About Carolina Caring

45 Years Of Caring

Picture9

Willard House, 1990

As we look forward to what 2024 brings us, we are honored to have you as part of our Carolina Caring family. This year is especially important, as we will be celebrating our 45th anniversary of providing care for those in our community. As we look back over our 45 years, we are committed to providing the same levels of compassionate and professional care as we were in 1979.

When we were chartered in 1979, we were known as Hospice of Catawba Valley, Inc. This charter made us the first hospice in the Unifour area and one of the first three established in North Carolina. Our first staff member was hired in 1980, and we went on to serve 18 people that year. During this time, we operated out of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Hickory, a location that we would remain in until 1990 when we relocated to the Willard House in downtown Hickory and served 118 patients with only 11 staff members.

During the coming years, some of our most formative decisions were made, such as bringing Dave Clarke on as Executive Director in 1997, who led us through the development and construction of our Robinson Road campus after the land was donated to us by Johnnie Buff, a longtime volunteer and dedicated advocate for our organization, along with the financial support of donors like yourself! This new location would become our home and allow us to grow more than we could have ever imagined, including our expansion to offer palliative services in 2003, celebrating the service of our 10,000th patient in 2009, and the eventual opening of the Sherrills Ford Hospice House in 2011.

Our history is your history, as well. Today, Carolina Caring is happy to serve 12 counties, stretching from Mecklenburg to McDowell, Caldwell to Cleveland, and everywhere in between. We are proud of our history and our achievements, but we also know that there is much more to be done. As the demand for our services grows, so does the need for your help. That’s why we are asking you to make a special gift to Carolina Caring today. Every dollar counts, and every donation matters.

Please make your gift today and help us celebrate 45 years of caring. Thank you for your continued generosity and support.