Art from the Heart: Celebrating Homeland Hospice’s 15th Anniversary

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anniversary heart created by Homeland Center Director of Nursing Jennifer Tate-DeFreitasWhen members of the Homeland community were invited to decorate canvas hearts to celebrate Homeland Hospice’s 15th anniversary, many chose to depict hands. 

“What comes out of our hands exudes from our hearts,” said Homeland Center Director of Nursing Jennifer Tate-DeFreitas. “These are the hands that care for you.” 

Homeland Hospice collected 52 decorated hearts from generous sponsors. All were displayed at the anniversary celebration themed “History, Heart & Honor.” The hearts were decorated by selected artists and crafters. 

Appropriately for February, 15 of the hearts are on display in Homeland Center’s Florida Room art gallery for residents, staff, and visitors to enjoy. Another 15 will be displayed in March. 

The idea was a spinoff from Homeland Hospice’s 10th-anniversary “Guitars, Gifts, and Gratitude” celebration when sponsors supported the decoration of wood guitar forms. For the 15th anniversary, hearts were chosen for their universal feel – accessible and relatable enough for anyone to participate. Sponsors ranged from Homeland staff teams and board members to donors and friends of Homeland, including Homeland Center’s new neighbor, the Catherine Hershey Schools for Learning Harrisburg.  

Tate-DeFreitas decorated two hearts on behalf of Homeland Center’s skilled care team. She said that for people in the last phases of life, Homeland Center staff members share a commitment to heartfelt care with Homeland Hospice.  

“Your effect on that portion of their life can be very impactful, so you have to make sure that it’s meaningful and uplifting and quality, and that you respect dignity because all of those are important,” she said.  

Homeland at Home team members also contributed their funds and talents for hearts to join the gallery. Homeland HomeCare Assistant Director Bobbie Jo Weigel corralled her staff of CNAs to put their handprints on a heart under the phrase, “May your hands be an extension of your heart, and may you do the work of love with them.” 

The artwork aligns with the work of the HomeCare aides because “we go into people’s houses with our hearts and our hands,” said Weigel. “We provide hands-on care, and most of our clients are dear to us in our hearts.” 

The HomeCare aides who help their patients with daily tasks, such as light housekeeping and administering medications, found it easy to support Homeland Hospice because “with Homeland, we feel like we’re one big family,” Weigel said. “We all help each other out.”  

Homeland Hospice weekend on-call nurse Erin Zinobile appreciates the teamwork and “great crew” of her workplace, as well as the environment where she can get help and answers from a colleague at any time. 

“A lot of us say that it’s not easy by any means to be a hospice nurse, but I really do feel like you can put your heart into it and make a difference,” she said. 

Even amid their busy and consequential workdays, the Homeland Hospice nurses joined forces to sponsor a heart. Zinobile was the natural person to tap for decorating it, for her artistic and quilting abilities. As a working mom in a stressful job, art is the therapy that helps her care for herself and keep her own heart healthy, she said. Her Homeland Hospice heart, in mixed media, depicts words the nursing staff chose – care, faith, presence, comfort, compassion, grace, and love. 

“This was to represent all the nurses, and the idea was to put in words what we do,” she said. 

Joining the “History, Heart & Honor” celebration reminded nurses that “we’re part of something bigger than ourselves,” Zinobile added. “You get to see your footprint in the world.”  

Tate-DeFreitas also noticed a heart that the Homeland HomeHealth team encircled with a stethoscope.  

“That’s what we drape over our necks, and that lays over our hearts,” she said. “That’s the instrument we use to listen to your heart.” 

Staff members chipped in with their own funds in each Homeland department that sponsored a heart. 

What does it mean to Homeland staff to share their own treasure and talents to support and advance the work of Homeland Hospice?  

“That says to me that we are one, even though we’re many parts,” said Tate De-Freitas. “We’re still one.” 

