RVNAhealth Receives Generous Grant from Ridgefield Thrift Shop to Support Hospice Care
Read how this ongoing community partnership supports essential, compassionate end-of-life care and ensures accessible services for patients in need.
The Ridgefield Thrift Shop has generously awarded RVNAhealth with a grant to support the Ridgefield Thrift Shop Hospice Fund at RVNAhealth. Thrift Shop volunteers, Nicole Louras, Joyce Ligi, Ursula Lombardi and Trudy Potter presented the grant check to MJ Heller, RVNAhealth Director of Philanthropy, and Theresa Santoro, RVNAhealth President & CEO, at the Thrift Shop.
Established in 2019, the Ridgefield Thrift Shop Hospice Fund helps cover critical, often unreimbursed services provided by RVNAhealth’s hospice program, including bereavement support for families, music and pet therapies, fulfillment of end-of-life wishes, and our cherished annual memorial service. This year’s grant, in particular, will ensure that hospice patients who have insufficient health insurance coverage receive the care and support they need at end of life, no matter their financial circumstances.
Thanks to continued support, RVNAhealth now cares for more than 480 hospice patients and families each year across private homes, assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals. In addition, our 80 hospice volunteers contributed 2,706 hours of companionship last year alone, bringing comfort, presence and kindness to families during this deeply meaningful time.
The relationship between RVNAhealth and the Ridgefield Thrift Shop dates back to 1937, when the Thrift Shop was created to support and sustain the work of what was then the District Nursing Association—today, RVNAhealth.
“We are so thankful for this opportunity to continue to work together to ensure quality health care remains accessible to individuals throughout western Connecticut,” says MJ Heller, Director of Philanthropy at RVNAhealth. “This grant will provide essential funding to our hospice program, making sure that our patients and their families receive the full care and support they need during such a sensitive time. It’s truly a gift to have community partners like the Ridgefield Thrift Shop who bring our mission to life.”
If you’d like to learn more about supporting RVNAhealth or our hospice and grants programs, please visit rvnahealth.org/support-our-mission/ or contact MJ Heller at 203.438.5555 x1206 or [email protected].