|
Hospice to Celebrate 25th Anniversary
January 1, 2008
Asheboro, NC
– In 2008, Hospice of Randolph County will celebrate 25 years (1983-2008) of
providing quality, compassionate care to the residents of Randolph County.
The local
hospice vision was conceived in 1981 after the death of local
physician, Dr. Thornton R. Cleek. Prior to his passing, Cleek
expressed the desire to die at home after being diagnosed with
terminal cancer. His request was made possible by receiving medical
care from his wife Martha, a registered nurse, and other close
friends in the medical community. He passed away at his home in
October of 1981.
After the
experience, Martha Cleek and friends were compelled to offer the
same care to others in Randolph County. They quickly took action and
incorporated under the name ‘Thornton R. Cleek Memorial Hospice’.
The year of 1982 was devoted to planning, fundraising, securing a
state license and searching for Director. In the spring of 1983,
Billie Sue Vuncannon was hired as HRC’s first Executive Director; in
August of the same year, Hospice of Randolph County provided care
for its first patient.
Twenty five
years have passed since the first patient was served in 1983. Since
then, Hospice of Randolph County has grown into a large,
well-respected organization. In its quarter-century of existence,
the agency has provided hospice and end-of-life care to nearly
10,000 local residents. The health care organization has also
provided care to thousands of individuals through basic home health
care, grief support services and through its specialized pediatric
program, Kids Path.
“It is not by
chance that Hospice of Randolph County is thriving 25 years later,”
shared Rhonda L. Burch, MA, MBA, who succeeded Vuncannon as
President & CEO in 2000. “Throughout the years, many individuals
have played a role the success of the hospice mission. Board
members, volunteers, staff, donors and many others have enabled this
organization to make a difference in the lives of thousands in our
community.”
To illustrate
the difference that has been made in the lives of others, Hospice of
Randolph County is planning a special project entitled
‘The Faces of Hospice’. In order to make
the project happen, hospice is asking for help from families who
have experienced hospice care first-hand.
Hospice of
Randolph County is asking local families to submit the name and
photo of loved ones who received care from the organization.
Families are also encouraged to submit a brief story about their
loved one and their experience with hospice care.
“Our goal with
the ‘Faces of Hospice’ project is to create a visual display of the
impact that our organization has made throughout the past 25 years,”
shared Jared Reeder, Community Marketing Manager. “It’s often easy
to give a ‘number’ of those we’ve served, but nothing is as poignant
as seeing the faces of those who have been touched.”
These
‘Faces of Hospice’ will be featured on
hospice’s website and will also be displayed at Hospice of Randolph
County’s 25th Anniversary Celebration event on August 28,
2008.
If you would
like to submit a photo of your loved one, please contact Jared
Reeder at (336) 672-9300 or
jreeder@hospiceofrandolph.org. You may also drop off your photo
at Hospice of Randolph County, located at 416 Vision Drive in
Asheboro. An option to upload your digital photo and information
on-line is available on the organization’s website. All hard-copies
of photos will be available for pick-up after they have been
scanned.
|
