This month’s recipient of the Mercer Savings Bank Giving Mission donation is State of the Heart Care, a non-profit, multi-service hospice and bereavement agency with locations serving 15 counties in Indiana and Ohio.
The first hospice organization in the United States benefiting an entirely rural population, the agency continues this pioneering tradition by providing ongoing, comprehensive services to enhance the dignity and quality of life of those it serves.
Throughout its nearly forty-year history, the agency’s mission has remained the same. Erica Wood, Business Development Specialist at State of the Heart Care, says, “We are a nonprofit hospice and our mission is to serve our communities by providing compassionate hospice and palliative care to patients and families experiencing life-limiting illness. We serve any patient, regardless of their ability to pay.”
Today, the agency’s services span everything from hospice care and grief services to music therapy and support programs for those struggling with a terminal or life-limiting illness. As a non-profit agency, State of the Heart Care relies on private and community support to make these programs and services possible.
Wood notes that often donations that come to the agency are earmarked for specific programs by the giver, such as for their children’s grief camp – Camp Encourage – or bereavement services.
The team at Mercer Savings Bank requested that the Giving Mission donation benefit the organization’s front-line workers, the superheroes – State of the Heart Care’s clinical staff. This donation may be used to purchase vital equipment and supplies or educational opportunities. Donations which are not made for a specific purpose may go toward providing additional programs for patients and their families.
“I’ve been working with the agency for nine years,” says Wood. “I love working here. It just gives me a sense of pride. Everybody truly loves what they’re doing because they’re touching so many lives through the care that they’re giving…. I love knowing that I’m contributing to an organization that helps patients stay comfortable during their end of life, and in turn, giving them more quality time to spend with their family.”
Support State of the Heart Care
There are numerous ways to support State of the Heart Care, such as through volunteering or direct donations. The organization serves the Ohio counties of Allen, Auglaize, Darke, Mercer, Miami, Preble, Shelby and Van Wert, and the Indiana counties of Adams, Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Jay, Randolph and Wayne. For more information about their services, contact one of their local offices.