Generous community support has helped the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation meet its fundraising goal for 2016-2017.
Memorial donations, third party fundraisers, general donations and revenue from a benefit gala all helped the foundation reach its goal of $850,000 during the local hospice's first year of operations.
"Because it was our first year of operations we weren't sure how we would do with our fundraising goal," says hospice Executive Director Jodi Maroney. "We were thrilled to be able to reach that goal."
In the past year, the Chatham-Kent Hospice has cared for 211 residents and their families with an average length of stay of 14 days.
Maroney says the fundraising dollars will cover the cost of additional services that aren't included in the hospice's core funding.
"Our direct medical care costs are covered by our Local Health Integration Network funding," she says. "Things like meals for our residents or families... or family members are able to skype with love ones who live in other communities -- all those types of things are offered because of the donations that we receive from the community."
The fundraising year began on April 1, and the hospice foundation will again aim to meet the same goal of $850,000 for 2017/2018.
