[December 13, 2024]
Executive Director Lesley Sacks has announced that Hopewell House recently received the 2024 Philanthropy Award from the Oregon/Washington chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Hopewell House is a residential end-of-life facillity located in Hillsdsale. Shuttered by its former operator, the facility re-opened in 2023 thanks to a multi-year volunteer effort. Following its successful re-opening last year, the organization has returned to providing care to the dying and support to their families.
On November 18, at a luncheon held at PSU, Hopewell House was recognized for the extraordinary efforts, vision, and dedication of its volunteers, who, in the words of Sacks, "worked tirelessly to create our non-profit, our model, fundraised for our capital campaign, and contributed to all of the re-opening efforts— as well as the incredible volunteer teams that bring their wonderful time, experience, and gifts to our community every day. "
Board President Sarah Newhall said the award validates five years of hard work by hundreds of volunteers and community members. She continued, "Our emergency campaign grew out of a deep and instantaneous conviction that the Hopewell House property in Hillsdale had to remain a residential hospice home."
According to Newhall, all of the work to bring back Hopewell House, essentially a start-up, was done by volunteers. "We needed to renovate the building and bring it up to current code, we needed to revitalize the five-acre grounds, we needed to register ourselves as a not for profit organization, develop policies and procedures, a three year budget projection, and a new service delivery model that would be financially sustainable," she said.
Newhall describes the volunteer program, at over 160-strong, as "truly remarkable and unique to end of life residences around the country." Volunteers assist staff in caring for residents and their families, greet visitors, help with housekeeping, kitchen, and building maintenance; plant and maintain garden spaces, secure food and flower donations, craft quilts and blankets, assist with outreach and communications, and provide pet therapy. Volunteer therapists, musicians, and artists lend their skills and talents.
To volunteer or make a donation, go to hopewellhousepdx.org.
—Valeurie Friedman
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