Grundy Community Volunteer Hospice takes on new mission

Grundy Community Volunteer Hospice has announced its plans to rebrand into the Grundy Community Volunteer Lending Closet, after 35 years of service to the local community.

As part of this transformation, which went into effect on Feb. 1, hospice patients will no longer be treated at the organization's facility at 518 West Illinois Ave. in Morris, and staff will no longer make house calls.

The organization will transition its attention toward supplying members of the Grundy County community with free access to their arsenal of medical supplies and equipment.

John Callahan, president of the board of volunteers, said the decision was made with Morris residents in mind.

"We want to be what the community needs," Callahan said. "The truth is that most people want and need a one-stop destination when it comes to end of life care. For the last three years, we have been referring patients to other locations that we believed could be that destination for them."

Director Joni Sereno said she wanted to emphasize that the doors at their facility are still wide open to everyone.

"People can come in and talk about what they are going through while their stocking up on supplies," she said. "It's important to talk about what we're going through. No one leaves my office without a hug if they want one."

Sereno has been with the organization since it was founded in 1985. Since then, Community Hospice has cared for more than 1,000 patients and supplied more than 4,000 people with critical medical supplies.

The Grundy Community Volunteer Hospice was the last volunteer facility operating in the State of Illinois.

"Even with insurance people normally still have to pay for all the supplies they get from hospice facilities. With us, people won't have to pay a dime," Sereno said.

Callahan said that although he has mixed emotions about the transition, he is excited about the future of the Grundy Community Volunteer Lending Closet.

"All that's really changing is the sign on the door," Callahan said. "We're still here for Grundy County, supplying what they need, when they need it."