Geneva nonprofit Fox Valley Hands of Hope shifts mission to grief counseling, mental health aid

As more for-profit hospice programs became available and state certification regulations for that type of care created more challenges in the past few years, the not-for-profit Fox Valley Hands of Hope in Geneva began considering a new path.

That decision, made final last fall, is about to come full circle as Fox Valley Hands of Hope prepares to reopen its remodeled building at 200 Whitfield Drive with a new mission focusing on grief counseling rather than end-of-life care.

This change also puts FVHH in a position to grow in what amounts to providing mental health aid through grief counseling to children, the elderly, veterans and families.

It really is a new dawn for FVHH after 40 years of operating as a long-term, end-of-life and hospice care organization.

Things were busy the past two weeks as FVHH had furniture delivered as the final part of the makeover by turning its building into a comfortable counseling atmosphere as opposed to its previous medical-clinic feel.

"The philosophy here is that when people are grieving and suffering a loss, we want to remove every barrier we can to them when seeking help," said Jonathan Shively, the executive director of FVHH for the past two years. "We are emotionally centered on life issues because it takes a lot of courage to seek out that support."

The change in philosophy and mission does not change the no-cost model for clients, which means FVHH relies on community support from individual donors, grants, private foundations and the local communities' 708 Mental Health Boards. It has also had important support from Wheaton Franciscans.

"We have between 30 and 40 philanthropic organizations that support us, and we are always seeking to expand that," Shively said.

It makes events like the upcoming Cheers to Hope fundraiser Thursday, March 2, at Riverlands Brewing in St. Charles quite important, even though it represents a smaller fundraising effort than the agency's bigger events like its annual golf outing.

"We have smaller events that produce less income, but they are good events for us," Shively noted. "We are always looking for ways to add to our events, to bring awareness, and a lot of goodwill comes from smaller events, and, if you do them right, they create a fair amount of support for your agency."

Last year, FVHH had 36 volunteers working with 724 clients for a total of 783 hours. The organization has eight staff members and one intern, with three staffers clinically licensed.

Volunteers are key players when the agency seeks to bring grieving clients back into the community and to experience relationships with other people who can relate to their experience of loss in some way, said Shively, whose background includes pastoral work and not-for-profit fundraising.

"We have a great core of volunteers," he added. "They are trained and operate our support groups and family-based programming and get involved in event planning and address other needs (such as remote services during COVID pandemic)."

With so many changes unfolding at FVHH, Shively noted the organization is also excited about expanding its capabilities for Spanish-speaking clients.

When the FVHH board determined the direction of services should change, it was taking into account the difficulties that arise through the loss of a loved one.

"Part of the challenge is if you have grief and difficulty coping and adjusting, most of the time private medical insurance won't cover the services needed to get through that," said Cindy Bravos, director of community support and marketing at FVHH. "That is why the work we do is so important."

With grief counseling services, FVHH can help individuals and families deal with life's nastiest setbacks.

"If you had a family where only parent was a breadwinner and all of the sudden that person was gone, it is very difficult," Bravos said, noting instances in which the agency has helped spouses and children overcome grief and adjust in worst-case scenarios such as losing a loved one to suicide.

The staff at FVHH has another big day circled on the calendar with the 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 28, ribbon cutting and open house to showcase the new mission and give area residents a chance to visit the 7,000-square-foot building.

Bravos provides a good picture of what clients, supporters and interested community members will now find at FVHH in what she calls "more of an inviting space than a clinical space."

"The building had a big center area that was like a medical office, but the renovation has changed it to be more aligned with our current mission," she said. "It has open space, a fireplace, and clinicians have their own rooms to meet with clients privately. It also has a large art room that opens to outdoor space."

dheun@sbcglobal.net