Building On Our Success
District Cabinet Meeting - Sunday, March 10, 2019
Restoring Hope Transplant House Report

The house continues to operate at full capacity. Executive Director Lion Cindy Herbst reports that she is seeing an increase in the number of veterans and their families utilizing the house. It is a great healing experience for them to communicate to other veterans there at the time their feelings and experiences. There has been an increase in the number of pancreas transplants performed and is gratifying to see as we try to move toward more exposure with regard to the effects of diabetes on patients. We are moving ever closer to the day we can implant the first artificial pancreas. We had a recent extended stay with a patient and family from Alaska for a liver transplant. The special friend of this patient who is staying at the house from Alaska went along with Lion Cindy to the D2 convention and was installed as a Lion at that convention. There has been a great deal of ancillary activity relative to support of house operations. Lion Cindy attended the B1 and B2 conventions, PDG Lion Bob Faliveno with partner in service Lion Becky attended and presented at the A1 convention; Lions Bob and Becky along with Lion Cindy and now Lion Jo from Alaska attended and presented at the A2 convention. We will have a presentation at the D1 convention on Friday, March 8 th at 430PM at the Marriott in Middleton- at the following E2 convention, Lion Bob Faliveno will present with Lion Cindy- plans are being finalized for the E1 and C2 conventions. Relative to other activities, Lions Bob and Becky presented at the Stoughton Lioness club meeting this past week- there were 30 Lioness in attendance. In the past month Lion Bob delivered diabetes awareness supplies to the house- at the time there were patients and family members from an Iowa Lions and Leo club- during their stay, the Leo's delivered diabetes door hangers in the Middleton neighborhood where the house is located.

We continue to need all the support from the Lions of Wisconsin to be able to allow Cindy to continue her labor of love. I would like to see a cabinet position of Restoring Hope Transplant House committee chair as a point person to run information to for presentations at club meetings. I have available flash drives that are district specific for that purpose. As of now there are five districts without a chair. I ask the Governors to try and seek out a volunteer for this very important position. Please contact me at bobnbecky@mhtc.net or call /text my cell at (608) 444-5192 for more information and to volunteer.

Relative to the expansion project, we are getting closer to ground breaking as other construction factors in the neighborhood are drawing to a close-will keep you posted. We are still $30,000 short from PID Pete Cerniglia's goal of $300,000 from the state. If every Lions club in the state would donate an extra $100 now, we would surpass Pete's goal-please impress upon your clubs how important this effort is and what an impact an additional ten bedrooms would make on our ability to serve patients in need.

Lion Cindy is always willing to give a tour of the house with prior notice-this is a wonderful way to get to know the "feel" of the house and see what a wonderful environment Cindy has created over the last five years. Please keep her in your giving plans and a few prayers probably wouldn't hurt either.

Respectfully Submitted,
PDG Lion Bob Faliveno