The Power of Dreams

DreamCatchers Foundation not only touches
the lives of hospice patients, but
also students, hospice partners, and their
communities.

The Power of Dreams on Students

DreamCatchers provides students with a unique opportunity to connect with older
generations, while learning essential life skills.

Dreams start with Students. Students make it possible for hospice patients to bring their end- of-life dreams to life. In understanding the power of dreams and fulfilling them for hospice patients, our students learn:

Teamwork — Each DreamCatchers Chapter is comprised of a team of volunteers, with varying roles, to ensure Dreams are successfully fulfilled. Students learn to self-govern, elect leaders, and acknowledge the unique contributions of their fellow team members.

Compassion — A young person’s capacity to understand others in our society cannot be underestimated, especially in the complex world we live in today. DreamCatchers engages students to interact with persons near to the end of their lives, who are in a vulnerable state of being. In this process, students gain important perspectives and a shared sense of humanity.

Entrepreneurship — Every Dream fulfilled requires careful planning, budgeting, fundraising/sales, presentation, and marketing. There are many moving pieces in delivering a Dream and because patients are near to the end of their lives, time is of the essence. Students work with hospices and patients to identify a Dreamer and Dream to be fulfilled. Students then plan the Dream, develop a budget, creatively fundraise, and engage corporations and individuals to sponsor the Dream. Presentation is always top of mind for DreamCatchers student volunteers. Often, students work directly with the press and local news agencies, who are eager to share inspiring and uplifting news.

Career Exploration and Preparation — Students volunteer with DreamCatchers to gain experience for their future and the experience allows them to explore careers in service to others. Our students are often interested in social work, entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, as well as careers in healthcare, such as nursing or being a physician.

What do DreamCatchers Student Volunteers say about their Experience
with DreamCatchers?

100% of students indicate that their service with DreamCatchers has positively impacted their ability to work within a team setting.

97.3% of students indicate that working with DreamCatchers has positively impacted their ability to communicate with and interact with older adults.

98.6% of students indicate that working with DreamCatchers has made giving back to their communities more a priority in their life.

90.4% of students plan to seek out more opportunities to engage with older adults after their experience with DreamCatchers.

91.8% of students understand more about how nonprofits operate after working with DreamCatchers.

Ron's Dream

DreamCatchers fulfilled Ron’s Dream to see his hometown from
above – in a helicopter!

What Our Community Has to Say

I’m so happy to report that Vanessa, Finley, and their two team-mates created a very special event for our patient and her family. Lisa is organizing the photos now and we will share with you all when they are ready.

They provided a full breakfast including made to order Mickey Mouse pancakes that the patient and everyone really loved. The students presented the patient with a stuffed Marie cat – her favorite Disney character from the Aristocats. One of them was in an Elsa Frozen costume and she played with the 3 & 8 year old granddaughters.

The students brought gift baskets for the kids as well. I was impressed that they incorporated a lot of thoughtful details including real flatware and elegant plates in line with the princess theme. The students wore black and white waiters outfits and looked very sharp.

The party was enjoyed by our patient, her mom, her daughter, two granddaughters, and her brother. They were very appreciative and the students engaged with them & shared lots of laughs and smiles.

The students deserve a lot of credit for working quickly to make this happen. In addition, they took off of school to make today’s event possible. Our team is not expecting this woman’s life to last much longer, but how wonderful that this family celebration is included in her life story.

Thanks so much to the Del Norte, DreamCatchers & Caitlin for this wonderful opportunity.

I wanted to express my gratitude for the work your students put in for Tony. He woke up smiling, telling me all about it. One thing that stands out, as we age & life slows down it’s the little things that we cherish.

Tony started his story by saying how beautiful the city looked as he was driven to the Staples center. He went on to say how wonderful it was to see so many “beautiful people” smiling at him.

How everyone spoke so kindly & listened patiently, how marvelous it was to hear the fans, sit with his son to watch a game & have a hamburger. This was all before he got to the part about having his picture taken center counter & the “beautiful shirts & fun hat” he was gifted.

Tony said: “This is one of those things that happens once in your life, you remember it forever & if you need a pick me, you can go to that memory & get your smile back, I will be smiling all week long! Oh and they won! Did I tell ya the Clippers won”?!

Thank you so very much, I really hope they know, just how much this means to Tony, his family, our senior community & how much good they are doing.

"Working with DreamCatchers is like working with angels. DreamCatchers not only make one’s dream come true, but they go above and beyond to make that Dream into something amazing! The Dream takes on a life of its own and it comes to rest as a forever cherished life event, not only for the Dreamer, but for everyone involved. Summit Hospice is so blessed to be associated with DreamCatchers!"

This is amazing! My heart just warms to see this email about Tony’s dream experience. It is more than just healthcare we provide to patients and families. But they become like family to us because of the most unforgettable things we are able to do and share with them during their journey and trusting us to care for them in an important time in their lives.