View the full gallery of decorated hearts here: https://www.homelandevents.org/15th-anniversary-heart-photos/

Homeland Center Chief Human Resources Officer Nicol Brown Named a 2025 YWCA Woman of Excellence

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Homeland Center Chief Human Resources Officer Nicol BrownNicol Brown, NHA, chief human resources and compliance officer for Homeland Center, has been named a 2025 YWCA Greater Harrisburg Woman of Excellence. 

YWCA’s Tribute to Women of Excellence program honors women in the Capital Region who devote time and energy to making the organizations and communities with which they are affiliated better places to live and work. 

“I am incredibly honored that I have been chosen as a YWCA Greater Harrisburg Woman of Excellence,” Brown said. “This recognition reflects the amazing support and encouragement I’ve received throughout my journey, which inspires me to give back to others I meet along the way. It is truly a blessing to work with Homeland, YWCA and other local organizations with missions and core values that align with my own. Their support, along with the love and support of my family, motivate me to keep pursuing excellence and uplifting others in our community.” 

YWCA will celebrate Brown and 24 other honorees at its 36th Annual Tribute to Excellence Awards event on Wednesday, March 26 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey. 

In her role at Homeland, Brown promotes a culture of continuous learning and quality enhancement that fosters a supportive work environment and encourages personal and professional growth. 

Her community involvement includes serving as chair of the human resources committee for Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area and as an executive board member for Neighborhood Dispute Settlement, a non-profit community-based mediation center in Harrisburg that promotes and provides conflict resolution through direct services, training and education. 

The YWCA Greater Harrisburg is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. 

Occupying a full block in uptown Harrisburg, Homeland Center is a licensed not-for-profit Continuing Care Retirement Community offering personal care, skilled nursing care, memory care, and short-term rehabilitation. Homeland at Home, a community outreach program of Homeland Center, provides hospice care (compassionate end-of-life care), home health services (in-home physician-ordered medical treatment), home care services (in-home non-medical daily living assistance) and palliative care (comfort and relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness).

Homeland Nurse Batya Kassner: Helping Families Experience ‘Love in Action’

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Homeland Nurse Batya KassnerAs a nurse case manager for Homeland Hospice, Batya Kassner finds the collaborative spirit and teamwork “amazing.” 

“Everyone respects everyone else’s role that they play, and everyone is more than willing to jump in and help with whatever is needed,” Kassner said. “The communication is awesome. No team works together without good communication.” 

Kassner has been a Homeland Hospice nurse since the fall of 2023. In a career devoted to nursing, this is her first time working in a hospice setting. 

She knew she was in the right place when she experienced a particular moment with a Homeland Center resident and patient. As he took his last breath, he was surrounded by his best friend, Homeland Center staff, and the Homeland Hospice social worker. 

“I feel like everything clicked, and I thought that this is how it should be,” she said. “It must have been so good for him to know he was surrounded by all these people who loved him, cared about him, were looking out for him, and covered all the bases of his and his loved ones’ needs. It felt like such a complete moment.” 

Kassner is a native of the Harrisburg area who enjoyed volunteering at nursing homes while she attended Trinity High School. She tested her interest in long-term health care by becoming a certified nurse assistant in a small assisted-living facility in Baltimore. Her supervisor, a nurse who co-owned the facility, encouraged Kassner to pursue her nursing degree, which she completed at the University of Illinois Chicago.  

While still in nursing school, Kassner was fascinated by an internship in a behavioral health facility. When she returned to the Harrisburg area, a Homeland Hospice team member she knew from her synagogue suggested that she shadow a Homeland Hospice nurse. She loved the experience. 

She realizes now that hospice combines her love of getting to know long-term care patients with the emotional intricacies she experienced while shadowing in the behavioral health facility.  

“You’re dealing with pain,” she said. “You’re dealing with grief. You’re dealing with loss. You’re helping people through a really difficult time in their life and through a transition.” 

The nurses at Homeland Hospice, a service of Homeland at Home, fulfill a wide range of duties. While monitoring patients and managing symptoms, they also ensure that families have all the necessary equipment and supplies. They are liaisons to the range of complementary services available for patients, including podiatry, massage, music therapy, and in-home support for family caregivers.  

