Close to Home Celebrates One Year of Caring

Families enjoying the garden surrounding the fountain in the courtyard, cooking meals together in the kitchen, and kids watching movies in the Children’s Room.

All these scenes of family and friends spending precious time together have taken place over the last year at Close to Home. A project of the Campbell County Healthcare Foundation, the Close to Home, Hospice Hospitality House broke ground in August 2008.

Since Close to Home opened in July 2010, the CCMH Hospice staff has cared for 39 patients with 707 nights stayed in the Ray and Jeanne Shepherd Hospice Wing; and the Joe Kawulok Hospitality Wing has hosted 240 guests with 621 nights stayed.

"We feel blessed to be an extension of so many homes and filled the needs of so many patients and families in and around Gillette and Campbell County," said Nachelle McGrath, Executive Director of the Campbell County Healthcare Foundation.

Close to Home strives to provide hospice patients and caregivers with an atmosphere conducive to support, love and encouragement while offering a place where they can spend their last days with dignity and comfort. In addition, Close to Home offers hospitality accommodations for patients receiving any kind of medical care in our community or family members of patients.

The success of Close to Home is due to the work of many generous donors and hardworking volunteers. The Healthcare Foundation seeks your help to retire the construction loan and complete the fund-raising for Close to Home. A generous grant from the Daniels Fund will match every dollar raised through the end of the year up to $500,000. Call 307-688-6235 or www.cchcf.com to learn how you can help.

Thanks to you, this will be the first of many Happy Birthdays at Close to Home.