NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Compassus recently sent a team of 12 volunteers, including Chaplain Mac McSweeney of North Andover, to assist Living Hope, the company’s sister hospice program in Cape Town, South Africa. The Compassus interdisciplinary team, which included physicians, registered nurses, a hospice aide, social worker, bereavement coordinator, chaplain and corporate colleague, spent a week in Cape Town working side-by-side with Living Hope clinicians.
“Our trip made a great impression on me,” said McSweeney. “What strikes me the most is how much Living Hope has grown to support the community in the 19 years they have existed. They are making a tremendous impact on the residents of Cape Town.”
Through a partnership started 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 to the dollar and last year raised more than $73,000 for the ministry-based nonprofit.
“Living Hope’s multifaceted approach to hospice care is making a huge difference in their community,” continued McSweeney. “As a Compassus colleague, I am proud to be part of Living Hope’s sister organization and provide spiritual care to North Andover and our surrounding communities.”
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.
“Compassus has a calling to deliver compassionate care not only in our local communities but around the world. Serving alongside Living Hope allows us the opportunity to live out this higher purpose,” said Joe Peterson, executive director for Compassus – North Andover. “We are proud of our team and the work they do for the people of South Africa and hope it inspires others to join the effort to advance the well-being of those facing life-limiting illnesses.”
For more information about Compassus, visit our Andover, Massachusetts page or call (978) 777-8222.
