Every October, the Auxiliary of the Center for Hope runs our very popular and highly successful Fashion Show, Luncheon & Tricky Tray fundraiser. Every May, as they’ve done for many years, the owners of 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro in Westfield host our annual wine tasting event, another highly anticipated fundraiser. Football fans appreciate our annual Super Bowl raffle in hopes they’ll be that year’s big winners.

At the Center for Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, we appreciate all of these fundraising initiatives and the people behind them for many good reasons—approximately three million of them, in fact. That figure represents the nearly $3 million in charity care the Center provides at Father Hudson House, our residential hospice care facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Charity Fund is a crucial safety net for those in our communities who need hospice or palliative care but lack the means to pay for these vital services.

Many people are unaware that the Center is a non-profit organization. As such, we rely on our hard-working Auxiliary members and generous supporters, who work their magic year ‘round to help us meet this crucial mandate: to provide high-quality care to patients at the end of their lives, regardless of their ability to pay.

Thanks to our fundraising efforts, the Center’s Charitable Care Fund has grown over the years to bring this care to more people. Just a few years ago, we provided approximately $2 million in charity care and this figure has steadily risen to nearly $3 million last year. And, we hope to see this trend continue so that more people can come to Father Hudson House when they and their loved ones need it most, without worrying about how to cover the expense. 

The Charitable Care Fund pays for all the services available in our residential hospice care environment, including: compassionate, 24-hour nursing care; Home Health Aide services available day and night; spiritual assistance by our chaplains; support through our team of social workers; the companionship of the Center’s many dedicated volunteers; the comfort of delicious, made to order meals and snacks…and a private room where you can rest assured knowing that you’re in good hands throughout a troubling time.  Patients and their families, who are at their most vulnerable, can focus on spending more quality time together with comfort and dignity, without financial strain.

Because the Center for Hope Hospice & Palliative Care is a non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible. Every donation, regardless of how much, means the world to the individuals we serve. From raffle tickets and tricky tray items to bargains found at our Hope Chest Thrift Store in downtown Westfield, there are many ways to support others in the community who turn to the Center for compassionate, high-quality hospice care, regardless of their means.