The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) & Hospice Foundation is fortunate to have a group of supporters committed to ensuring the longevity of our agency. Created in 1995, the Nightingale Legacy Society is comprised of over 300 members who designated the VNA in their estate plans. A few ways this can be done are: leaving a percentage of their total estate to the VNA, opening a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA), designating the VNA as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy or IRA or creating a blended gift. However, becoming a Nightingale is not just about making a gift to the VNA, it is a way to strengthen the foundation for the VNA’s work in our community.

The VNA & Hospice Foundation was established to raise the funding needed for the programs and services offered by the VNA of the Treasure Coast. This includes funding the VNA Hospice House, Bereavement Program, Charitable Care Program and so much more. All our donors help the VNA achieve our mission of providing the highest quality home health, hospice, and community health services to residents of Indian River County, ensuring our patients and their families experience optimal quality of life and extending that care to the under and uninsured in our community. And while our loyal donors help us achieve this mission today, our legacy donors help us achieve our mission in the years ahead.

As we think about our own estate plans, the question that often comes to mind is: how will I be remembered? Leaving a portion of your estate to a non-profit organization is a way to show your family and loved ones the values and causes you supported during your life. It creates a legacy that forever links your name with the organizations you have championed during your lifetime. The VNA’s Nightingales want to know that the VNA will continue to offer high-quality services in the future for our community, helping their friends and family members who might need us. Our Nightingale’s value the VNA and in turn we created this society to show them how much we value their commitment to us.

In return for including us in their estate plans, the VNA seeks to honor each of our Nightingales. Their commitment to our patients is celebrated each year with a luncheon to thank them for their legacy gift and update them on what is happening at the VNA. On February 6^th, 2024, we held the 22^nd annual Nightingale Legacy Society Luncheon, recognizing the importance of this esteemed group and thanking them for their commitment to the VNA’s mission through their legacy gifts. The funding that will come to the VNA from these individuals will ensure that our mission lives on in the community not just today or tomorrow, but in the future.

If you are interested in learning about how you can leave a legacy gift to the VNA and become a member of the Nightingale Legacy Society, click here.