WCR Partners with

Hospice of Wake County

About Hospice of Wake County

Hospice of Wake County, located at 250 Hospice Circle in Raleigh, N.C., is the oldest, largest and most experienced hospice organization serving Wake and parts of surrounding counties.

For over twenty-five years, we have provided compassionate end of life care and have earned a reputation for outstanding professional expertise in helping families experience quality of life . . . throughout life.

Today, over 100 professional staff and 250 trained volunteers provide expert medical care and supportive services to over 1,500 families each year. To help meet the complex needs of families these services include: counseling support for families, short-term respite care, spiritual care and counseling, volunteer support, bereavement care and end of life education.

For more information contact Hospice of Wake County

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE CENTER OF WAKE COUNTY DEDICATION

Hospice of Wake County hosted a public dedication for its new home on January 9, 2010 and Woman’s Club of Raleigh members were there to celebrate and lend a hand.

The new facility is dedicated to promoting and improving quality of life for people reaching the end of life. Our members volunteered in many capacities.  More than 20 members were on site that chilly January day to assist with an array of activities during the ceremony of remembrance, as well as the building and sculpture dedications. Our participation enabled Hospice staff and volunteers to put together a day that was “a dream finally realized” after many years of work by countless volunteers and staff members.

Several Woman’s Club of Raleigh members played major roles in the opening of the new Hospice Campus.  Joan Cavin, Hospice Committee co-chair, designed and quilted wall hangings for each of the 20 patient rooms in the Hospice Home.  Club Chaplain, Peg Bedini recited the poem entitled, ‘Entrances’ at the building dedication ceremony.  Volunteers and staff then opened the doors to the Susan P. Rouse Administrative and Community Services Building, the Dot Kerr Spiritual Sanctuary and the William B. Dunlap Center for Caring with ceremonial ribbons of green, white and purple.  The door opening ribbons in Hospice corporate colors were designed and made by club volunteers.

Club President Barbara Umstead along with Hospice Committee Chair and Co-Chair, Beth Lane and Patti Celestini, did their best to ensure that whenever Hospice needed ‘extra hands’, our well qualified members were at the ready. President Umstead designated Hospice of Wake County as the club’s community project during her term of office. Lane and Celestini served as club liaisons on the Hospice Opening Events Committee. Volunteering at this event was the culmination of active involvement and service preparing for this day, a landmark event in the 30-year history of Hospice of Wake County.  The day-long festivities concluded at the sculpture dedication where our members were on hand to pour champagne and share in the celebratory toast.

A special staff dedication was held in November 2009.  Woman’s Club of Raleigh members made dedication flags and banners for the staff to express their hopes and sentiments as they re-dedicated themselves to the community that will be served by the new facility. Club volunteers were on hand all day to assist in two sessions of the staff dedication. The Club treated the staff to brunch for the morning session and afternoon tea for the session later in the day.

It was a worthwhile and rewarding experience that many of us will cherish for years to come.