Listening is the key to success, Kassner said. 

“Sometimes, people just have to vent,” she said. “They’ve had a rough year or multiple years going through chronic disease. A lot of it is being able to sit, listen, and understand and not try to fix everything immediately. You can’t assess needs until you really sit and listen to someone.” 

Her patients might be in their homes, hospitals, or care facilities. She especially appreciates Homeland Center staff for their close relationships with all the residents. 

“When I go to Homeland Center, the nurses and staff know who my patients are and immediately tell me what’s been going on with them,” she said. “There’s no having to hunt people down to have to figure out how the patient is doing or how things have changed. They know, and they tell me. It’s really good teamwork.” 

Outside of work, Kassner spends time with her five-year-old daughter, who started kindergarten this year and is an avid collector of bugs. Kassner enjoys reading – a recent stretch of “gloomy Russian-prison weather” inspired her to read Dostoevsky – and languages, with Spanish being her best. She is a self-proclaimed “gym rat” and a hiker whose favorite spot is King’s Gap Environmental Education Center, with its breathtaking views and choice of trails. 

“It’s beautiful and peaceful,” she said. “I’ve never had a bad hike out there.” 

As a Homeland Hospice nurse, Kassner believes she enables families to “live out their love in action” to continue nurturing their time and special relationships with their loved ones. 

“To get to be a part of that is a privilege,” she said. “You’ll hear families reminiscing and laughing even after I pronounce that their loved one has passed. The families are gathered in the house, and they’re all remembering the nice times. I love those moments because I know it was peaceful and that the person is still very present in the love they feel around them.” 

Homeland Center offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900. 

Homeland Hospice is One of Life’s Miracles for Ginny Jones

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Ginny Jones and her dog CharlieGinny Jones has been guided by miracles throughout her life. During times of darkness, support has found her and helped her take the next step. For her part, Ginny’s faith in God and humanity ensures her heart is always open to the unexpected grace that blesses us when we need it most. When Ginny’s beloved husband, Art, was in his final days of life, Homeland Hospice was the miracle she needed. Homeland Hospice is a hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

Art battled lung cancer for many years and often utilized Homeland’s HomeHealth services to recover at home. When pneumonia set in and a medical cure was no longer possible, his doctor recommended hospice services. For Art and Ginny, choosing Homeland was an easy decision.

“I didn’t know Homeland had a hospice program,” Ginny says. “We were impressed with the support from HomeHealth and immediately said yes to hospice.”

Ginny connected with the Homeland Hospice team on a Friday afternoon and within a few hours a white package was delivered with instructions to refrigerate immediately. A hospital bed arrived a few days later.

Less than 24 hours later, Ginny placed a dire call to Homeland. Art’s health had dramatically declined and he was growing more and more agitated. Her Homeland nurse instructed Ginny to look inside her refrigerator for medication which immediately brought Art comfort and Ginny peace. This solitary act of foresight was an answer to Ginny’s prayers and the start of Art’s peaceful end-of-life journey.

“The medicine is in your refrigerator,” Ginny says, “I will never forget these words. Homeland knew what I needed before I did.”

Over the next few weeks, the Homeland team surrounded Ginny and Art with support to ensure Art’s final days were as comfortable as possible. Art also had a special furry friend named Charlie, a Buchon Frise, who doubles as a therapy dog when visiting hospitals. Charlie sat on a love seat with his head between the bed rails to be as close to Art as possible.

“The morning Art died, Charlie left a dog toy on his bed,” Ginny says. “He knew it was time to say goodbye.”

Art died peacefully four days after his 85th birthday. He and Ginny were married for more than 51 years. In his final year of life, Art found his faith, which gave both of them peace.

During their decades together, Art and Ginny overcame obstacles which helped Ginny find her voice as an advocate for those in need and put her faith into action through ministry work. The couple had two daughters. Sarah was born with a mental health disorder which required her to be placed in a care facility when she was eight years old. Advocating for Sarah and children with similar challenges gave Ginny a voice she didn’t know she had. Ginny spent much of her career working to connect families with resources.

