Narita Snead MPH, MSN, ANP-BC is the founder of Sodality Respite, a small, community based minority led, non-profit hospice organization. The goal of the organization is to provide a safe, sheltered environment for the terminally ill homeless population in Richmond, Virginia. “It is my FIRM belief that no one should die alone in pain or distress in the streets,” Snead said. “Our hospice house will not only provide shelter, but full service hospice care to those individuals that are in need that would otherwise die–on the streets of Richmond.”
The organization desires to help terminally ill individuals live and die with dignity in a true home environment, surrounded by love, laughter and compassion up through the final stage of life.
Earlier in the year, Snead reached out to Heart to Heart International. The organizations have been working together for about three years. Snead requested a donation of an automated external defibrillator machine. An AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It is an easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.
“The AED donation was important because while most of our clients are elderly, we do have volunteers, family members, partners, staff and many other persons that come through to help on the for-profit and nonprofit side. While we would always start CPR in the event of cardiac arrest, it is no small matter that the AED increases the chances of survival by over 40 percent,” Snead said.
Since the first time the organizations partnered together, Sodality has “received many medical equipment items that have been used to provide stellar medical and nursing service to our nonprofit hospice clients,” Snead said. “HHI donations help us with our diagnostic and laboratory testing and personal protection needs as we go about our daily duties of providing care to our patients.”
“We love our partnership, and we can always count on Charles and Xavier [at Heart to Heart International] to go above and beyond to help us find what we need when we need it to continue providing stellar medical/nursing care to marginalized communities in RVA.”
