We shared Bill and Kate Freeman’s story in our blog post from August 15th (you can read it here), and in that article we shared their feelings about the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Hospice House. “All your donors gave us a gift,” Kate noted of being able to say goodbye to their son Jack at the VNA Hospice House. For the Freeman’s and many other families who have experienced the VNA Hospice House, this 12-bed facility is so much more than a healthcare facility. It’s a place where loved ones receive the 24/7 care they need at their end-of-life journey; it is a place of comfort, peace and dignity.
The VNA Hospice House is an incredible asset to this community. When a patient has a life-limiting illness and can no longer receive the care they need at home, the VNA Hospice House provides the setting to help them through their end-of-life journey, surrounded by skilled clinicians providing the highest quality care. It is not required for a hospice provider to have a hospice house for their patients, but the VNA and local philanthropists saw the need to have one in Indian River County. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the VNA Hospice House opened its doors in 2000 and has been serving hospice patients in this community for 23 years.
In 2003, through a generous $1 million gift from the L.W. Pierce Family Foundation, the VNA Hospice House Endowment Fund was created. Their transformational gift started this investment that helps pay for the day-to-day expenses of the VNA Hospice House. Each year, the VNA can take a fixed percentage of the earnings of the Endowment Fund to pay for things like electricity, oxygen, water, supplies, and other expenses that are necessary for daily operations. Gifts to the VNA Hospice House Endowment Fund are held in perpetuity, giving us a way to protect the future of the VNA Hospice House, ensuring that it will always be available to those who need hospice care when they can no longer receive it at home.
The VNA is incredibly thankful for all donors who have graciously given to the VNA Hospice House Endowment Fund over the last 20 years. You have provided an enduring gift, demonstrating your commitment to the VNA’s mission. You have contributed to a legacy that will ensure the VNA Hospice House remains available to those who need it, today, tomorrow and in the future.
For more information on the VNA Hospice House and the Endowment Fund, go to: https://vnatc.org/programs/hospice-house/.
