George Cox’s journey with Caring Hearts and Hands (CHHC) began with a deeply personal experience. After moving back to Columbia to care for his mother, George found himself searching for compassionate end-of-life care. When his mother’s health declined, he discovered Caring Hearts and Hands—a place that provided comfort, dignity, and a family-like atmosphere during her final hours.
“Everybody in my family who went over there (CHHC) was just so impressed with the atmosphere. You know, nice, comfy bedrooms set up and a nice family room for the whole family to talk… It was actually so much nicer than being in the hospital for the level of care given,” said Cox.
Deeply moved by the care his family received, George was inspired to give back.
Retired and eager to make a difference, George became a volunteer, helping with housework and facilities, and soon joined the board. He values both the hands-on work and the opportunity to help shape the organization’s future,
“It’s an opportunity to be involved. I mean, it’s a family. Everybody’s in there for the right reason, the volunteers, the staff, and people on the board, you know, it’s a passion,” said Cox.
For George, Caring Hearts and Hands is more than a hospice—it’s a community built on empathy, dedication, and a shared mission to support families during difficult times.
George’s vision is to help the organization grow, reaching more people in need. He believes that every volunteer and staff member is there for the right reasons, and he encourages others to get involved, knowing firsthand the impact their time and support can have.
“It was and is something that I really needed, and so I can imagine there are a lot of people out there who really need it. So to me, it’s become something that I want to help grow, make, make our services more available to people.”
To become a volunteer like George, reach out to Deb Portell (dportellseven@gmail.com) or visit the Caring Hearts and Hands website to learn more about how you can make a difference today.
Missouri Cancer Associates generously contributed $20,0000 annually for five years.
Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia would not be where it is today without the unwavering support of Missouri Cancer Associates (MCA). As one of our founding donors, MCA saw the heart of our mission before we even had a house—and chose to stand with us when all we had was a vision.
Since those early days, their generosity has remained steadfast. Through an incredible commitment of $20,000 per year for five years, MCA has invested not just in hospice and palliative care, but in the very soul of our community. That’s nearly $20,000 per physician—an extraordinary act of leadership and compassion.
What inspired this level of giving? As Executive Director Debbie Barnes Dresner puts it, “Our physicians didn’t just see this as a donation — they saw it as an investment in the kind of care we want for our own families and community.”
Thanks to MCA’s support, CHHC has been able to serve families through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
One of those stories is that of David Potts, whose journey was featured in a previous newsletter. His family’s experience at CHHC—made possible by early partners like MCA—illustrates the profound impact of personalized hospice care in a home-like setting. Read David’s story here.
For MCA, partnering with CHHC was never just about supporting a nonprofit; it is about extending their mission beyond treatment and walking with patients and families through every stage of their journey. As Debbie shared, “CHHC brings presence, patience, and peace… their model is both unique and profoundly human.”
As we look to the future, we are filled with gratitude—and hope. MCA has helped build something lasting. We hope this legacy continues, not only through continued support, but through the inspiration they offer to others who believe in care that honors the whole person.
To everyone at Missouri Cancer Associates: thank you. You were among the first to believe in us. You continue to believe in us. And because of you, families across mid-Missouri know they are not alone.
Two years ago, Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia opened its doors with a simple mission: to provide compassionate, dignity-filled end-of-life care in a home built on love. Since then, we’ve had the honor of serving over 100 guests, each one embraced as part of our extended family.
Since then, we’ve walked alongside countless families through their most vulnerable moments—offering peace, presence, and a place where no one dies alone.
As we mark our second anniversary, we’re launching our Stronger 2gether campaign to honor the strength we’ve built through community and care—and to invite you to be part of the future we’re creating.
This year, we’re asking supporters to mark the occasion with a gift that reflects both where we’ve been and where we’re going.
Here’s how you can be part of CHHC’s Stronger2gether celebration and help ensure this work continues for years to come. Whether it’s a small gesture or a lasting commitment, your support makes all the difference:
Give a one-time donation of $222 Or commit to $22/month recurring donation
Your support ensures we can continue to provide 24/7 personalized care, warm meals, and a loving home for those at the end of life—regardless of their ability to pay. Every dollar helps keep the heartbeat of this mission strong.
We’ve made it this far because of you. Let’s keep building, keep loving, and keep showing up—Stronger 2gether.
For University of Missouri soccer player Ashlyn, volunteering with Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia isn’t just an extracurricular—it’s a calling rooted in a personal mission of compassion.
After losing a close family friend who was in hospice care, Ashlyn saw firsthand how treatment at the end of life can vary drastically. “I knew I wanted to be a part of the change,” she shared. That desire led her to CHHC, a local nonprofit hospice alternative dedicated to treating both patients and caregivers like family.
