A Decades-Long Legacy Continues
The Ridgefield Thrift Shop recently announced a grant to support the Ridgefield Thrift Shop Hospice Fund at RVNAhealth. Patricia Hellman, President, Board of Directors, Ridgefield Thrift Shop, presented the grant check to M.J. Heller, Director of Philanthropy at RVNAhealth. (Photo above: at left, Heller and Hellman; at right, beneficiaries and purveyors of the ‘Wishes’ program at RVNAhealth.)
The fund was created two years ago to help sustain the critical services provided by RVNAhealth’s hospice program, ComfortWELL. The renewal of this grant will continue to offset many unreimbursed program costs, including bereavement support to patients and families, music therapy, end-of-life wishes, and the annual memorial service to name a few.
RVNAhealth’s hospice program serves patients in their residences, including private homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes or hospitals, and addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs to ensure quality of life and comfort in one’s final days. The program has grown exponentially since its inception in late 2018. In 2020, RVNAhealth cared for 370 hospice patients, an increase of 185% over the year prior.
“We are so thankful to our friends and longtime partners at the Ridgefield Thrift Shop,” says M.J. Heller, Director of Philanthropy at RVNAhealth. “This grant will provide essential funding to our ComfortWELL program, making sure that our patients and their families receive the full care and support they need during such a sensitive time in their lives. We are so appreciative of the Thrift Shop’s overwhelming compassion and continued dedication to this partnership.”
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 RVNAhealth, then known as the District Nursing Association. Together, they continue to ensure quality health care remains accessible to individuals throughout Connecticut.
If you are interested in supporting RVNAhealth or learning more about our ComfortWELL or grants programs, please visit rvnahealth.org/support-us or contact Julia Douglas, Development Manager, at 203.438.5555, x1018, or email jdouglas@rvnahealth.org.
