2022 is here! A time to celebrate new beginnings, but don’t forget to be proud of all you accomplished in 2021. In this blog, we are celebrating 21 Ways Hospice of Southern Illinois made an impact in 2021. At Hospice of Southern Illinois, we take pride in serving our communities. Since 1981, we have been a grass-roots, volunteer movement with offices in Belleville and Marion, Illinois. Our mission is to help patients and their loved ones in the end-of-life journey. Since our founding, we continue the tradition of focusing on quality of life, peace, and dignity for the patients in the communities we serve.
We are a free-standing, not-for-profit hospice. Our goal is to be your #1 choice in providing hospice care to your family and friends. Above all, thank you for your support in our 40 years of caring. We look forward to serving our communities in 2022!
- Celebrated 40 years of serving our patients and their families – Hospice of Southern Illinois is an experienced leader in end-of-life care.
- Served over 44,000 families since 1981 – We are your local, not-for-profit hospice with our roots starting right here in the Metro-East and Southern Illinois.
- Donation from Carlyle Lion’s Club- In 2021, Hospice of Southern Illinois was one of the Carlyle Lion’s Club’s three recipients of a donation at their annual planning meeting. These funds helped provide supplies to our patients.
- Flag Day Celebration – In June, Clinton County Vietnam Veterans participated in our flag folding ceremony in honor of Flag Day.
- Business After Hours– During July of 2021, we hosted the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s “Business After Hours” event to celebrate our 40th anniversary with our communities. This event had a “Christmas in July” theme! Business After Hours serves as an opportunity for networking and collaboration between our community partners.
- First Annual Blood Drive – Hospice of Southern Illinois hosted our first blood drive with over 30 donors.
- Dementia Live – Our Marion and Belleville offices began offering Dementia Live, a training simulation dedicated to better understanding patients with Dementia. Therefore, we can inspire our community to better understand the Dementia population.
- Volunteer Parade – To replace our Volunteer Luncheon with a more COVID-friendly event, Hospice of Southern Illinois hosted a volunteer drive-thru parade. This event was a way to thank our volunteers. Through our volunteers, Hospice of Southern Illinois is able to bring assistance to our patients, families, and community.
- African American Health Fair – Our Marion team attended Shawnee Community College’s health fair. This fair featured topics focused on People of Color and allowed us to educate attendees about our hospice services.
- Employee Appreciation Day– You can’t give from an empty cup! At Hospice of Southern Illinois, our priority is keeping our team’s cup full, so they can continue to provide amazing care and support. Our Marion office hosted a food truck, and our Belleville offices provided a box lunch for all staff.
- Bringing Life to Hospice featuring Barbara Karnes, RN – American Hospice Pioneer, award-winning nurse, author of Gone From My Sight, and NHPCO Hospice Innovator Award winner Barbara Karnes made a guest appearance on our podcast to share her journey as a hospice provider. She was able to share her unique expertise with our listeners.
- Golf Tournament in Belleville and Marion – 2021 brought Belleville’s 22nd and Marion’s 19th annual golf tournaments. The funds raised from our annual golf tournaments help us care for our patients and further our mission.
- Hometown Heroes- We awarded goodies to the Highland EMS and Firefighters who exemplified outstanding service after a fire at Cedarhurst of Highland.
- Honor Flight in Marion – Our volunteers participated in Southern Illinois Veteran’s Honor Flight #7 at the Veteran’s Airport of Southern Illinois, honoring retired military personnel!
- NHDD Airpod Contest – Our podcast hosted a giveaway to promote awareness of National Healthcare Decision Day!
- Pet Therapy Program–We welcomed Charlie as Hospice of Southern Illinois’ newest therapy pet. Charlie visits patients in long term care and assisted living facilities to bring joy to patients and families.
- Valentines from Students – Hospice of Southern Illinois partnered with area schools to create Valentine’s cards for residents at long-term care and assisted living facilities.
- Reuniting Families– A local Mother and Daughter were reunited at Aviston Countryside Manor after 7 months of separation due to COVID-19 protocols. Watch the video on our Facebook page!
- Flowers from Women of Hope Women of Hope provided flowers for Hospice of Southern Illinois. As a result, our volunteers were able to make 75 bouquets for patients and families!
- Assisted Living Garden– Our Hospice Volunteer department planted a garden for a local assisted living facility. Collaborating with our facilities on activities to boost resident’s morale.
- Great Place To Work – Last but not least, we are proud to be Great Place to Work Certified for the second year in a row! Much gratitude to our hospice team for their commitment to our organization.
