I remember vividly the day we delivered a “big check” to Lake Norman Hospice and Palliative Care. Rebecca, our Davidson College intern, went with me. We expected to take a quick picture of the check presentation, give our best wishes, and be on our way.
Their grant request was for funding for “grief materials” for children – books and coloring booklets – and we asked how these items would be used.
A staff member told us the story of a young woman who had called them for help just a week earlier. Her husband, who drove a truck, was killed in an accident. They had a two-year-old daughter and the mother didn’t know how to tell her little girl that her father would never be coming home. Lake Norman Hospice and Palliative Care sent a staff member to help the young mother and help her face the unthinkably hard situation.
The books and coloring booklets would be used as tools to help the difficult conversation that day and beyond. These books and coloring booklets suddenly became much more near to my heart.
As Rebecca and I spent time with the LNHPC staff, we were touched by their story and work with families affected by the suicide of a family member.
Lake Norman Hospice checks on families early on but also follows up a year later when the reality has set in and yet the grief still remains, to see how they can continue to support and care for them. Lake Norman Hospice and Palliative Care makes a big difference in the lives of local people when they needed help most. Thank you for uniting together as a generous community so we can deliver a “big check” to support them.
Caroline Stevens, PCF Board Member
