After serving hospice patients for a short time, Continuum’s dedicated staff and leadership recognized the numerous and somewhat unique needs of the patients and families they were servicing.

· There was a young man, primary provider for his family, stricken with cancer and unable to work and maintain his insurance coverage. He was distraught about the soaring medical debt left behind for his family.

· There was a grandfather desperately hoping to see his grandson one last time. The grandson lived in California and couldn’t afford the costly commute.

· There was a woman who wanted a “break” from her life limiting illness – “a chance to see the ocean one more time – to just be alone and reflect” on her life.

These exceed what Medicare and other traditional insurances could provide. But Continuum’s compassionate staff was relentless in finding answers for these families. The real life stories mentioned above led to the establishment and development of The Foundation for Hospice.

The Foundation for Hospice is a non-profit entity, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Foundation’s office is located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, but the Foundation provides assistance in other Eastern NC counties as well. The Foundation is committed to financial assistance for the terminally ill. Donations and grants afforded the Foundation funds to:

· Pay the terminally disabled father’s COBRA insurance payments
· Buy the grandson’s plane ticket to see his grandfather for the last time
· Rent a oceanfront motel room for the dying woman’s last tranquil visit to the ocean

How rewarding it has been to be able to literally “give” hope, when it seemed there was none – to provide a ray of sunshine when there was nowhere else to look.

The Foundation also provides multiple grief support and education activities:

· Workshops directed at general and specific grief
· Memorial services (ex.: Annual Luminary Service every spring in Jacksonville)
· Support groups (Ex. Sip and Share, 6 Week Grief Support Series 4x annually)
· Book clubs (promoting grief awareness, end of life discussions and effective coping)
· Children’s grief support services and activities (Camp Butterfly)
· Resource library, containing multimedia resources for free or for loan

Also, in working with the hospice population, Continuum’s staff recognized that families often have unanswered questions after their loved one passes or there are special events when the loss is especially difficult:

· One bereaved daughter wondered “What was mom’s favorite song? When and where did she and dad meet? There’s so much I didn’t think to ask!”
· For another daughter, her college graduation occurred 3 months after her father’s passing.

Another component to the Foundation for Hospice is the Memory Preservation resources. When a person wishes to document his/her life story, to leave messages to friends/families for anticipated special occasions, the Foundation will provide needed resources at no cost to the patient. Whether it is leaving a simple document, photo album, video or audio recording, the Foundation’s resources are available to educate and facilitate. These can be very rewarding activities for the patient and very comforting for friends and families. In response to the cases above:

· A “life story” book is now available to facilitate conversation/discussion between the patient and family, to explore and document the patient’s thoughts, memories, legacy.

· We now have resources to allow a father/patient to leave a video recording to congratulate his daughter on the day of her graduation or other anticipated special occassions.

The Foundation for Hospice is a valuable and unique resource to the communities it serves. It is not limited to hospice patients only. Financial assistance and all other resources are available to the terminally ill, (whether or not currently enrolled in hospice). Most resources are available to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, whether or not the loved one participated in hospice. The Foundation’s Director and/or Board Members are happy to speak to individuals and/or groups to provide additional information about available services and about how donations are used to support those in need. We welcome your inquiries, your donations and also extend an invitation for you to volunteer to help with various events.

Please, feel free to call us or visit The Foundation for Hospice website to learn more: http://www.thefoundationforhospice.org/