Ashlyn first came across CHHC while filling out an online application to get involved. From the moment she stepped through the doors, she felt an immediate connection. The warm welcome she received and the organization’s deep commitment to truly caring for people—not just managing their care—made it clear she had found the right place.
What started as a standard inquiry through an online form quickly became something more personal when Volunteer Coordinator Deb Portell reached out directly to schedule a tour. From that first interaction, Ashlyn sensed something different—CHHC felt like family – felt like home – and its mission deeply aligned with her own values.
Now a consistent volunteer—committing to one or two shifts a week—Ashlyn balances her time on the field with her work at CHHC, driven by a long-term goal of entering the pediatric medical field.
Her first experience supporting a family through the death of a loved one left a lasting impression. In that moment, she realized that offering comfort didn’t always require the right words—sometimes, simply being present was what mattered most. Through her time at CHHC, she learned the importance of listening deeply and validating pain without needing to solve it.
The sense of purpose Ashlyn found at CHHC quickly extended beyond her own experience. She began sharing the impact it had on her with her teammates, and soon, other players from the Mizzou soccer program joined in.
What sets CHHC apart, Ashlyn says, is the way it treats everyone—from patients to caregivers—as family. “Even when someone has to go to a bigger hospital, I still think about them.”
To anyone considering volunteering, Ashlyn emphasizes that CHHC is far more than a typical hospice program—it’s a place that feels like home. It’s where every moment spent and every gesture of care truly matters, offering volunteers a chance to make a real, lasting impact in people’s lives.
As we celebrate National Volunteer Month this April, we extend our deepest gratitude to Ashlyn and every volunteer who has walked through our doors. Your time, presence, and heart make CHHC what it is—a place where love and dignity are never in short supply.
Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia, the region’s only social model home for end-of-life care, held a thoughtful and informative panel discussion: Preparing for End of Life—the Best Gift You Can Give Yourself and Your Loved Ones on Monday, April 28 at 6:30PM at the Daniel Boone Regional Library
Local experts shared valuable insights and practical advice to help navigate the complexities surrounding end-of-life decisions and preparations. Panelists included:
Kevin Clohessy, Funeral Director, Memorial Funeral Home Kristen Dean, Consumer Banking Officer, Central Bank Rachel Forker, Hospice Care Consultant, Compassus Jackie Reed, Nurse and Co-founder of Caring Hearts and Hands Hank Schneider, Clinical Social Worker, specializing in Trauma, Illness, and Death
This holiday season, I’ve been reflecting on how Paying it Forward is a crucial part of how we complete our mission.
We are part of a national network of social model homes for end-of-life care. The model is built around free access to the home and all services, relying on a combination of paid staff and volunteers.
To offer these services 24/7 at no cost, CHHC, like its counterparts all over the country, relies on contributions of all kinds.
Like every other nonprofit organization at this time of year, we ask for your financial generosity. However, that isn’t the only way we sustain our organization and further our mission. The GIFT of your time and talents, as well as your treasure, are so valuable.
I’d like to take this time to showcase the myriad of ways we work with others to support and fund the work we do.
Grant Funding: We (the Board, staff and volunteers) seek any and all grant opportunities. We have received both local and national grants – and we’d love to apply for more.
Fundraisers: Of course, like every not-for-profit, we host fundraisers. Our Lights for Love luminary evening allows families to honor and reflect on loved ones lost. We also participate in CoMoGives, a community-wide month of giving highlighting the work of many excellent local organizations.
Ongoing Sustained Giving: We also have organizations and donors who commit to sustainable funding, including Missouri Cancer Associates, Schuster Associates, The Crossing Church, and many others. The most amazing ongoing donation is from St. Raymond’s Society Board/Founders, who allowed us to move into the house at a minimal cost.
Volunteer Hours: Our most valuable donation comes from our 40+ active volunteers, who offer every service possible, including cleaning, bathing, cooking, laundry, conversation, and comfort.
Pay it Forward: Indeed, some of the most awe-inspiring donations we often receive are from the people who see and experience first-hand the priceless gift of care. Families and guests pay it forward without being asked because they have felt the love in the home. Every family and friend circle of our guests has donated in some way. We have served nearly 80 guests in our home since we opened.
How You Can Help:
Sign up to Volunteer: Your time is the most incredible gift. Make a Donation through CoMoGives: Your gift supports staff, supplies, and operations. Set Up Recurring Giving: Sustain our mission year-round by committing to regular contributions. Purchase Items from Our Amazon Wishlist: Help us meet the daily needs of our guests and their families.
The dying process is an intimate and often scary time. With that, spiritual practices can often bring comfort and peace to both guests and their families. From Seder meals to smudging to meditation beads to readings from the Psalms, Caring Hearts and Hands has embraced a myriad of different cultural and religious practices as guests of all different faiths come through their doors.
Heading up that process has been Fletcher Jackson, a hospice caregiver who has been with CHHC since their early days. Fletcher has recently stepped into the role of religious literacy consultant.
