Chickadees, Finches and Hummingbirds - Oh, My!
Meet the “Bird Lady” of Pete Moore Hospice House
What happens inside Pete Moore Hospice House is pretty special. Patients receive individualized, hospital-level end-of-life care in an environment that feels like home – from the family kitchen to the fireplace in the great room, from private bathrooms and patios in each room to pull-out couches that allow loved ones to stay overnight.
But look through the windows of the house and you’ll see something special happening outside, too: 25 bird feeders, including one outside each patient room, drawing hummingbirds, chickadees, finches, sapsuckers and more to the hospice house gardens.
We often hear from patients and families that watching the birds and enjoying the peaceful grounds are among the most meaningful parts of their time at the house. “More than anything,” said one son of his mother, “she wanted to go outside and smell the fresh air again, to see trees and birds. She was wheeled out onto the patio a couple days before she passed, lovingly wrapped in warmed-up blankets and able to take in the beauty of the sky.”
Those bird feeders are here largely thanks to the vision of one woman: Holly Knight, affectionately known as the “Bird Lady” of Pete Moore Hospice House. Working in collaboration with Wild Birds Unlimited and a small but mighty team of volunteers, Holly helps keep the feeders full, clean, and welcoming – so the colorful feathered visitors that bring patients such joy keep coming back.
Holly began volunteering at the hospice house in February 2024. At the time, staff did their best to maintain the aging feeders while balancing round-the-clock patient care. It wasn’t easy. Some feeders were in serious disrepair, with seed that had become moldy or begun to sprout. “I had trained to volunteer directly with patients,” Holly says. “But my triage training helped me realize the patients were in excellent hands. The birds needed a bit more help.”
Knowing some of the feeders were beyond rescue, Holly called in the professionals at Wild Birds Unlimited, a bird-centric retailer with a Eugene location in the Delta Oaks Shopping Center. After hearing about the hospice house, operations manager Dara knew right away she wanted to help. Since then, Wild Birds Unlimited has donated thousands of dollars’ worth of feeders, seed, and supplies.
Today, every patient room has a sturdy, bird-friendly feeder – either a tube feeder or seed cylinder – and more birds than ever visit the grounds: hummingbirds, juncos, chickadees, towhees, and more finches than we can count. Holly has become a familiar and welcome presence at the house, stopping by weekly to refill seed, refresh hummingbird nectar, and share her love of birds.
“Families and staff often take me aside to tell me how much joy the birds bring during such a difficult time,” she says. And perhaps most meaningful of all: “The birds were even in attendance at a recent memorial gathering for families on the beautiful grounds.”
This project is thriving thanks to the support of Wild Birds Unlimited, community donations, and Cascade Health – but it takes ongoing care to keep it going.
How You Can Help
Donate Wild Birds Unlimited store credit. Call the Delta Oaks store at (541) 505-9361 to donate store credit to “Holly Knight Pete Moore Hospice House.” Ask for Dara, though any staff member can help.
Purchase discounted seed and supplies. Wild Birds Unlimited offers a generous discount on supplies when you mention they are for “Holly Knight Pete Moore Hospice House.”
Volunteer. Join the small (but growing) team of volunteers who help maintain the feeders. Learn more about volunteering here or email Cascade Health Volunteer Coordinator Preeti Yonjon Feist at pfeist@cascadehealth.org.
Make a tax-deductible donation. Support the project directly by selecting “PMHH Bird Project” from the donation drop-down menu.