Thank you so much to Dream Catchers amazing team organization that really “makes dreams come true”. I cannot express enough gratitude and I know this is just the beginning of us touching lives in our LA community.

Thank you so much Stella and Anchor Retirement for allowing our teams of Assisted and DreamCatchers to make dreams come true.

I did want to share that I visited with Barry this week. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since his wish was fulfilled by you and the students at Mountain View High School. Barry was very appreciative of the time he spent with the horses and was thrilled by the experience.

However, what he really took away from the whole experience was the kindness and the love he felt from the students. He said the he was moved to tears in the way the students attended to him, helped him read and generally cared for him. It was touching for me to hear how moved he was by these young students and how hopeful he is for their future.

I just wanted to thank you again for helping us with Anne’s party on Saturday. She loved it and we all have fantastic memories of the special day. Everyone enjoyed meeting and talking to you. Your dedication to DreamCatchers is wonderful – it’s clear you love helping people.

A friend sent me the article about your being inspired by the movie of my life and it made me smile. Bravo. I thought it might interest you—I prefer to clown for adults—especially elders. Maybe you’ll come on a clown trip sometime.

I really don’t know how to ever thank you for what you did for my husband today. Your overwhelming kindness and generosity meant so much to not only us but our friends, as well. Bernie has not had much to smile about these past few years, but today he was smiling throughout the entire (sailing) trip. Thank you, thank you, thank you for such a nice day. Take care, and if I can ever do anything to help you please contact me.

I have been practicing pediatric medicine for 35 years and I have never met anyone like Caitlin

My husband and I were impressed with your organization, DreamCatchers, granting wishes for very ill adults. We were impressed with you, your maturity, and the future you have with such a positive and ambitious attitude. Our friend, (patient), has a deteriorating neurological disease which has robbed him of all the activities he has always enjoyed.

DreamCatchers put together a schooner trip off of Dana Point, CA to benefit (patient) who has been a life long sailor. The smile on his face was a testament to the success of your efforts. We were thrilled to share this experience with him.

Dreamers (Hospice Patients)

DreamCatchers maximizes the attention our society places upon older generations- whose presence is often otherwise minimized – as they near the end of their lives.

Our Student Chapters and Hospice Partners work collaboratively for our Dreamers, hospice patients, who experience the joy of a lifelong Dream come true. These end-of-life dreams can be great to each individual hospice patient, bringing them a day full of excitement and happiness. After each Dream, our Dreamers report big smiles and happy memories, forever grateful for the work of DreamCatchers.

“All of us from Summit Hospice cannot thank you enough for making our patient’s Dream come true! Not only did Maria have a wonderful time, but she did not need any of her anxiety medicine the next day! She spent her Sunday coloring seahorse and fish pictures. How wonderful is that???"

Ralph’s Music Dream Ralph loved it so much. What was really impressive is that his short-term memory is really poor but he told me every detail about that day. :-)"

Our Dreamers, typically older adult hospice patients, are at a higher risk of experiencing loneliness or social isolation than the general population. However, with each Dream, our Dreamers connect with students and form strong relationships. DreamCatchers breaks down barriers to social connection for hospice patients and understands the power of dreams and what they mean to these hospice patients..

“I did want to share that I visited with Barry this week. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since his Dream was fulfilled by you and the students at Mountain View High School. Barry was very appreciative of the time he spent with the horses and was thrilled by the experience. However, what he really took away from the whole experience was the kindness and the love he felt from the students. He said he was moved to tears by the way the students attended to him, helped him read, and generally cared for him. It was touching for me to hear how moved he was by these young students and how hopeful he is for their future.”

-Tammy Cabrera, MSW, LCSW, East Valley Hospice: Barry’s
Arabian Horse Dream

Hospice Partners

With a DreamCatchers partnership, our Hospice Partners experience increased staff morale and greater satisfaction with their work.

Working closely with our Student Chapters, are hospice partners. A Dream uplifts hospice partners with opportunities to spread joy, connect with patients, and inspire their communities.

“This is amazing! My heart just warms to see this email about Tony’s Dream experience. It is more than just healthcare we provide to patients and families. They become like family to us because of the most unforgettable things we are able to do and share with them during their journey and trusting us to care for them at an important time in their lives.”

-Chelsey Yvonne Burke, RN MSN BSN PHN, Assisted Home Health &
Hospice: Tony’s Clippers Dream by Burton Tech Chapter

Community

DreamCatchers strengthens communities as they unite in a shared goal.

Our work with Students, Hospice Partners, and Dreamers brings the Community together as well. We have worked with local businesses and organizations across the nation to make Dreams come true for hospice patients. Through these partnerships, local community organizations and businesses often provide donations of goods and services, strengthening community connections. Dreams bring the Community together around the experience of fulfilling a Dream and support Student Chapters as they plan and execute the perfect Dream day for our Dreamers.

The Power of Dreams