Tasha Serrano, center, with John and Avril Thomas, the founders of Living Hope.
LAKESIDE, Ariz. – Compassus recently sent a team of 12 volunteers, including Tasha Serrano of Lakeside, Arizona, to assist Living Hope, the company’s sister hospice program in Cape Town, South Africa. The Compassus interdisciplinary team, which included registered nurses, hospice aides, a social worker, volunteer coordinator, chaplain and other colleagues, spent a week in Cape Town working side by side with Living Hope clinicians and administrators.
“Living Hope helps patients with medical and comfort care like we do at Compassus. They also provide farming and business sustainability lessons for locals,” said Tasha Serrano, hospice aide for Compassus – Lakeside. “Through their compassionate work, Living Hope gives local communities hope for the future.”
Through an international partnership formed in 2011, Compassus donates monetary aid, medical supplies and health care expertise to support Living Hope’s health care and hospice services in the impoverished township communities of Cape Town. Compassus matches voluntary employee donations dollar for dollar for total donations in 2018 of more than $123,000 to the ministry-based nonprofit.
“The Living Hope staff began each day with a grateful heart,” continued Serrano. “Each of their patient visits starts and ends in prayer. It was wonderful to experience the relationships Living Hope builds with the patients and families in Cape Town.”
Living Hope offers health care services, counseling and education to more than 200,000 underprivileged residents in Cape Town. Its programs focus on improving general health and hospice care, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and economic empowerment. Living Hope provides health care for more than 36,000 South Africans annually through in-home visits, medical clinics and a 22-bed inpatient hospice center.
“Compassion is at the heart of everything we do, and our compassion has an even broader impact when we have the opportunity to serve alongside Living Hope,” said Kammy Heuett, executive director for Compassus – Lakeside. “We are proud of our team and their work with the people of South Africa, and I hope it inspires others to join the effort to advance the well-being of those facing life-limiting illnesses.”
For more information, visit our Lakeside page or call (928) 368-4400.
