Volume 9, Issue 3
RADical Times
RENT-A-DAUGHTER, LLC
Finding Joy in Helping Others ~ Elene Spheeris (RAD client)
Inside this issue:
RAD Puzzler
2
Office Spotlight
2
Hunger Task Force
2
Caregiver Spotlight
3
Caregiving Tips
3
Front Page (Cont.)
4
Anyone who meets Elene quickly
discovers two of her life passions:
traveling to Greece and helping others.
Her father came to America at the young
age of 13, and passed along his heritage
to his children while they grew up in
Chicago and Kansas City. As an adult,
Elene decided to take her three grade
school children to Greece for a summer
to meet their relatives and to expand
Elene with her three children
their knowledge of the world. That was
the first of many trips to Greece that Elene has taken over the
years, for as she explains, “Going to Greece is like eating a potato
chip! You can’t stop with just one!” Although she currently resides
in a beautiful Milwaukee home, Elene enjoys creating oil paintings
of Greek landscapes to always keep a little piece of Greece with her.
During her first trip to Greece, Elene discovered that another
country was taking advantage of a village called Nemea by
wholesaling the villagers’ wine for a huge profit while the
Nemean people lived in poverty. When Elene returned to
America, she immediately went to Washington D.C. to get
permission to import Greek wine to America. Then she flew to
many major cities in the United States, setting up appointPicture Source:
ments to meet with wine wholesalers. She gave out samples of
journals.humankinetics.org
the wine and acquired orders. Elene says she will never forget
An oil painting by Elene of an island the day when she returned to Greece with the good news that
she had over 30,000 orders! She was instrumental in helping
off the coast of Greece
the villagers start bottling and shipping their wine, and within
a few years, Nemea was exporting wine so successfully that most of the people owned their own
villas and vehicles! To this day, Nemea wine is one of the most popular red wines from Greece
sold in the United States.
Once the wine business in Nemea no longer needed her assistance, Elene turned her attention
to other areas of need around her. She started a program at UWM to help minority students
connect with successful business owners who are also minorities, to encourage further education and job success. She also worked for Interfaith for many years, starting the “Milwaukee
Displaced Homemaker Network,” assisting women who had been divorced or widowed find
useful resources and develop the job skills they needed to be successful.
(cont. on page 4)
RAD Puzzler: Summer Word Search
COTTAGE
SWIM
PICNIC
SUNGLASSES
GARDEN
FISHING
BEACH
VACATION
LEMONADE
SUNSET
HAMMOCK
E V N O I
T A C A V O G
F D X V Z L S
G C A I
P I
K R L N V
O W D O Q I
C N I
C S
Y N
I
H B E J
Z M W M O U O S
W D N B
M M H G N M I
V X A S
T R J
R E
W F E A T N V A
T B E E T T G L O A J
C
F T Y H A M M O C K G H
S E S
S
A L G N U S
Y E
Office Spotlight: Congratulations to Anna, RAD Scheduling Coordinator
On July 24, Anna, RAD scheduling coordinator, got married
to her sweetheart Joseph Brader. They had a backyard
wedding, using the lovely wooded lot behind the home of
Kate Thiele (RAD Billing/Payroll Coordinator). Anna looked
gorgeous wearing her mother’s wedding gown, and her
smile shined brightly the entire evening. The ceremony was
simple and elegant, beautifully expressing the love they
have for one another. After the vows were spoken, Brader
surprised Anna by singing a song he wrote for her;
and by the end of the song, Anna was not the only
one in the audience with tear-filled eyes!
Anna with her mom
Sue (RAD caregiver)
The RAD office staff enjoyed celebrating Anna and Brader’s love for one
another, and of course had fun cheering loudly at the couple’s kiss. After
a relaxing honeymoon on a Caribbean cruise, we are happy to welcome
Anna back to scheduling! Her positive presence has been missed!
RAD Opportunity: Hunger Task Force
To prepare for the Christmas season, each fall Rent-A-Daughter chooses an
organization that we can help through company efforts. This year, we have chosen
the local Hunger Task Force. Hunger Task Force believes that every person has a
right to adequate food obtained with dignity. They work to prevent hunger and
malnutrition through advocacy and food banking. Donated food is distributed free of
charge to area food pantries, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.
