VNA of Northwest Indiana receives a $5,000 grant for hospice program

VNA of Northwest Indiana receives a $5,000 grant for hospice program
By: Kankakee Valley REMC, VNA Hospice NWI Last Updated: February 12, 2020

Kankakee Valley REMC recently presented the VNA of Northwest Indiana with a $5,000 grant through the Operation Round Up Trust community program. This grant will support the hospice program offered through the VNA.

The VNA provides hospice care wherever the patient calls home. Whether that be in their own home, skilled nursing or assisted living, or in the home of a loved one. The VNA also provides inpatient care at the Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton VNA Hospice Center in Valparaiso, one of only two inpatient hospice centers in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper and Starke counties. 

As a not-for-profit organization, generous donations to the VNA allow it to provide the same service and care to all patients regardless of their finances and ability to pay. With a commitment to ensuring that no family faces the end of life journey alone, VNA celebrates the life of individuals, provides compassionate care and supports families with a team of professionals.

“We are thrilled and humbled with Kankakee Valley REMC’s support,” said Bob Franko, President/CEO of the VNA. “It’s wonderful because the support is a choice that not only the consumers make, but also the volunteer board of Operation Round Up directors at Kankakee Valley REMC. We’ve always said that this is your VNA, it belongs to the community, so to get this support from the member-consumers of the Kankakee Valley REMC reinforces that we provide a valuable service.”

Operation Round Up Trust is a community grant program that is funded by Kankakee Valley REMC member-consumers. Participating member-consumers voluntarily allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the next dollar. Their donations, which average $6 per year, are combined with those of other member-consumers. A volunteer board of directors award grants to organizations in the communities served by Kankakee Valley REMC. To date, Operation Round Up Trust has given back over one million dollars to non-profit organizations.

“Operation Round Up Trust gives our member-consumers a way to provide significant support to local agencies like VNA of Northwest Indiana, whose focus is on compassionate care during a family’s most difficult time,” noted Amanda Steeb, director of communications and marketing for Kankakee Valley REMC. “We appreciate the work of this agency and its strong commitment to serving the families of our communities.”

Kankakee Valley REMC, located in Wanatah, IN, is a member-owned rural electric cooperative serving approximately 18,000 members throughout Starke, Pulaski, Porter, Lake, Marshall, St. Joseph and LaPorte Counties. For more information, visit www.kvremc.com.

Photo Caption:  VNA Hospice Social Worker Amanda Kontor, VNA Hospice Volunteer Leo Simon, VNA President & CEO Bob Franko, Director of Marketing & Communications at KV REMC Amanda Steeb, and VNA Hospice Chaplain Allen Wright accept the $5,000 Operation Round Up grant check.