Arbor Hospice Receives Grants from Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and Washtenaw Coordinated Funders

Arbor Hospice recently received two grants from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) and Washtenaw Coordinated Funders, which will both help to further the mission of Arbor Hospice.

A $5,000 grant awarded by Washtenaw Coordinated Funders, a collaboration of the Office of Community and Economic Development, United Way of Washtenaw County and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is for Arbor Hospice executive development, enabling two Arbor Hospice executives to attend Taking You and Your Organization to the Next Level, a Quint Studer training seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana in November. This training is one of only a few that addresses the specific needs of a hospice organization and can produce immediate, data driven results.

“Typically, this level of training is not within the reach of nonprofit organizations, yet it is something that can provide tools to enhance Arbor Hospice’s viability and effectiveness,” said Gloria D. Brooks, Arbor Hospice President and CEO. “The training will provide clear, executable action plans demonstrated to produce measurable improvement. This will provide the agility, tactics and tools the organization needs to meet increasing challenges, and to provide ever higher levels of patient care, which is at the heart of our mission.”

The second $5,000 grant, awarded by AAACF, will ensure soup is available in The Residence of Arbor Hospice for patients, families and guests at no charge. The Soup Fund provides a different soup each day as a source of comfort and nourishment for families and caregivers. Arbor Hospice families consume an average of 18 bowls of soup each day, or 533 per month. Developed in 2011, the Soup Fund was established by the husband of an Arbor Hospice patient in his wife’s memory.  In addition to AAACF’s grant support, the daily soup is supplemented by fresh baked bread generously donated by Great Harvest Bread Company in Ann Arbor.

“Arbor Hospice is extremely grateful to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and the Washtenaw Coordinated Funders for their investment in our community,” Brooks said. “These grants will help our organization continue to provide the highest quality care and support to our patients and families, and ensure we implement the latest best practices. Without the support of these community partners, that would not be possible.”