Local volunteers mark 25th anniversary of the Tippett Home

The Stanley R. Tippett Hospice Home (Tippett Home), part of VNA Care, opened 25 years ago in Needham to provide compassionate care and support for individuals and families facing a terminal illness.

The residence was among the first of its kind in Massachusetts and made possible through the charitable support of individuals, businesses, and foundations. The Tippett Home, located at 920 South Street, provides homelike surroundings for people to live and receive hospice care when remaining at home is not possible or optimal. The hospice staff and volunteers address physical, emotional, practical, and spiritual needs with an emphasis on pain and symptom management for patients.

In the 25 years since the Tippett Home opened, the hospice team has eased the end-of-life journey for more than 4,500 terminally ill patients and provided support to thousands of loved ones before and after their loss.

VNA Care’s Needham Area Community Cabinet is marking this milestone anniversary with a capital campaign, “Continuing the Legacy of Compassion and Caring,” to fund projects that will increase the care and comfort available to patients and families as well as ensure the structural integrity and energy efficiency of the Tippett Home.

Needham residents serving on the Cabinet are Louise Condon, Mary Lou Edman Hughes, Gail Nannini, Harding Ounanian, Jr., and Kathy Whitney. Stephanie Perkins, branch manager for Dedham Savings in Needham, is among the businesspeople volunteering on the Cabinet. Also volunteering on the Cabinet are Harold and Priscilla Gilbert of Dedham, Beverly Van Orman of Canton, Ellison and Kerrie Patten of Medfield, Joyce Patten of Westwood, Laurel St. Pierre of Lakeville, and Christine Paul Tetreault of Walpole.

“We’re incredibly grateful for our volunteers and donors whose generosity celebrates the extraordinary care provided by the dedicated care teams at the Tippet Home. Their involvement will help families in countless ways in the future,” said Laura Wise, manager of fund development for VNA Care.

The campaign for the Tippett Home, “Continuing the Legacy of Compassion and Caring,” includes a special 25th anniversary celebration on Thursday, May 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at MIT Endicott House, 80 Haven St., Dedham. The evening includes hors d’oeuvres, special music performance, silent auction and brief presentation about the Tippett Home.

Tickets are on sale now for $75 per person (sponsors receive complimentary tickets). For more information and to purchase tickets or make a donation, visit www.vnacare.org/25celebration or call Laura Wise at 617-835-9654.