleNext fundraiser: White Elephant SaleNext fundraiser: White Elephant Sale

Thursday, January 19, 2012Thursday, January 19, 2012Thursday, January 19, 2012Thursday, January 19, 2012

Sharon Joffe

Keep your feet on the ground

and put your best LOVE

forward.

Stevie Wonder

THINKING OF TRAVELING THIS YEAR?

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I have never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

Anonymous

To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves. Will and Ariel Durant

ODDS AND ENDS MAKE TEDDIES Thanks to the clever knitting talents of Anne

Lustig, Margaret Marflitt, and Joyce Etherton

of the Odds and Ends group, the above colorful teddy bears are made for the Ed in Laguna Hills and San Clemente.

The ladies mostly use their own equipment but from time to time batting and yarn are donated to the Thrift Shop and passed on to them. We greatly appreciate their efforts and trust that some small child somewhere is holding tight to his/her little buddy!

______________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4

HCAHPS FOCUS NOISE REDUCTION HOSPITAL WIDE

As we continue to work on improving our overall patient satisfaction, one area we can

help with is improving our ‘quietness.’ Do you remember the term library voices? We want to promote a healing quiet environment. Here are some ways we can all contribute: • All individuals in any part of hospital use

‘library’ voices as appropriate. • No talking in the hallway or on the units

unless you are within two feet of an individual using ‘library’ voices.

• No cell phone conversations • Be careful when closing doors • Be conscientious of noise factors when

pushing carts or wheelchairs Working together on this will make a signifi-cant impact on the comfort of our patients and help our HCAHPS scores. Thank you in advance for joining our hospital wide campaign.

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND TWO BEERS

Lloyd Takahashi was on his shift at the Main Desk when a visitor had just returned from visiting her father. The young lady went to Lloyd and asked if he could help her find a ‘story’ that was somewhere on the 3rd floor that her father had seen, but that she could not find. Lloyd took the visitor up to the 3rd floor and together they searched and finally found the story of ‘The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Beers’ in a glass cabinet. Together they read it and were touched by it’s message. Before the visitor left she turned to Lloyd and said, “That just made my day!” Perhaps it will make yours. When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class be-gan, he wordlessly picked up a very large & empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar . He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up every-thing else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes!". The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now", said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---Your family, your children, your health, your friends and favorite passions--- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter---like, your job, your house and your car. The sand is eve-rything else---the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your spouse to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend!"

______________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4

January 16 is Martin Luther King Day

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

______________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5

NEW VOLUNTEERSNEW VOLUNTEERSNEW VOLUNTEERSNEW VOLUNTEERS

DECEMBER 2011DECEMBER 2011DECEMBER 2011DECEMBER 2011

Applegate, Kalie

Ardis, Carlee

Bly, Allison, San Clemente

Cohen, Claudia

Flores, Jaquelin

Ho, Nicolas

Johnson, Andrew, San Clemente

Jones, Dottie

Kemper, Kristine, San Clemente

Khandai, Shruti

Klein, Gerald

Kleinsmith, Darin

Mitchell, Marisue

Molano, Matthew

Salgado, Blanca

Sto Tomas, Jade

Sullivan, Margaret

Tapia, Cinthya

Tran, Katherine

All are from Laguna Hills unless noted

VOLUNTEER HOURS REPORT

Hours Value

Laguna Hills July 5,790 $133,170 Aug 6,855 $157,665 Sept 5,698 $131,054 Oct 4,130 $ 96,153 Nov 5,214 $121,441 Dec. 4,779 $111,293

Sam Clemente July 680 $ 15,640 Aug 766 $ 17,618 Sept 785 $ 18,055 Oct 670 $ 14,718 Nov 740 $ 17,236 Dec 701 $ 16,328

Fiscal Year Both Campuses 36,808 $850,371

Thank you for your continued dedication to Saddleback! Our volunteers continue to ROCK!!!

SINGING FROM THE HEART

Some months ago, Ghazal Ghaysar, a stu-dent volunteer working in the Cardio Vas-cular Observation Unit, made a good friend of Kate Gudenberg, a volunteer at the Main Information Desk. Though a genera-tion or so apart, the two shared a kinship in sharing their life stories. Ghazal learned of Kate’s passion for singing and was invited to a concert. It was a wonderful concert and Ghazal appreciated all the fine tuning of a well practiced and lovely performance.

Outside of the hospital scene, Kate does love to sing and has been sing-ing with the Laguna Woods Harmonaires womens’ choral group since 1989, 22 years!

The Harmonaires go back to the early days of the founding of Leisure World, perhaps as early as 1965. All singers and volunteer Director, Natalie Dean, live within the village except for the current accompanist, Joanne Udall.

The Harmonaires rehearse for two hours a week and perform for clubs in the Village and also for outside groups. They charge a nominal fee for performances to cover ex-penses and the services of an accompanist. The remainder goes towards a scholarship for a voice student in an area college.

Members of the Harmonaires cover the cost of their own seasonal costumes (red, white and blue for July 4th, green for St. Patrick's Day, red at Christmas, etc.), and in performance all the music is memorized! Kate has made many friendships over the years in the Harmonaires and singing in the group gives her great satisfaction and delight.

We wish you well Kate, and many more years of joyful singing!

Come to this fun annual event at Saddleback’s Laguna Hills campus and find treasures and gifts for yourself and

everyone you know!

You can also donate your gently used things.

Some suggestions are: frames, vases, lamps, toys, games, ceramics, dishes, books, glassware, decorative home items, small appliances, handbags, stationery, jewelry, baskets, etc. You can bring your donated items to the Volunteer Office after January 1 through January 18, 2012. Tell your friends and neighbors about our sale and invite them to

come to the hospital basement near the cafeteria.

Proceeds to benefit the SMMC Volunteer Scholarship Program

and Special Projects.

Thursday,

January 19, 2012

7 to 2 pm

Conference Room 7

Cash OnlyCash OnlyCash OnlyCash Only