SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Compassus recently sent a team of 12 volunteers, including Sherry Buttram and Rachael Lamb of Springfield, Missouri, to assist Living Hope, the company’s sister hospice program in Cape Town, South Africa. The Compassus interdisciplinary team, which included registered nurses, hospice aides, a social worker, volunteer coordinator, chaplain and other colleagues, spent a week in Cape Town working side by side with Living Hope clinicians and administrators.
“Working with Living Hope was amazing,” said Buttram, registered nurse for Compassus – Springfield. “Day after day, the Living Hope colleagues prioritize the Cape Town residents’ health and safety above their own. It was inspiring and made me realize how fortunate we are here in the United States.”
Through an international partnership formed in 2011, Compassus donates monetary aid, medical supplies and health care expertise to support Living Hope’s health care and hospice services in the impoverished township communities of Cape Town. Compassus matches voluntary employee donations dollar for dollar for total donations in 2018 of more than $123,000 to the ministry-based nonprofit.
“Before embarking on the trip, I didn’t realize just how much Living Hope provides to the Cape Town community,” said Lamb, hospice aide for Compassus – Springfield. “As we worked alongside them, we saw how they walk miles each day to ensure families and children were up to date on their immunizations and encourage people to visit the clinic where Living Hope would provide care, free of charge. It was such a great experience to see the difference they are making and be able to contribute in a small way.”
Living Hope offers health care services, counseling and education to more than 200,000 underprivileged residents in Cape Town. Its programs focus on improving general health and hospice care, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and economic empowerment. Living Hope provides health care for more than 36,000 South Africans annually through in-home visits, medical clinics and a 22-bed inpatient hospice center.
“Compassion is at the heart of everything we do, and our compassion has an even broader impact when we have the opportunity to serve alongside Living Hope,” said Julia Murray, executive director for Compassus – Springfield. “We are proud of our team and their work with the people of South Africa, and I hope it inspires others to join the effort to advance the well-being of those facing life-limiting illnesses.”
For more information, visit our Springfield page or call (417) 882-0453.
