St. Michael-Albertville NHS Donates Proceeds to Hospice

Students at are making a difference by donating funds from the sale of Valentine’s Day carnations to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota, in an effort to help build the first hospice home for kids in the Midwest.

St. Michael-Albertville’s National Honor Society is made up of 45 juniors and seniors selected by high school faculty.

There are over 4,700 hospice homes for adults in the United States, but only three for children. It’s estimated that over 2,200 families in Minnesota are caring for a child with shortened life-expectancy, requiring around-the-clock care and unpredictable hospitalizations, which means little to no breaks for the parents as the child’s primary caregiver.

These two facts alone moved the National Honor Society students at St. Michael-Albertville High School to donate proceeds from carnation sales in an effort to raise funds for Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. This local nonprofit organization is working to create the first residential children’s hospice and respite care home in the Midwest, to be located in the Twin Cities.

“This is a perfect example of the impact that can be made by one person being moved by a mission held dear to many families and volunteers in our community,” said Nadine Gregerson, board vice-chair of Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. “People around the Twin Cities are finding their own ways to support this important endeavor, and it isn’t limited to adults. Many students that have reached out to us with creative ideas of their own and we are so thankful for their support in building awareness of this mission.”

Whether it’s offering their craft for a donation to the cause or garage sale proceeds, planning a community event, walk or gala, or helping to find major donors, every little bit helps as Children’s Lighthouse works to raise an estimated $8 million to build the hospice home. The organization continues to evaluate land possibilities, but their goal is to build within 15 miles of Minneapolis/St. Paul for convenient access to care for families.

Once built, children with life-threatening illnesses will be able to stay at Children’s Lighthouse in one of eight to ten bedrooms for respite stays and as a sacred place at the end-of-life. The home will also offer three to four family suites so that the family may remain close but receive respite themselves, be supported, and have an opportunity to develop meaningful and supportive relationships with other families with similar experiences. 

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The National Honor Society has been busy with other causes, as well according to senior Matt Eiynck.

The group sponsored the homecoming dance last fall, which raised funds for National Honor Society scholarships, to be given out in June.

In October, the crew picked up canned goods from neighborhoods during the annual "Trick or Can" sweep of STMA.

In December, the NHS membership decided to use some of their fundraising proceeds to purchase an additional wheelchair for the high school health office which, on occasion, finds the need for an extra chair. Additionally, members spent Sunday, Dec. 11th serving a meal and playing bingo with some senior citizens at the Ridge Drive Apartments in St. Michael. Students and seniors enjoyed the afternoon bonding with one another while having an early Christmas meal.

The St. Michael-Albertville National Honor Society completed 2011 by collecting toys during their annual Toy Drive. The students and teachers of STMA High School collected more than 800 toys that were donated to the Hanover Food Shelf for local children this Christmas.

The carnation drive is its first project of 2012.