Gift rooted in personal hospice experience benefits future families
Opened in 2021, the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home was built through community donations.
GLASGOW, Ky. — The T.J. Community Mission Foundation received the first annual distribution from the Mary Elizabeth Jones Berry Charitable Trust during a check presentation ceremony Tuesday at the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home.
The gift marks the start of a 50-year commitment through the trust. It will provide annual support to the hospice facility where Berry received care before her passing.
Foundation leaders say it will help sustain residential hospice services across southcentral Kentucky for decades.
At the end of the 50-year term, the remaining balance of the trust will be liquidated. It will then be distributed evenly among named beneficiaries.
Berry’s planned gift also helped the Foundation retire the construction loan for the hospice home, according to a news release. Foundation leaders called it the largest planned gift in the Foundation’s history.
“Because Mrs. Berry personally experienced the compassionate care provided at Shanti Niketan Hospice Home, her decision to include the hospice home in her estate plans carries an especially meaningful legacy,” said Randy Burns, Executive Director of the T.J. Community Mission Foundation.
“Through her generosity, she has helped ensure that future patients and families will continue to receive the compassionate, dignified care that has become the hallmark of the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home.”
The trust is managed by Baird Trust Company in Louisville. The first annual distribution was presented by Dan Foutch and Barrett Metzger of Baird Private Wealth Management in Glasgow.
“Legacy giving through one’s estate plans is one of the most powerful ways a person can make a lasting impact,” Burns said. “Many individuals who may never be able to make a major gift during their lifetime can still create transformational future impact through thoughtful estate planning.”
Opened in 2021, the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home was built through community donations. It provides residential hospice care focused on comfort, dignity, and end-of-life support. The facility serves patients across the T.J. Regional Health service area.
For more information about planned giving opportunities through the T.J. Community Mission Foundation, contact foundation@tjsamson.org.
