The first time Brandon Randall saw Hospice House of Williamsburg, it seemed to him like an oasis.
It was early 2019, and Randall, who now serves as the nonprofit’s executive director, was there with his family as his father, Edgar Randall, neared the end of his life.
For Randall, the experience provided a huge sense of peace, even in a difficult time.
“As soon as you enter the parking lot, it’s this really peaceful, serene, beautiful place, almost like a sanctuary of sorts that’s tucked away in this neighborhood,” he said. “… That was the first impression that I had. And then once you get in, the staff is just amazing, they’re really attentive to your needs and allow you to really just maximize the time that you have left with your loved one.
“Being a beneficiary of the services, it obviously makes me really passionate about our mission and the work that we do.”
In 1982, the organization, which partners with medical hospice agencies in the Williamsburg area, began operations. Originally they provided in-home service to members of the community, but in 2002, they opened their facility on Powhatan Parkway.
The building sits like an island in a forest of trees, with a large porch that wraps around the front of the building, providing shade for an array of rocking chairs. From the outside, not much differentiates it from the nearby family homes. Inside, the facility’s staff of medical care professionals, companions and administrators are dedicated to making everyone who comes through their doors feel like they’re “coming into a home,” Randall said.
The house is not licensed as a medical facility, though they do have a staff of trained medical professionals and provide care under the direction of the guests’ hospice agency and team of doctors and nurses.
As one of about 50 social model hospice services in the country, Hospice House of Williamsburg does not charge a fee to families or individuals for any of their services. Instead, the organization, which will be celebrating its 40th year in the service of helping others this September, relies on donations from individuals and other organizations in the community.
According to the facility’s website, nearly $1 million is raised annually to allow the organization to operate. Approximately 90% of the organization’s budget is raised through donations, with the biggest annual fundraiser happening in January. During the fundraiser, which has traditionally been a black-tie dinner, the hospice also plans to mark their big milestone. Tickets will be available for purchase within the next couple of months.
Over the years, more than 5,000 guests, as the organization likes to call the patients that call the hospice home during their final days, have benefitted from the services that Hospice House of Williamsburg provides.
Williamsburg resident Shirley Vermillion experienced the hospice’s services firsthand in 2018, when her husband, Pete Vermillion, was a guest at the facility as he neared the end of his fight with colon cancer.
“It was just a really gentle, peaceful place to transition,” she said. “For him and for us. … He was appreciative of the fact that there was going to be a place like Hospice House when we talked about when we knew the end was coming.”
Currently the house has four available rooms, with no time limit on how long a guest may stay. In addition to hospice care, the facility also provides bereavement support, which is open to anyone in the community, not just those who have a prior connection to the house.
Hospice House is always looking for members of the community to get involved, whether through monetary donations or through volunteer opportunities. The facility currently has over 250 volunteers, who help with everything from bereavement support, to house and grounds maintenance and repairs, shopping and staffing events. Those interested in volunteering can fill out an application online at williamsburghospice.org/volunteer-interest-application/.
“Our mission here is really simple, and I want to continue to drive this home,” Randall said. “Our mission is to give care, comfort and compassion, through and beyond end of life. … There’s no strings attached. We are giving it freely and we are honored and grateful to be able to do that through the support of the community.”
Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616
