Southern California Hospice Foundation

Our mission is to deliver a breadth of resources to caregivers, families and patients who are confronting the final stages of life.

The Southern California Hospice Foundation (SCHF) was established in 2002 to support terminally ill children and adults facing the challenges of end-of-life care. SCHF partners closely with hospice agencies to fill critical gaps in care, addressing needs that are often not covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal, or private insurance—such as assistance with basic living expenses, access to food, and the fulfillment of meaningful final wishes.

In February 2023, SCHF opened the Heavenly Home in Mission Viejo, providing a compassionate, residential end-of-life care option in a comfortable, home-like setting with 24-hour wake caregiving staff. The Heavenly Home serves individuals who may not have family or friends able to care for them at the end of life, offering dignity, comfort, and a peaceful environment during their final days. Through this model, SCHF has created a true sanctuary—one that honors each person’s life, supports families, and ensures no one faces the end of life alone.

In addition to supporting patients and families with needs that extend beyond the hospice benefit, our most significant impact has been achieved through the Heavenly Home, which opened in February 2023 as Orange County’s first nonprofit end-of-life care home. Since opening our doors, we have served 73 terminally ill residents receiving care from 24 hospice providers.

As the first and only nonprofit residential end-of-life care home in Orange County, the Heavenly Home provides safe housing and 24-hour caregiving for individuals who need a loving, supportive environment during the final stage of life. Our dedicated caregiving staff has delivered more than 114,000 hours of care, allowing family members to be fully present as daughters, sons, spouses, and loved ones—rather than caregivers—during life’s most tender moments.

Our Top Four Most Pressing Needs:

Endowment Growth for Equitable, Long-Term Care
The Southern California Hospice Foundation currently holds an endowment of $2.2 million and is working toward a $5 million endowment goal. With a 5% annual spend policy, a fully funded endowment would generate approximately $250,000 in sustainable annual support. This funding is critical to our ability to offer a sliding-scale fee structure at the Heavenly Home, ensuring that individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds can access dignified, residential end-of-life care regardless of their ability to pay.

Volunteers & Community Leadership
Volunteers are central to our mission and the daily life of the Heavenly Home. We are actively seeking:

Hospice Advisory Council members and community leaders committed to advancing our work through advocacy, governance, and philanthropy.

Program volunteers to support residents through art therapy, pet therapy, music therapy, holiday decorating, companionship, emotional support, and life-review activities that honor each individual’s story and legacy.

Corporate Sponsors & Event Volunteers
Corporate sponsorships and volunteer engagement are essential to the success of our annual golf tournament at Newport Beach Country Club, a signature fundraising event that directly underwrites charitable care, core programs, and operational sustainability throughout the year.

Grocery Gift Cards for Immediate Basic Needs
Access to food is the most frequent request through our Angel Assistance Program. Grocery gift cards in any amount provide immediate relief to patients and families experiencing food insecurity during an already vulnerable and emotionally challenging time.

In addition to the Orange County community, we also serve the Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernadino, San Diego and Ventura county.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

In 2025, the Southern California Hospice Foundation continued to deepen its impact by providing compassionate, holistic end-of-life support to patients and families throughout Southern California. Through programs designed to address both unmet practical needs and the emotional realities of dying, SCHF helped ensure dignity, comfort, and meaningful connection during life’s final chapter.

The Foundation’s most significant impact continues to be delivered through the Heavenly Home, which opened in February 2023 as Orange County’s first nonprofit residential end-of-life care home. Since opening, the Heavenly Home has served 73 terminally ill residents, partnering with 24 hospice providers to offer a safe, home-like environment with 24-hour caregiving. In 2025 alone, residents experienced moments of reconciliation, companionship, and peace—such as married couples spending their final days together and families finding reassurance knowing their loved one was cared for around the clock. To date, caregiving staff have provided more than 114,000 hours of care, allowing family members to remain present as loved ones rather than primary caregivers.

Through the Angel Assistance Program, SCHF addressed needs beyond the scope of the hospice benefit while also honoring meaningful final wishes. In 2025, this included providing essential household items to families facing food insecurity, arranging a bedside banjo performance for a lifelong musician, and enabling a terminally ill father to visit the beach with his family one final time. These interventions reduced stress, preserved dignity, and created lasting memories for patients and their loved ones.

Volunteer and community engagement remained central to SCHF’s work. Volunteers contributed meals, music, companionship, handmade quilts, Memory Bears for grieving families, and practical home support—enhancing quality of life and reinforcing a sense of community at the Heavenly Home. SCHF also strengthened public awareness through community education, academic presentations, and media coverage, including features on ABC7 and in the Orange County Register.

Financially, 2025 was marked by strong philanthropic partnership. The Foundation raised more than $400,000 through a combination of grants, fundraising events, and donor support, including $300,000 in major grants from the Samueli Foundation Breakaway Fund, Foster Family Foundation, and an anonymous donor. These resources supported 24/7 care, operational sustainability, and critical infrastructure improvements, including a full HVAC replacement at the Heavenly Home.

As SCHF looks ahead to 2026, priorities include conducting a feasibility study for Heavenly Home II, continuing progress toward a $5 million endowment to ensure long-term sustainability, expanding planned giving through the Legacy Society, and enhancing volunteer training and engagement. With continued partnership and investment, the Foundation remains committed to ensuring that no one faces the end of life alone.

We deeply appreciate your commitment to our cause and can't thank you enough for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Michelle Wulfestieg
Executive Director
Southern California Hospice Foundation

Dear Friends,

My connection to the Southern California Hospice Foundation has been shaped by six years of service on the Executive Committee, and since 2024, by the responsibility of serving as Board President. During this time, I have seen firsthand how essential SCHF’s role is in strengthening end-of-life care—particularly when patients and families face barriers that fall outside the traditional hospice benefit.

SCHF was created to address these gaps, and today that mission is expressed most clearly through the Heavenly Home, which opened in February 2023 as Orange County’s first nonprofit residential end-of-life care home. The Heavenly Home provides a safe, home-like environment with 24-hour caregiving for individuals who cannot remain in their own homes at the end of life. Since opening, it has served 73 residents, working in partnership with 24 hospice providers, and has delivered more than 114,000 hours of care—relieving families of hands-on caregiving so they can focus on presence, connection, and closure.

From a governance perspective, the Board is focused on ensuring that this model of care is both sustainable and scalable. In 2025, SCHF strengthened its financial footing through diversified philanthropic support, operational efficiencies, and strategic investments in infrastructure. Looking ahead, the Board is guiding efforts to build a $5 million endowment, explore future capacity expansion, and deepen community partnerships that will allow SCHF to meet growing need with stability and accountability.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your trust, partnership, and belief in this work. Your support ensures that compassion, dignity, and choice remain available to individuals at the end of life—now and in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Chris Duran
Board President
Southern California Hospice Foundation