Hospice Savannah's Pet Peace of Mind® Program Awarded One-Year Grant from Amie's Place Foundation
Savannah, GA (PRWEB) June 04, 2014 -- Amie’s Place Foundation recently awarded not-for-profit Hospice Savannah, Inc.’s Pet Peace of Mind® Program a one-year grant of $2,000 as partial support for program expenses which are not all covered by current donations.
Amie’s Place is dedicated to preventing unnecessary forced separation of people from their pets simply because no one is there to help them. Their mission almost perfectly mirrors the work of Hospice Savannah’s Pet Peace of Mind® program, which began three years ago with a start-up grant from the Banfield Charitable Trust to help keep terminally ill people and their pets together during the end of life and when needed, to assist in finding forever homes for pets after patients’ deaths.
Medical evidence supports the positive impact of pets on emotional, physical and spiritual well being, and the love and companionship of pets for hospice patients seem especially important. Many patients would be unable to physically or financially care for their pets without the help of the Pet Peace of Mind® program and its dedicated volunteers. Volunteers help provide pet food, litter, walking, routine and emergency veterinary care, grooming, transportation to appointments and sometimes to nursing facilities to visit owners, as well as temporary boarding for day care when owners come to Hospice Savannah’s inpatient Hospice House for respite care. Volunteers also assist in finding short term foster care when needed and "forever homes" if a family cannot keep the pet after the patient's death. The Pet Peace of Mind® program allows hospice patients and their pets to remain together without the stress and anxiety of wondering if and how their pet will receive continued care.
Hospice Savannah has a long tradition of serving all those who need help without regard to ability to pay, and the Pet Peace of Mind® program is offered to all patients who need it at no cost. In addition to being unable physically to care for their pets due to advanced medical conditions, many patients also can no longer afford essential pet care expenses. Through the generosity of local veterinarians and other donors, Hospice Savannah is sometimes able to access pet food and supplies, veterinary care and grooming at reduced cost. Individual donations and calendar fundraising sales help to offset remaining expenses and most out-of-pocket costs.
The grant from Amie’s Place Foundation will help Hospice Savannah ensure its patients will experience improved emotional and physical well being as a result of the loving presence of their pet companions and the special relationship they share.
More information on Hospice Savannah’s Pet Peace of Mind® program may be found at http://www.HospiceSavannah.org/PetPeaceofMind.
About Amie’s Place Foundation:
Amie’s Place Foundation was established in 1982 in New York City to fund organizations providing programs for people who need assistance caring for their pets, risk losing them during times of crisis, or face barriers limiting access to their pets when they most need each other. In light of the profound healing effect that pets have on individuals who are encountering a difficult, sometimes life-changing event, the Foundation works to provide necessary pet-care assistance and to promote public awareness of the unique relationship a beloved pet and its human companion share. Grants have funded the first Senior Center and hospital-based programs at The Caring Community/1998 and St. Vincent’s Hospital/2003 in Greenwich Village, New York City. Amie’s Place Foundation has funded programs that include Beth Israel Hospital, FACES (Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures) at NYU Langone Medical Center, JASA, Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, MedicAlert Foundation International, PAWS NY, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, RedRover Domestic Violence Safe Housing Program, Schervier Nursing Care Center, Search and Care, and Sunnyside Community Services. The Foundation encourages national replication of programs that help prevent the unnecessary forced separation of people from their pets simply because no one is there to help them. Visit their website for more information: http://www.amiesplacefoundation.org.
About the company:
Hospice Savannah, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, provides the community with the best services and resources for living with a life-limiting illness, dying, death, grief and loss. Hospice Savannah exists to help lift the burden of worry when people receive or a loved one receives a life limiting diagnosis. Together, more than 250 volunteers and more than 200 full- and part-time staff members are committed to fulfilling the mission of Hospice Savannah. For more information, call 912-355-2289 or visit their website.
Beth Logan, Hospice Savannah, http://www.hospicesavannah.org, 912-629-1043, [email protected]
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