Needham Residents and Businesspeople Among Group Organizing Third Annual Benefit for VNA Care

Needham residents and businesspeople are among those behind More Cool Hot Jazz, an evening to support VNA Care’s home health services and hospice care for the terminally ill, on Friday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. in the Needham Golf Club, 49 Green St., Needham.

VNA Care started bringing health care into the homes of Needham residents in 1910 as the Needham Visiting Nurse Association. The nonprofit includes VNA Care Network, VNA Hospice & Palliative Care, and the Stanley R. Tippett Hospice Home. VNA Care Network’s home health services focus on helping people with injuries and illnesses, such as COPD, cardiac disease, diabetes, total joint replacement and wounds, improve their health while continuing to live independently. When an illness is terminal, VNA Hospice & Palliative Care brings comfort and support to patients and their loved ones. Hospice care is provided in patients’ homes and the Stanley R. Tippett Hospice Home in Needham.

VNA Care’s Needham Area Community Cabinet, volunteers dedicated to raising awareness of and support for the agency’s nonprofit mission of caring, are organizing the Sept. 30 benefit. Needham residents and businesspeople serving on the cabinet include Louise Condon; Gil Cox; Cat Mayo, representative from the Needham Women’s Club; Harding Ounanian, Jr.; Stephanie Perkins, branch manager of the Dedham Savings; Jack Rooney; Kathy Whitney; and Barry Whittaker, executive vice president of Needham Bank.

The benefit will feature live music by Henri Smith New Orleans Friends and Flavours, dancing, cocktail party with cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, carving station, dessert, and live and silent auctions. Louise Condon Realty and Mutual of America are Gold Sponsors of the fundraiser.

This is the third year the Needham Area Community Cabinet has planned a fall event to support the future of vital health care services by VNA Care’s Stanley R. Tippett Home, VNA Care Network, and VNA Hospice & Palliative Care. Donations are critical and used to serve patients in need, develop new programs, purchase technology and equipment, and provide state-of-the-art training for staff.

“We are so grateful for the dedicated work of all of our Community Cabinet volunteers. Their efforts are making a difference right here, close to home,” said Jane Woodbury, vice president of fund development for VNA Care.

Tickets for the benefit are $60 per person and may be purchased at www.vnacare.org/jazz or by calling 888-663-3688, ext. 1361. Updates about the event will be posted on www.facebook.com/vnacare.org and www.twitter.com/vnacare.

Pictured: Henri Smith, jazz vocalist, (left) will perform at More Cool Hot Jazz. Harding Ounanian, Jr. is part of VNA Care's Needham Community Cabinet, a group of volunteers planning the benefit for local home health and hospice care.