“If I can bring a book of sacred importance to somebody and come read to them, or if they want to pray a certain way, or anything else, I’m always enthusiastic,” said Fletcher, who graduated from Mizzou with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and aspires to be a hospice chaplain in the future. “I know this is scary; you know, they’re in a whole new place, with new people taking care of them, and they’re dying, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. So if we’re able to incorporate those things that have brought them a sense of cosmic security in the past to Caring Hearts, I think that it’s going to be only of benefit to them. So I’m happy to do the legwork or the research or whatever that needs to get done.”
Practically, that job includes a lot of research. It started with a Jewish family coming in during Passover, which meant religious and cultural observations for the dying process as well as Passover. Fletcher pulled out a copy of the English Torah and other textbooks and wrote out some questions to ask the guest and his family: Does he wear a kippah or prayer shawl? Are we allowed to touch that? Do they want meat and dairy separated? Fletcher also made sure they had candles for Seder, among other things to make sure that CHHC was providing whatever the family needed to observe their practices.
“I really like the research aspect of it,” Fletcher said, “where I’m figuring out some creative problem solving to make sure that religious observances are observed, or if there are any other things that we can do to make them feel particularly at home.”
Caring Hearts has also had a guest from the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin, a guest who was a practicing Theravada Buddhist and Episcopalian, a guest who was interested in meditation and Wicca, and more, all of whom CHHC was able to provide special care for. Follow along with our newsletters to hear more of their stories.
“I think that it’s really kind of mesmerizing to have a glimpse into people’s personal, spiritual inner lives,” Fletcher said. “That is really a privilege, especially in times of such intensity, when somebody’s dying, it’s a privilege to be able to to be privy to how they’re processing that and what they need to process it more.”
Karen Wingert is one of CHHC’s volunteer caregivers. With a history in hospice and physical therapy, Karen brings a wonderful perspective and skills to the team. Let’s get to know her!
How did you get involved with Caring Hearts and Hands?
I worked with the hospice team in Kansas City, and felt like I had found my niche. Since then, I’ve dedicated my practice both as an RN and a physical therapist to patients with cancer. When I heard about Caring Hearts, I knew it was just where I belong.
What roles do you typically take on as a volunteer?
I am a caregiver for our guests and their families. I just took on the additional role to provide orientation to our new volunteers.
What do you find most rewarding about your volunteer work?
Our guest, their families and friends, and of course, the outstanding volunteers and staff.
What would you tell someone considering volunteering with CHHC?
I always feel my spirit is more open and grateful when I leave our house than when I arrive for my shift.
Can you share a bit about yourself outside of CHHC?
I live on a lake, which is very peaceful, and love sharing it with my family and friends. My husband, Sam, died last December. I have two adult children, nine grandchildren, and my mom is 95. I am grateful for all aspects of my life.
Do you have any specific memories or stories from volunteering that come to mind?
I cannot select a specific memory because there are so many. First thing that came to mind is the many hugs from guests and families, and standing in tribute when one of our guests leave our house for their forever comfort of Heaven.
Meg and Larry Tuttle have been supporting Caring Hearts and Hands through monthly giving, furniture donations, special memorial pillows, and more. Let’s take a minute to get to know the Tuttles and why they give to CHHC!
What brought you to Caring Hearts and Hands?
Meg: Jackie made a presentation at our Knights of Columbus auxiliary, and just something about what she had to say and how she had to say, it piqued my interest, and so I talked to her, and we donated some furniture, and that’s kind of where it started.
What draws you to CHHC’s mission?
Larry: We are strong believers in the dignity of life, and the more we learned about the mission of Caring Hearts and the need in Columbia, the more it resonated with us and touched our hearts.
Meg: It all fit in with what our belief system is for giving and just was one more avenue that we could help people. The idea that it’s for people who don’t have family around, we can identify with that, because we’ve moved around a lot.
Larry: As a background, we moved here from San Antonio. I was on staff at a retirement community, fairly large community with about 700 residents and two campuses, and we saw the need for end of life care.
What would you tell others thinking about volunteering with or donating to CHHC?
Meg: People shouldn’t be alone in their last few days, and this fulfills that need.
Larry: Like it or not, this is that’s going to touch everybody in the community at some point. How wonderful it is to have that agency to be able to meet the needs of families in a situation that can cause stress and crisis. The community needs to recognize the value of Caring Hearts.
So tell us a bit more about yourselves outside of CHHC?
