Huntington Quarterly Autumn 2022

PHOTO BY RICK LEE

to offer in-home palliative care, including private duty caregiving. The program serves patients in WestVirginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Hall said that while Hospice is “vigilant” about making sure it stays focused on its mission, it’s rewarding to find opportunities to better serve the Tri-State commu nity. Future plans include opening a medical adult day care. Of course, along with growth comes the ongoing need for com munity support. Donations to Hospice help fund things like Camp Good Grief, a free summer camp for kids who’ve lost a loved one, and free community bereavement programs. As it has since day one, Hospice provides care to patients whether or not they can pay for services; and donations from the community are vital in maintaining that commitment. “We are blessed by the people who provide financial support to us,” Hall said. “The community has been gracious and generous in their donations to us for all these years, and their support allows us to con tinue to serve our community, both now and in the decades to come.” Volunteers also play an impor tant role, from those who serve on committees and as sist with fundraising to those who work directly with pa tients and families. “We have a volunteer co ordinator who welcomes all our volunteers and provides great training for them so they feel comfortable with what they’re doing,” Hall said. “Volunteers are vital to our mission.We don’t take their involvement for granted.” Forty years later, Hall said that Darby’s influence continues to guide Hospice of Huntington.

President and CEO Melanie Hall has plans for the organization to grow and better serve the Tri-State, including opening a medical adult day care.

H ospice focuses on quality of life and mitigating suffering, allowing people in the last phases of incurable disease to live comfortably and with dignity. — Melanie Hall

in,” Hall said. “During her entire life, she has taken what’s in her hands and asked what she can do to help other people. That’s what we want Hospice to do — to take what’s in our hands and ask what we can do to benefit the communities we serve.”

“Our community is blessed tohave Laura, not just because of Hospice but also because of the countless other things she’s been involved

KATHERINE PYLES is a freelance writer living in Huntington, West Virginia. She is a 2009 graduate of Marshall University, where she was a member of the Society of Yeager Scholars.

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