Faithful Journey Home Care Hosts Flamingo Fundraiser for Dave’s Wish

Faithful Journey Home Care is hosting a fundraiser with flamingos to benefit Dave’s Wish, directing money to hospice families facing groceries, rent and other basic expenses. The display works as a neighborhood game: if people see flamingos, they have been flocked.

Flyers left with the flamingos say the display is part of the fundraiser, and anyone who donates any amount can choose the next business the flamingos will visit. All proceeds go to Dave’s Wish.

Dave’s Wish and hospice costs

The fundraiser is tied to a need that reaches far beyond one company’s service area. Roughly 1.8 million Americans enter hospice care every year, and families often have to make quick decisions about care while also trying to cover routine bills.

Felica Rodriguez, the director of operations for Faithful Journey Home Care, said families are often unfamiliar with finding adequate care early on. “It’s stuff that they’re usually unfamiliar with. It’s their first time in all of this. It’s confusing, it’s overwhelming and it’s really hard to navigate. We just try to help however we can,” she said.

Dave Wayne Schuchard in 2011

Dave’s Wish was started in 2011 by David Wayne Schuchard while he was battling pancreatic cancer and wanted to make life easier for people navigating difficult moments. Over the past 15 years, the nonprofit has helped loved ones come from out of state to visit dying relatives and has paid for respite care and caregiving support.

Brianna Ahmische, director of operations for Dave’s Wish, said the group has used caregiving companies to help relieve family burdens. “We are able to mark something off of their list, which makes them feel accomplished, which gives them hope to continue to do this another day,” she said.

Faithful Journey Home Care

Ahmische said the mission is to keep people comfortable and at home as long as possible. “It is all about dignity, quality of life, and making sure people can stay at home or stay comfortable as long as possible,” she said.

For families facing hospice care, the fundraiser is aimed at a practical problem: paying for groceries, rent, respite care and travel costs that can quickly stack up. Rodriguez called the flamingo collaboration “a giant community game of tag,” turning donations into the next stop for the birds and the next round of support for Dave’s Wish.