When Sarah entered her adult years and was able to live in her own apartment, she struggled to furnish her space with limited resources. Ginny was inspired and formed New Digs Ministry, Inc., in 2007 to provide gently used furniture and household goods to adults with mental health issues. New Digs has grown over the years to expand its scope of services to assist anyone in need of help when making a fresh start.

As Ginny, a self-described planner, looks toward her next phase in life, she plans to become a hospice volunteer. Charlie will be by her side to provide comfort in a way only a dog can. Ginny wants her peers to know about Homeland Hospice and shares information with her church congregation so others are prepared when facing an end-of-life journey.

“I have been blessed by Homeland,” Ginny says. “I want everyone to know this service is available.”

For more information about services for patients and families, call Homeland Hospice at (717) 221-7890.

Homeland Director of Development Troy Beaver: Finding purpose in relationships

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Homeland Director of Development Troy BeaverTroy Beaver was weighing three job offers when his dad’s hospice nurse told him what keeps her going every day.

“It’s knowing that this could be this person’s last day on earth, and maybe I do something that puts a smile on their face,” she told him. “I could be the last positive thing that happens to this person in their lifetime.”

At that moment, Beaver decided to reject those offers – all in corporations like the one he had just left – and heed the voice urging him to find work that made a tangible difference in people’s lives.

Today, Beaver is Homeland’s new director of development, filling the role held by beloved Betty Hungerford after she retired. He is responsible for supporting Homeland’s fiscal health and long-term viability through philanthropic and charitable giving.

When the opportunity came along, he wasn’t sure he was right for the role. He spent months talking to people at Homeland – including Hungerford – “and prayed long and hard about it.”

“Now, since I’ve been here, I’ve been asking myself why I didn’t do this 30 years ago,” he said.

Beaver was born and raised in Chambersburg, PA. At age 19, he entered the U.S. Air Force, utilizing his fluency in Spanish to serve in military intelligence during a time of political turmoil in Central America.

Even before separating from the military after four years, he started working at Citibank in Hagerstown, MD, filling a need for someone to work with Spanish-speaking customers.

That job blossomed into a director in Citibank operations, taking him all over the world including Europe, South America, Central America and India.

After about 30 years, he started wondering if he wanted to continue.

“I had a feeling that there was something different,” he said. “There’s got to be something more.”

Around that time Citibank downsized and eliminated his job, and after meeting with Barry Ramper II, Homeland President and CEO, it was suggested he could be right for Homeland’s development director.

Beaver’s wife reminded him that he had been praying for “something different,” and the answer was right in front of him.

At Homeland, Beaver has discovered people impassioned about their work in ways that are different than the corporate settings in which he previously worked.

“The staff here embraces the fact that this is a person’s home,” he said. “It’s not a care home. It is their home. That’s the big difference.”

Amid the financial pressures facing today’s nonprofits, Beaver is striving to build on Homeland’s base of donors for decades to come.

“Homeland is 158-years strong,” Beaver said. “But we recognize that we need to always be thinking about how we can ensure we are here to care for our community for generations to come.”

While Beaver brings experience using technology to streamline the search for potential donors, he knows that software isn’t what obtains grants and donations. His solemn task is to build relationships. Hungerford, who was Homeland’s development director for 20 years, reminded him that building relationships takes time.

“Building trust is the most important thing,” he said. “And that takes really getting to know people.”

Beaver and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 36 years and have two sons and a granddaughter. In his leisure time, he plays one of his 12 guitars, including a custom-made Jennings that “is the most incredible guitar, with incredible detail.”

With his former Christian rock band, Prodigal, he has recorded two CDs and jokes that he is an “international recording star” because three of those CDs sold outside the U.S.

Beaver looks forward to continuing to get to know Homeland residents and building relationships with donors.

“I’m getting a really big friend base here,” he said. “All I can hope for is that in the time I’ve gotten to know Homeland’s residents and its family of supporters, I’ve been a bright spot for them and made them happy.”