CHP to offer annual dinner/auction

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CHP Home Care & Hospice will host its “Beacon of Hope” dinner/auction on Thursday, October 6, at the Junior Fair Building at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds.

The event begins with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner, and silent and live auctions hosted by Bee Gee Realty and emcee Craig Alix. The dinner is catered by Streetlight Catering. This year, dinner and beverages are provided at no cost with RSVP to 419.238.9223 required by Friday, Septemeber 30.

Streetlight Catering and Saunders Theater Properties – owners of Van Wert Cinemas and Van Del Drive-In Theater – will be honored as “Friends of Hospice,” for their continued support of the CHP Hospice program and its events.

The family of the late, Louise Pflum of Van Wert will represent all those served by CHP Hospice.

Pflum was born in France, near the German border. She met her husband, Robert – a Van Wert native – in France during WWII. Louise was a seamstress and crafted her wedding dress from her husband’s Army-issued, wool blanket; dying it purple.

Robert worked at Central Insurance for 30 years and preceded her in death in 2015. They were married 69 years. She worked at Aeroquip for many years.

“The Beacon of Hope is a very important event for CHP,” Kim Mason, volunteer and events coordinator said. “The purpose is not only to raise funds for local hospice care, but also to raise awareness about the many services CHP offers here in Van Wert County.”

Mason says that even though hospice is a heavy topic, the Beacon of Hope event is entertaining, enjoyable, and educational.

Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurance plans. However, Mason says patients often find themselves with financial and coverage deficiencies.

“A patient may have to quit their job due to illness and lose their insurance,” she said. “They may have to wait on authorization from insurance, but need care now.”

According to Mason, CHP’s patient care fund covers hundreds of thousands of dollars in patient expenses.

“As a nonprofit agency, we can only meet these important patient needs through fundraising events like this one,” Mason said.