The Presbyterian Communities and Services Foundation’s 5th annual Each Moment Matters Luncheon, held at the Hilton Anatole on October 31st, welcomed more than 1,000 guests to honor 44 of Dallas’ own community change agents, everyday heroes who are making a difference in the lives of others. The luncheon has already raised more than $505,000, and additional funds are coming in from donors and pledges for the Faith Presbyterian Hospice Caring Fund, which helps this premier hospice provider offer specialized bereavement services for children and nationally recognized innovative programs including pet therapy, massage therapy and music therapy, as well as benevolent care. The donations provide half of the Caring Fund’s budget for the year. The organization serves 1,500 families in 13 counties each year, including specialized children’s grief programming. In 2016, Faith Presbyterian Hospice’s T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center, the first stand-alone hospice center in Dallas, will open to provide care to families’ loved ones suffering from a terminal illness and once open will provide additional bereavement services for families and children. The organization just reached its $38.6 million fundraising goal for the first phase of construction and is now raising funds for start-up costs and endowment.
“The generosity of our donors will allow us to empower individuals to live their lives to the fullest and truly make each moment matter, up until the last moment,” said Godwin Dixon, CEO of Presbyterian Community and Services. “It was a privilege to recognize 44 fellow like-minded individuals in Dallas who serve people in a positive way and make the community a better place. We want to thank everyone for supporting Faith by recognizing the importance of quality hospice services.”
The luncheon was chaired by Clare Buie Chaney, PhD, with Barbara Lord Watkins serving as the honorary chair. David Hudgins, Emmy- and Writer’s Guild Award-nominated executive producer and writer of three popular television shows, was the featured speaker at the event. He is passionate about hospice care and proudly supports the services that Faith Presbyterian Hospice makes available to families and children. Hudgins started the Catherine H. Tuck Foundation to provide assistance to women with breast cancer. His sister, Catherine, passed away from the disease in 2011.
“Faith Presbyterian Hospice is the largest not-for-profit hospice in Dallas, and our team is devoted to enriching the lives of terminally ill patients and their families,” said Cindy Douglas, executive director of Faith Presbyterian Hospice. “We have a bright future ahead, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who believes in the meaningful work we do each and every day.”
Major sponsors include:
Each Moment Matters Book Underwriter ($25,000): Billie and Gillis Thomas Family Foundation
Program Underwriter ($10,000): Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas
Book Preview Party Underwriter ($7,500): Business Jet Center
Valet Underwriter ($7,500): Bank of Texas
Favor Underwriter ($5,000): GlynnDevins
Step of Love ($50,000): Anonymous
Step of Joy ($25,000): Linbeck Group, LLC;USI Southwest
Step of Peace ($15,000): Pi Architects
Step of Patience ($10,000): Cathey and Don Humphreys; Texas Health Resources
Step of Kindness ($5,000): Gil Andres Family; Cenergistic; Clare Buie Chaney and Cal Chaney; Judge and Mrs. Bill Coker; Faulkner Design Group; Noe Hinojosa, Jr.; Hodges Capital Management; HydroWorx; Medical City Dallas Hospital; Olicon, Inc.; PRDG Architects; Scovell Family Fund of The Dallas Foundation; Jean and Tom Walter
Step of Goodness ($2,500): AT&T; Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP; Steve and Tena Burley; Children’s Medical Center; Cigna; Anne R. Compton; Margie and Ray Francis; Frost Bank; Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Ellen H. and Conrad J. Masterson Jr.; Kristi and Chris McCampbell; Linda Pickett and Carolyn Walton; Quest Capital Management, Inc; Risk Services, LLC; Sandra Tufts
Step of Faithfulness ($1,500): M. Ann Abbe; ABC Home and Commercial Services; Andrews Kurth, LLP; Austin College; Billy J. Bates; Dalene and John Buhl; Caddis Partners, LLC; Cissy and W. Plack Carr, Jr.; Nell and Jim Carvell; CliftonLarsenAllen LLP; Communities Foundation of Texas; Marilyn R. Corrigan; Susan and John Cuellar; Cathy and Bill Davis; Christa R. and Godwin G. Dixon; Carol and Daniel Donovan; ESIS ProClaim; Liz Fannin; Friends of Billye Miars; Friends of Teresa Whittington; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gibbs; Godwin Lewis PC; J. M. Haggar, Jr. Family Foundation; Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Hudgins; Mary Ann Hyde; Jones Day; Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kelly; Deborah and Milton Key; Local Cremation; Cynthia Logan; Melissa McCleskey and Mark Fuqua; Joseph L. McEntee; Judiann and Mark Meyer; Paula J. Miller; Liz Minyard-Lokey; Cyndy and Rev. Dr. Blair Monie; NorthPark Presbyterian Church; Bob and Karen Orr; Mary Dean and Ken Perry; Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church; Presbyterian Hospital of Denton; Jean and Andy Raub; Warren and Barbara Rutherford; Becky and Larry Sykes; Brenda Terry; The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society, Inc.; Sharon and Robert Walker; Connie S. Webb; Margaret and Tom Williams; Mr. and Mrs. Linus Wright
ABOUT PRESBYTERIAN COMMUNITIES AND SERVICES
Presbyterian Communities and Services, located in Dallas, is a faith-based nonprofit organization comprised of U.S. News & World Report recognized continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs)—Grace Presbyterian Village and Presbyterian Village North—and the leading hospice services of Faith Presbyterian Hospice. The organization fulfills its mission of empowering individuals to live their lives to the fullest by providing a standard for excellence, premier training, quality services and compassionate care. With a 79-year shared legacy, Presbyterian Communities and Services was established in 2008 to join the two CCRCs and hospice organization. For additional information, please visit www.prescs.org.
ABOUT FAITH PRESBYTERIAN HOSPICE
Faith Presbyterian Hospice, a Presbyterian Communities and Services community, the largest nonprofit hospice in Dallas, provides faith-based programs and services to support the wishes of patients and ensure a meaningful end-of-life journey. By integrating therapies, Faith Presbyterian Hospice provides care that improves patients’ quality of life while easing pain and addressing symptoms, allowing them to live the remainder of their lives as fully and comfortably as possible. In 2013, Faith Presbyterian Hospice began providing hospice services at Baylor Medical Center and broke ground on the T. Boone Pickens Hospice & Palliative Care Center with a projected opening in 2015. Faith Presbyterian Hospice is nationally recognized for its innovative programs including Faithful Wish, a program that grants personal requests to make dreams come true; Faithful Presence, providing patients and their families with recorded messages from their loved ones; and Faithful Paws, a program bringing comfort to patients through the companionship of certified animals. For more information on Faith Presbyterian Hospice, please visit www.prescs.org.