To the Editor:
In this time of giving and remembering, I wish to thank the many community members who have created and maintained the organization where I work, Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard.
When people say, “It takes a village,” I want to add that we have been able to exist since 1981, and do our important work, because of the “village.” Our ability to fulfill the promise of our mission, to care for the terminally ill and their families, giving them care, comfort, and compassion, and to support all of the community with grief and loss for free, without charge to the patient, insurance companies, or the government, brings me to this letter of thanks to you, my community.
Hospice of MV, like many Island nonprofits, holds several fundraisers during the year. We ask many a merchant to give us their specialty items to auction, drink, eat, sell, advertise, and honestly, everyone says, “Hospice, yes.” The community groups who hold events and give the proceeds to us are also to be thanked here: Kevin Ryan and his collections of musicians, the Harley Riders, Farm Neck Tennis, the Wesley Hotel, Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank, Oak Bluffs Road Race Committee, Hand Made from the Heart donors, Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust and Our Island Club members, to name a few. I must include staff, board members, and the many volunteers who work with our patients and fundraising events. I would like to also mention both newspapers, the Gazette and the MVTimes, for consistently writing about us and inviting the public to know about our events and programs.
We are in a beautiful new home, thanks to the estate of Katharine Graham, and I am humbled in a daily way by the generosity and understanding the community has for our work. My job is to thank you all and I feel that I can’t quite do that enough, certainly not compared to the gifts received. Many of you remark that you want Hospice of MV to be around when it is your turn. My promise to you is that I will make certain that we do carry on and excel in offering quality care to all who ask. I thank you, my community, from the deepest place in my heart for your support and for bringing your loved ones to us. It is a privilege to be able to share this work with you.
To my village, I wish for all health, happiness, and peace during the winter months and throughout 2016.
Terre D. Young
West Tisbury
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