Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio Receives $14,000 Gift from Senior Class of Denison University and Alumnus

Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio is honored and privileged to be selected as one of seven local nonprofit organizations that each received a $14,000 gift from Denison University’s senior class. Jonathan Silverstein, a 1989 graduate of Denison University, and his wife, Natalie, gave $100,000 to the senior class and asked the students to donate the gift to local nonprofit agencies. The entire class of 2021 voted on which nonprofit agencies they wanted to receive the money.

In addition to Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, the senior class awarded $14,000 gifts to Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Licking & Perry Counties; Boys & Girls Club of Newark, Ohio; Licking County Humane Society; Newark Ohio Pride Coalition; Salvation Army Newark Corps; and The Woodlands Serving Central Ohio, Inc.

“We are thrilled to be among the distinguished group of local, nonprofit organizations in our community that have received the kind and thoughtful gift awarded to Denison University from the Silverstein family,” said Stacy Geller, VP of philanthropic development at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio. “We are grateful for such generous support.”

Unrestricted donations to Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio support Pathways of Hope^SM, a service that provides grief support to family members and the community; palliative care, a service that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness; complementary therapies including art support, massage therapy,  Music & Memory®, Urban Zen Integrative Therapy and scented comforts; uninsured care; and quality-of-life needs.

Liz Adamshick, manager of volunteer services at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, has worked closely with Denison University to cultivate volunteers and interns for the not-for-profit organization. “When we learned we had been selected as one of seven Licking County organizations to receive this generous donation, we were both humbled and delighted,” Adamshick said. “This gift will allow us to continue providing the compassionate and patient-centered services that mean the most to our patients and families, touching their lives with the comfort and peace they seek.”

More than 15 years ago, Denison University students expressed a strong desire to volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio. Through the Denison Community Association, students interested in volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio completed the organization’s onboarding process and were initially assigned to its inpatient care center. They quickly expanded their involvement into other areas, such as Patient Companion (one-on-one assignments), Special Projects, Handmade Items, and the Community Engagement Team.

“We have drawn volunteers from a variety of academic study programs, from marketing to pre-med to psychology,” Adamshick said. “Students have found their hospice volunteer experience relevant and helpful to their career goals. Faculty and staff also have volunteered.”

Throughout the years, Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio has engaged Denison University students in an advisory capacity to help the organization grow its relationships with other universities in its service area with great success. In 2020, Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio was selected as the Denison Venture Philanthropy grant recipient to benefit its Handmade Items program.

Ohio’s Hospice is grateful to Denison University for its support throughout the years and, most recently, for the generous donation from the class of 2021 and the Silverstein family.

“We’re thankful to the Denison University senior class and the Silversteins for their support of our mission,” Adamshick said. Because of support from the community and community members like Denison University, Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio continues to provide superior care and superior services to our patients and families.

Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, has provided a holistic, community-based approach to hospice care since 1982. With locations in Newark, Columbus, Lancaster and Zanesville, the not-for-profit organization serves nine counties in central Ohio and is dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses. In addition, two inpatient care centers at Licking Memorial Hospital and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are available for symptom management.