ASHLAND – The board of directors of The Hire Family Foundation, Rocky River, Ohio, has approved a grant to name the community bereavement center at Hospice of North Central Ohio in honor of Jack and Phyllis Hire. Mr. Hire passed away in 2004.
The grant in the amount of $40,000.00 will help expand and enhance HNCO bereavement services and programs in Ashland and Richland counties while honoring the memory of Jack and Phyllis Hire. A portion of the grant is designated for the creation of a new endowment fund to support the center. This restricted endowment fund will be managed by the Ashland County Community Foundation.
“The mission of The Hire Community Bereavement Center is to assist the bereaved as they move through their grief process by providing a multitude of special support groups, education, lectures and training, children’s bereavement camp and individual grief support to anyone in our area who has experienced a loss due to death,” Rebecca Pfister, HNCO bereavement coordinator, said. The Jack and Phyllis Hire Community Bereavement Center and its staff will also deliver grief and bereavement services throughout the community in schools, churches, workplace and community facilities as needed. The center will be located in a special wing of HNCO’s corporate headquarter facility in Ashland and will include an extensive bereavement resource library, children’s play area and space for private group- and individual counseling. The center is one of only a handful of such facilities in north central Ohio.
“A graduate of Ashland High School and an accomplished entrepreneur, John ‘Jack’ Hire is still a well-known and highly respected name in this area some 17 years after his passing in 2004,” added Ralph Tomassi, HNCO chief development officer and senior administrator. “HNCO is honored to perpetuate the Hire name on this center. HNCO has provided bereavement support for many years; this facility will allow us to serve even a greater number of families and organizations.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, plans for a public dedication of The Jack and Phyllis Hire Community Bereavement Center will be announced at a later date.
Founded in 1988 in Ashland, HNCO has offices in Mount Vernon and Mansfield, Ohio. As the area’s oldest and largest nonprofit hospice organization, HNCO proudly serves more than 200 patients daily in Ashland, Richland, Knox, Crawford, Huron and Morrow counties with hospice- and palliative care services. Additionally, free continuous bereavement services and programs are provided for the benefit of hundreds of families of hospice patients and to anyone in the community experiencing grief. Call 800-952-2207 for more information. HNCO is a proud partner agency of the United Way of Ashland and Knox counties.
