After seven years, a ‘prayer answered' for Calvert Hospice

Writer'S NOTEBOOK

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Calvert Hospice has been providing services to the terminally ill and bereaved in Calvert County for 25 years, but Saturday will mark a dramatic expansion of its ability to provide palliative care.

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Burnett-Calvert Hospice House will be this Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m.

The house, located at 4559 Sixes Road in Prince Frederick, will serve as a home-away-from-home for any county resident suffering from terminal illness for whom homecare is not an option. Between work and children, families often find it impossible to also care for a dying relative, which can result in them being placed in a facility where they are cared for, but may not feel at home, Community Outreach Coordinator Judi Fields said. Service is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of the patient's ability to pay.

"It's truly a prayer answered and a dream come true," Fields said.

Conceptually, the house has been in the works for seven years. Construction began in May 2005 and has cost about $1 million with several items, including furniture for the house chapel and shelving for the children's playroom, yet to be purchased, Executive Director Lynn Bonde said. All labor and materials were donated or discounted by local businesses or purchased with monetary donations, most of them private.

"I'm jumping up and down. I'm completely hysterical. It's just incredible," Bonde said. "I just get chills when I go in there. It's amazing … I've had this vision in my heart for seven years, and to see it physically there and in a beautiful setting, oh my God, it's beyond words how grateful and blessed I and hospice feel."

An open house and tours of the house will be given from noon to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14 and 15. Parking for the ribbon-cutting will be at the College of Southern Maryland in Prince Frederick. Shuttle service will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 410-535-0892 or 301-855-1226 or go to www.calverthospice.org.

Swine flu clinic

The Calvert County Health Department will be hosting an H1N1 flu clinic this Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Calvert County Fairgrounds in Barstow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The clinic will be for the following target groups:

- Pregnant women

ï Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months old

- Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel

- Persons aged 25 through 64 years old with health conditions associated with a higher risk of medical complications due to influenza.

There will be no charge for the clinic, which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The department plans to offer drive-thru services, but only for those with special needs.

Children younger than 10 should receive two doses of the H1N1 vaccine separated by at least 21 days, according to a department press release.

Water service will not be interrupted

Public water service in Solomons will not be interrupted as was originally expected during a maintenance project scheduled from 11 p.m. on Nov. 17 through 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 18. While the project – installation of a valve in the system's main line – will still occur, it will not affect water service.

For more information, contact the Calvert County Department of Public Works and Sewerage at 410-535-1600, ext. 2329.

Veterans Day closures

The following offices and facilities are closed today for Veterans Day:

- All Calvert County government offices

- The Calvert Pines, Southern Pines and North Beach senior centers. Meals on Wheels in Prince Frederick will deliver meals today.

- All county libraries.

- County bus services.

- All customer convenience centers and the Appeal Landfill will be open during regular hours today.

For more information, go to www.co.cal.md.us.

SMECO scholarships

The Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative is offering four $1,500 scholarships to high school seniors living and schooled within the co-op's service area. To be eligible, students must be enrolled or plan to enroll full-time into an accredited college or university and maintain a minimum-3.0 grade point average.

Scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, financial need and community and school involvement, according to a press release. Applications will include an essay question, "Why is a college education important to completing my lifetime goals?"

For more information, go to www.smeco.coop. To get an application, students should see their school counselor, call SMECO at 1-888-440-3311, Ext. 4340, visit any SMECO office or print an application at www.smeco.coop.

Completed applications must be submitted by March 5, 2010, as one item to any SMECO office or mailed to SMECO Headquarters, P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, MD 20637, Attn: Bernadette Lewis.

Toys for Tots

Long and Foster's Prince Frederick office has begun its annual toy drive to benefit the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots Campaign.

Toys may be dropped off seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the office, located at 100 Harrow Lane in Prince Frederick.

All donations must be received before Dec. 18.

jnewman@somdnews.com