From September 21st through November 13th, the RAD office will have boxes
placed in the office to collect food donations. Caregivers will receive a notice
detailing what types of food donations will be accepted. Our goal is to collect 300 lbs (or one and a
half donation boxes) of food. Please consider helping us reach this goal!
Page 2
R A D ic al
T im e s
Caregiver Spotlight: Brenda Fraley
Brenda is a great caregiver. She recently left her other employment to
work solely for RAD, and the schedulers have had no trouble filling up
her availability with clients! Her schedule is frequently at full time
hours, and she accepts appointments during any shift. Brenda is
flexible, taking on overnight assignments when needed and helping
out with last-minute situations. Her clients have expressed to the
office how much they appreciate and look forward to Brenda’s
visits. She brings joy and comfort to their days while she assists them
with necessary tasks. Brenda is also a great team player when
working with other RAD caregivers.
In April of this year, Brenda had the privilege to accompany her dad on an Honor Flight. The
Honor Flight network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for
all their sacrifices. They transport heroes to Washington D.C. to
visit and reflect at their memorials. Arthur, Brenda’s father,
served in the Korean War, and was honored and pleased to
participate. Brenda and her dad flew out of Escanaba, MI, and
spent the entire day on a police-escorted tour bus touring Washington D.C. For Brenda, seeing all the memorials was a solemn
and sobering experience, but one she would not trade for the
world. It was amazing to see the people cheering for the veterans
at every stop, and expressing gratitude for their sacrifices.
Brenda and her father Arthur in
Washington D.C.
Whether Brenda is caring for her family members or servicing
RAD clients, she works hard to make a difference in the lives of
others. We are grateful she is a part of our caregiving team!
Caregiving Tips: How to Respond Appropriately to Expressions of Feeling
When you hear expressions of frustration or anger, it can be challenging to know how to
respond effectively. These tips will help diffuse the situation and achieve a positive
outcome for all involved.
1. Acknowledge the person’s feelings.
“I can see that you are angry/annoyed/irritated about _____.”
2. Ask for information and the person’s perspective on the problem.
“Help me understand what is wrong.”
3. Ask what you can do to help.
“How can I help make it right?”
4. Give a direct statement about what you can and cannot do, and when. Remember to
keep necessary professional boundaries.
“I do not have the authority to do _____, but I will talk to the office about it this
afternoon, and they will get back to you about how we can accommodate your need.”
Source: Stowell Associates
Volume 9, Issue 3
PP
APa
GagE
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Rent-A-Daughter, LLC
12660 W. North Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53005
Phone: 262.754.0550
Fax: 262.754.0344
Email: [email protected]
We’re on the Web!
www.rent-a-daughter.com
For 30 years, RentRent-A-Daughter has passionately
provided quality nonnon-medical care for older, disabled,
or convalescing adults in
in southeastern Wisconsin. Our
mission is to enable our clients to remain independent
as long as possible. Our trained, dedicated
dedicated caregivers
are devoted to meeting our clients’ needs with
compassionate dependability.
Finding Joy in Helping Others ~ Elene S. (continued from front page)
page)
The common thread in Elene’s lifework is that she immediately jumps
into action when she recognizes a need, and the lives of those around her
are made better through her efforts. The joy that she has received from
helping others throughout her life continues to sustain her and lift her
spirits daily. While her Rent-A-Daughter caregivers assist her around her
home, Elene shares her joy with them through her lovely oil paintings,
stories, and poetry. Julie G., one of Elene’s caregivers, says that Elene’s
poems often have a humorous twist at the end, and they always end up
laughing together during their appointments. While her caregivers
endeavor to care for and encourage Elene, they often leave her home
inspired and blessed by her positive spirit and love of life. Elene shares
with them, “I am just so happy to be alive, and each day I thank God for
another day to live!” And Elene’s family, friends, and caregivers also thank
God for the gift of every day they are able to share with her.
Elene with Julie, one of her
RAD caregivers