Hospice And Palliative Care Foundation

HPCF was founded in 2000 when two executives that worked in hospice noticed families falling through the cracks. Although hospice and palliative care patients usually have Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance, the benefits received didn't cover everything, and when a loved one's life ended, they were also faced with funeral costs and the need for more help with the grieving process. Just one unpaid mortgage bill or utility could send these families into a state of situational poverty. Caregivers and parents also struggled to make memories and build legacies with their terminally ill children when they'd used all of their sick time and paid time off at work. Additionally, grieving children and their families needed resources and support. The founders made a commitment to serve all families facing end-of-life issues through collaborative partnerships and innovative services. HPCF has thus far provided over $1.2 million in emergency funding for critical needs incurred as a result of life-limiting illness. Camp Hands of Hope, our nationally recognized, youth centered and family focused bereavement camp, has served over 1,500 individuals since 2007.

HPCF works with hospice and palliative care professionals, including doctors/nurses, social workers, and specialists from all over South Carolina, to identify and address critical needs for adults and children receiving hospice or palliative care services. The Foundation also works with school counselors and other personnel to identify children who have lost a loved one, and would benefit from attending family bereavement camp or receiving grief education materials, and veterans groups in order to distribute financial education resources for veterans facing end-of-life. HPCF operates four core programs, described as follows:

• Camp Hands of Hope – Three weekend-long, all-expenses paid bereavement camps are held for youth and their families who have experienced the loss of a loved one each year. Certified, clinical volunteers write the curriculum and contribute approximately 500 total hours of their time per camp. Approximately 150 participants attend camp each year. Our vision is to continue to replicate this nationally-recognized camp model throughout the state so that children and families in low-income school districts that may not have access to bereavement education services can obtain the support they need. In 2020, the Foundation began adding virtual camp opportunities in order to avoid in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Emergency Relief Fund – One-time emergency funding is awarded to adult hospice and palliative care patients to cover unexpected expenses not covered by insurance. These expenses can include funeral costs, mortgage/rent payments, utility bills, medical transportation assistance, and home repairs. The maximum award is $500 and is paid directly to the service provider. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a “small gifts” component was added to quickly provide $100 gas/grocery cards, nutritional supplements, and other emergent needs.
• Pediatric Care Program – Pediatric hospice and palliative care patients and their families are eligible for one-time emergency funding for critical expenses at a maximum award of $500. This program also provides funding for quality-of-life components including professional photography services, fingerprint charms that can be worn as a necklace or bracelet in memory of a child, and “small gifts” and holiday gifts of $100 or less that can meet a specific need or provide comfort and joy to a child facing life-limiting illness. Patients are eligible for a total amount of $600 in funding from this program.
• Hospice and Palliative Care Education Program - Through this program, the Foundation provides bereavement education materials to school counselors and other professionals working with grieving children and families for use in support groups and at home, or for children and teens that cannot attend camp and/or who need them between sessions of Camp Hands of Hope. HPCF also provides financial education resources to veterans facing end-of-life to help them navigate the VA system.

The mission of the Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation (HPCF) is to discover and address the unmet needs of individuals and families facing end-of-life issues through innovative and collaborative programs and services and includes providing funds for one-time emergency needs, as well as educational and grief support.

Hospice And Palliative Care Foundation is a Charity participating in the NASCAR Day Giveathon 2023 a Giving Day event, presented by The NASCAR Foundation.