VNA Hospice NWI has served as a beacon of compassionate end-of-life care for 54 years. Serving Lake, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton, Porter, and, Starke counties with two offices in Valparaiso and Crown Point, VNA Hospice is proud to uphold the dignity of patients and their families during the end-of-life journey and ensure they have their Best Days Possible. In a spirit of merriment and philanthropy, VNA Hospice takes pride in hosting its biggest fundraising event of the year. On Saturday, June 22, VNA Hospice held its fourth annual Hops for Hospice Brewfest at the Porter County Expo Center.
“This fundraiser is so important to help us continue to do the work that we are doing,” said Bob Franko, President and CEO of VNA Hospice NWI. “There is a certain demographic here that we want to be known to. This is a crowd that will be making decisions for their parents, grandparents, and other loved ones. We want them to know the quality of the services we provide and that we are local.”
Hops for Hospice retains its uplifting reputation as a popular Brewfest dedicated to uniting attendees with savory sips of beers, ciders, seltzers, wine and non-alcoholic delights. Attendees engaged in a repertoire of fun-filled activities, including a raffle, live and silent auction, tasting appetizing food samples, a photo booth, corn hole, and listening to live rock music from the Crawpuppies. Hops for Hospice also provided each attendee with a complimentary tasting glass.
“What makes our Brewfest so special is that the reps from local brewers are here,” said Amy Wulf, Community Liaison at VNA Hospice NWI. “The Brewers and dedicated volunteers come out to help us host the event, which ensures not only will hospice services be available to the community for years to come but to also help attendees learn about our the other services VNA offers – Palliative Care, VNA Meals on Wheels, the Medical Guardian Help Button, Grief Support including the Phoenix Center for children, and We Honor Veterans.”
Tables were set up throughout the expo center to create an easily accessible journey to sample various local breweries sponsoring VNA Hospice. Barb Kehe, owner of Ironwood Brewing Company, jumped at the opportunity to share her support and beer.
“We have been in business since 2013 and today I am most excited to share my Sous Chef, which is a specific beer made with tips from my own tree,” said Kehe.
Mike Golden, the general manager for Blockhead Beerworks, a Valpo-based fusion-fare craft distillery, celebrates his third year of giving sample beers at Hops for Hospice.
“It is a nice way to reintroduce ourselves to the area every year,” said Golden. “It is a very feel-good event. You get a lot of volunteers and engagement from locals. We like to give away a bunch of stickers and showcase our truck, which is a homemade tap device that is similar to a jockey box that everybody else uses.”
Another table featured Erica and Mike Hemphill from 10-56 Brewing and Catering in Knox. The couple was excited to support the community just shy of their 10th anniversary as a full-service kitchen.
“We are most excited about the vibe and energy here today,” said Erica Hemphill. “Everybody is having a good time. The music and the food are great. It is always a fun event to come to.”
Mike Hemphill shares in the thrills of presenting their tap items to Hops for Hospice attendees.
“I love that it is indoors and easygoing,” said Mike Hemphill. “It is light-hearted rather than hardcore drinking, which makes for a perfect time.”
Throughout the event, you could see over 50 pink-shirted volunteers facilitating the magic. The goal of the event is to raise $40,000 to support accessible and compassionate end-of-life care throughout Northwest Indiana. As one of only two remaining non-profit hospice providers in the area, VNA Hospice depends on donations to keep its programs operational, which include its Palliative care, VNA Meals on Wheels, the Medical Guardian help button, grief support, and We Honor Veterans.
“There would be a big gap in the community if the VNA was not here,” said Franko. “We serve over 650 people a day.”
Brenda Coleman, a volunteer for VNA Hospice and Vice President of International Magnaproducts, Inc., attests to the compassionate end-of-life care provided by VNA Hospice NWI. Coleman worked the event in honor of her late father, Donald Coleman, an esteemed Aviation Storekeeper 1st Class for the U.S. Navy, who received five hours of end-stage care.
“Hospice has a very close place in my heart because these people do angels’ work,” said Coleman. “They help walk the family home. They calm you through a very difficult place in life and bring dignity and grace to your loved ones.”
Each volunteer, like nurse Gail Little, dedicated their time to Hops for Hospice with the hope of expanding the mission of VNA Hospice while seeing firsthand the support our community provides. Another volunteer, Dawn Adams, finds hospice care to be a crucial need in any community.
“I have a good friend Maria, who works for the VNA, and I have had family that needed hospice care,” said Adams. “Anything I can do to help keep it going, I am willing to do because it is for everybody in the community.”
As hospice and end-of-life care are often taboo subjects, VNA Hospice is a positive reminder that life can be beautiful from beginning to end. To learn more about how to support VNA Hospice NWI and its available services, visit vnanwi.org/.
