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Hospice of the Highland Rim Foundation (HHRF) cut the ribbon on their location at Faith Lutheran Church in Tullahoma, welcoming members of the community to seek aid and provide support to their neighbors.

HHRF is an 501(c)(3) non-profit charity organization established in 2001 for the sole purpose of meeting unmet needs of terminally ill patients to help reduce stress and improve their quality of life during their final days. HHRF is the only hospice charity that assists hospice patients in Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Lincoln, Moore and Warren Counties.

Based on an assessment by the on-site hospice worker, the foundation’s board members are informed of a need through a simple, written grant request. The board has created pre-approved guidelines which allow immediate fulfillment of many of these requests.

When a request is received outside the norm, the board members review the request by email and can provide a rapid response.  The most frequent requests are for food (often for the family), utility bill payment, and/or special needs grant while the individual is on end-of-life care.  Many times, the need is driven by a family care-giver being unable to earn essential income while caring for a dying loved one.

“We have helped with putting gravel in a driveway so that the nurses could get back to a patient,” said Pat Howard, director of Hospice of the Highland Rim. “We’ve bought a room air conditioning. We had a five-year old child who was on hospice, and the family didn’t have a portrait of the child. Before he passed away or got really sick, the [HHRF] paid for Candy Couch to come out and take a portrait, and we paid for the portrait.”

HHRF has two major fundraisers each year, with the proceeds going towards improving the lives of the families and individuals in their care. In October, the HHRF hosts the Turkey Trot 5K at Tims Ford State Park.

The foundation is currently hosting their annual Mother’s Day basket fundraiser. Through April 28, interested parties can purchase a hanging basket with a plant or flowers for the women in their lives, with pickups starting May 10.

More information about flower orders can be found at the HHRF website, under the page “Mother’s Day Flower Drive.” HHRF is located at 101 Bragg Circle, in the Faith Lutheran Church building.