Published on Thursday, May 8, 2008

Hospice needs donations to maintain level of care for its patients

By JOHN BACHMANN

DeKalb County Hospice has helped the community for years, but it also needs support.

Hospice Tag Days will be accepting donations from local businesses on Friday and Saturday to get that help.

The purpose of Tag Days is to help support and raise donations for the hospice, which it has done for 20 years.

When a person donates to the hospice, they will receive a tag filled with information about it.

Val Heintz, volunteer program coordinator for DeKalb County Hospice, said fundraising is crucial to their organization.

“For each patient we have, we receive reimbursements from Medicare, but it’s not enough,” she said.

Heintz said that although they are in need of funding, they won’t turn down any patient.

“We do not deny service to anyone, even if they can’t afford to be here,” she said.

Diane Hance, secretary and health home aide of DeKalb County Hospice, said hospice awareness is important.

“Bringing awareness about the hospice is important to the community and to those who are shopping during the tag days,” she said.

Volunteers from DeKalb County will be at various locations around the area collecting donations.

Joe Bussone, resident of Sycamore and long time volunteer, said helping the hospice is something very personal to him.

“My wife used be a volunteer for them and I want to be able to help them in their time of need,” he said.

Bussone has helped out with Tag Days since it first started and has worked with various charity groups for over 40 years.