Local nonprofit Hope Hospice does more than just offer care and guidance to families who navigate through the end-of-life process for loved ones.
Aside from serving terminally-ill patients on an emotional, spiritual and medical level, the nonprofit organization also serves the community by helping it grieve and heal through some of life's most devastating situations.
From pet loss to teen support groups and workshops, Carolyn Siegfried of community outreach says Hope Hospice, located at 6377 Clark Ave.,
offers a wide variety of grief counseling and resources at its Grief Support Center.
"We want to be a whole resource for all the community of all life issues," Siegfreid said.
To raise folks' spirits even more, the organization even , to sing at the bedsides of those in their last stages of life.
Siegfried said since 1979, Hope Hospice has been serving thousands of residents in Pleasanton, Livermore, Danville, Castro Valley, San Ramon and of course Dublin, where it is based out of.
Around 500 hospice patients are treated each year and 1,700 are served at the Grief Support Center, according to Siegfried. Grief support services are either free or at a minimal cost.
From nurses and volunteers to social workers and physical therampists the passion that the 65-person patient-care team has for the work that they do is what makes Hope Hospice what it is today, Siegfried said.
Some volunteers have been around for decades according to Siegfreid.
"People willing to give that much of their time shows how much they support the mission of this organization," Siegfreid said.
Though some may see hospice care as one of the most difficult and depressing fields to work in, Siegfreid said the team is working here by choice and have a tremendous amount of compassion. However, not every patient has the same ending at Hope Hospice.
"People have even gotten better to get out of hospice care," Siegfreid said.
For more information on Hope Hospice, visit www.hopehospice.comor call (925) 829-8770