Meg: We have two sons and one daughter. Among them we have eight grandchildren. Larry and I were both born and raised in Indiana. We met and got married at Indiana University and have been married for 57 years. We spent over 20 years in the Air Force with tours all over the U.S. and one three-year tour in Germany. We enjoy traveling and spending time with family. We moved here eight years ago, and that was to be close to our grandchildren, except our grandchildren live in Dallas and Indianapolis, so close is a relative term. We’re between both. We’re between our three children, and that has gotten us involved with their lives, and being involved here in Columbia. San Antonio is a huge city, and we love the size of Columbia. We like that there’s a university here. I’m a retired teacher. I taught high school math for 24 years. The word retired is a wonderful word these days, and I have taken up quilting since I retired.
Larry: After retiring from the military, I was involved with nonprofit management for another 25 years. Knowing that startup nonprofits and nonprofits that are in the initial phases need to have a growing group of donors, I would encourage anybody who has donated to look at being a monthly donor. To have that sustaining revenue stream for the agency is so important to create a foundation of financial support for operations. So we’ve become monthly donors, as well as with Meg’s talents quilting. She smiles and glows whenever she either makes the pillow or the quilts.
Meg: I’ve made a couple of pillows. The family will bring a shirt or a dress or something, and then we make them into memorial pillows. So I’ve made two of those now, and that just brings me a lot of joy. I’m also in a group at our church, and I knit hats that somebody else takes to cancer patients. And that brings me a lot of joy also.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share about CHHC?
Meg: My mother passed away probably 11 years ago. We were in San Antonio, she was in northern Indiana, and yes, she was in a facility, you know, where there were people there, but we weren’t there. And so knowing how I felt not being there, it’s nice to know that somebody else can have you all to take care of their loved ones.
Patty Gerke has been volunteering with Caring Hearts and Hands since the beginning. She’s a core volunteer who has always helped with training and orienting people. Let’s take a moment to get to know Patty!
How did you get involved with CHHC?
I worked at Boone hospital in the late 80s and early 90s. And I guess somehow my path crossed with Doreen and Jackie. And then a couple years ago, Doreen reached out to me on Facebook, and then she wanted to meet for lunch. So we met for lunch. She told me about the organization, and I was very excited about it. It sounds like something I’d want to be involved with. She wanted me to be on a committee or a board, and I’m like, no, I don’t really want to do that. So when it came closer to time for them to open, she reconnected and I agreed to be a caregiver, took the caregiver training, and it’s been a big part of my life ever since.
It came at a good time in my life. I’m a seven-year breast cancer survivor and had a lot of complications after treatment, so I had to put my profession as a registered nurse on hold. When I was starting to feel like myself again, I needed to be able to give back. I’ve never worked that much with palliative care. I did work when I first got out of nursing school in the mid 90s at a small hospital in Booneville, and we had some hospice patients there, and both of my parents died of cancer and, for the most part, had a pretty peaceful death. So I’ve always been passionate that it’s the gift that we can give others to let them die in peace and dignity. And that’s the model that I tried to to do there when I’m a caregiver, and, of course, to help the families, too, so the families can understand the dying process and how they can help their loved one. So I’m usually there twice a week. That’s kind of how I got started.
What experiences outside of CHHC help your work there?
Not really just, you know, my nursing background and having two parents that passed away from cancer. I also took care of a friend the last three weeks of her life. She was 50 when she passed away from kidney cancer. I feel like it’s a gift. I feel like I definitely get more than what I give.
It’s really neat to get to know the guests and their family members. That’s not always possible, but I always talk to them like they know what’s going on, like they’re alert. I’m not afraid of touching. I’m a big believer in, when you’re talking to somebody, to sit there and hold their hands and be patient and be willing to have them open up to you. I get a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment getting to talk to them and knowing how we’re going to help them pass peacefully, and knowing that they won’t be alone, that we’ll keep them as comfortable as possible and keep their family involved.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of volunteering here?
Getting to know the guests, and, like I said, letting them die with peace and dignity. And of course, working with the other volunteers. I feel like we were hand picked, especially the first four volunteers. It just seems like if there’s a need, the community has been so supportive. Or past family members, have you said, What do you need? So seeing the families being so grateful for our services, and seeing the relief as the caregiving and the stress is taken away from them.
What draws you to CHHC’s mission?
The minute families walk in to tour, it’s like they automatically feel relaxed. The environment of the house is so peaceful and calming. And you know, to see them come in and feel like the weight of the world has been taken off of them, and they know that their family is going to be okay here. And then the guests too. I mean, we’ve had several guests that, as soon as they got in their room, their disposition totally changed, especially when they most people do know why they’re coming, which, when you think about it, that’s a big deal. You know you walk in, come in the door, and you know that this is going to be your last stop. So being able to provide that comfortable, peaceful, as painless as possible an environment.
What about you? What do you like to do for fun?
I have four daughters, one in Wichita, one in Texas, and then I have two daughters in Boonville and three grandkids. So spending time with my grandkids. I walk a lot. I enjoy yoga. My happy place is the beach. So I’ve been traveling a lot. So, traveling, spending time with family, being outdoors.
