Palos Verdes “Angel” Extends Her Wings
H.E.L.P. Inspiration honoree (center right) Jacky Glass shares the angel wings at her door front with fellow honoree Helen Dennis (center left). Pictured with them are H.E.L.P. Executive Director Britt Huff (left) and Gala chair Sharon Ryan (right). Photo by Elaine Miller
by Myrna Lynn
H.E.L.P honorees are an inspiration
Palos Verdes Estates resident Jacqueline Glass has been an inspiration to many on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and throughout the South Bay. Now she will be officially recognized for that special quality when she is awarded the Inspiration Award by the Healthcare and Elder Law Programs Corporation, better known as H.E.L.P., on June 22 at Trump National Golf Club.
Along with many other Peninsula residents, Jacky Glass has been a longtime supporter of H.E.L.P., a local nonprofit education and counseling center, which is dedicated to empowering older adults, their families and caregivers to make better eldercare choices. It assists older adults and their families in making proper plans and decisions about powers of attorney for healthcare and financial matters, probate court avoiders, government entitlement programs, and protections from elder fraud and abuse. H.E.L.P.’s community education program includes classes on such subjects as Elder Care and Residential Choices, Financial Planning for Long Term Care, Trusts and Taxes, Medi-Cal’s Nursing Home Coverage, and Living Safe at Home.
According to H.E.L.P. Executive Director Dr. Britt Huff, also a Peninsula resident, “Jacky is being honored for her many years of faithful support of H.E.L.P.’s mission and programs, as well as her positive impact on the community through her many other charitable endeavors. She is well-known for her ability to build partnerships between worthy community philanthropies.” In fact, Jacky was responsible for introducing H.E.L.P. to one of her other favorite programs, Providence TrinityCare Hospice Foundation. As a result, TrinityCare Hospice is also being honored by H.E.L.P. this year, with the Vanguard Award, which is given to an organization that has shown commitment to not only employ those in our community, but to create a positive impact on the community by encouraging volunteerism and donations.
Providence TrinityCare Hospice is one of the oldest and largest not-for-profit hospices in Southern California, providing comfort care to adults and children with life-limiting illnesses. They have an enormous, committed volunteer base and partner with other businesses and charities in the South Bay to raise funds for valuable services to the community. Each spring they partner with the Sandpipers philanthropy and American Honda Motor Company in presenting the Our For Children food and wine festival, to raise funds for TrinityKids Care. The Sandpipers have also been longtime supporters of H.E.L.P. Jacky helped launch TrinityKids Care in 2001, the only pediatric hospice serving all of Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. Each fall they sponsor the annual Sunday by the Sea food and wine tasting gala fundraiser.
Jacky has been a volunteer with TrinityCare for more than 25 years, including serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and currently as Community Ambassador. In 1990, Jacky and her late husband, Jerry Glass, opened their beautiful oceanfront home to guests for the first Sunday by the Sea event, and continued to do so for many years. By 2011, that event had grown to over 800 attendees as it marked its 21st year and raised more than $4.5 million in support of vital programs. In more recent years that event has been hosted by Palos Verdes Estates residents Carolyn and Julian Elliot, who have also previously opened their lovely home to H.E.L.P.
Known as the “Hospice Angel,” Jacky received the prestigious 2011 Mother Joseph Award this January from the Sisters of Providence in recognition of the work she has done with the Hospice Foundation. Jacky’s nominators described her as “a woman of great faith called to care for the poor and vulnerable at their time of greatest need.”
In addition to her many hours of volunteer work, Jacky has supported dozens of charitable and community organizations. She is a great friend to many Hill non-profits and philanthropies, including the Norris Theater, the Peninsula Committee, Los Angeles Philharmonic, for whom she opened her home in March to host one of their music salons. In addition, as a Stephen Minister with her church, St. Peter’s by the Sea Presbyterian, she also spends time at the bedsides of members of her faith community. Britt Huff observed, “Jacky’s faith-based commitment to good works is what really drew my admiration and made her seem like a kindred spirit. It fuels her compassion and provides the boundless energy needed to make a difference in her world. She has been our very special ‘H.E.L.P.ing Angel.’”
The third award that H.E.L.P. is presenting at its June 22 gala is the Legacy Award, which is given to an individual who has been instrumental in the growth of H.E.L.P. and has personally taken on H.E.L.P.’s mission. The award this year will be presented to Helen Dennis, former H.E.L.P. Board Chair. Helen served on the Board of Directors for six years and exemplifies someone who threw herself wholeheartedly into the purpose and mission of H.E.L.P., and still continues to provide support and leadership to the organization. With an M.A. in clinical psychology, Helen is a specialist on aging, employment and retirement. She has been a lecturer for many years at the USC Andrus Gerontology Center on retirement planning, aging and business, and aging and marketing. She writes a weekly column for the Daily Breeze on “Successful Aging.” Helen is a much sought after public speaker who has also authored several books, the most recent being , “Project Renewment: The First Retirement Model for Career Women,” which was an LA Times bestseller. Huff added, “Helen continues to regularly write articles for our H.E.L.P. magazine, “HELP is Here,” and serves as an invaluable support and advisor to the H.E.L.P. staff and board of directors.”
This year H.E.L.P.’s annual fundraiser, Celebrate Summer, has a British theme “A Royal Affaire,” in recognition of the Queen’s 60th anniversary and the London 2012 Olympics. Huff enthusiastically reported, “H.E.L.P.’s sponsorship drive was dramatically launched with a $50,000 Royal Sponsor level donation from the Scriba Family Charitable Fund, which has inspired other loyal supporters to raise the bar in giving. Ralph Scriba and his family are true royalty to all of us at H.E.L.P.”
At the gala an opportunity drawing will be held for a trip for two to London, with six-day accommodations at the five-star Royal Garden Hotel overlooking the gracious gardens of Kensington Palace and Hyde Park. The package includes a $1,500 travel allowance, tour of Kensington Palace (home to Will and Kate); theatre tickets for a West-End play, a $100 voucher to Harrod’s; tea for two at Fortnum-Mason (the Queen’s favorite); and a meet, greet, and city tour with a local Londoner.
For more information about “A Royal Affaire” and to purchase event or opportunity tickets, call the H.E.L.P. office at 310-533-1996 or e-mail celebratesummer@help4srs.org.; website: www.help4srs.org. PEN