Muskegon, MI, April 8th, 2025 – “Our home-based hospice program has been the heart of our care since we were founded in the mid-1980s,” says Susan Houseman, president and CEO of Harbor Palliative Care and Harbor Hospice.
“Yet, for some patients, being at home is not the best option,” she adds. “The care they need may be too complex for their family to manage at home. They might not have family or friends who can care for them, or they may not have a home to go to.”
Recognizing those additional needs, Harbor Hospice opened the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence in Muskegon in 2005. It has 14 private rooms for patients plus gathering rooms for visitors. Staff and volunteers provide around-the-clock care and strive to make each patient’s journey toward the end of their life peaceful, meaningful and comfortable whether it is measured in weeks or hours.
The “Poppen” as it is affectionately called, is the only non-profit hospice residence in the organization’s five county region, which includes Oceana, Ottawa, Muskegon, Mason, and Newaygo Counties.
As with any residence turning 20 years old, Houseman says it is time to repair, replace, and upgrade equipment, mechanicals, and the grounds. So, the Harbor Hospice Foundation is launching a $1 million community campaign to get the Poppen ready for its next 20 years.
Houseman says the $1 million campaign is exciting and attainable, especially since a friend of Harbor Hospice gave $500,000 which will match all donations up to that amount.
On the list of needs are commercial kitchen equipment, a specialized accessible bathtub, and 14 electrically adjustable bed frames to accommodate the physical needs of each patient.
The campaign will also fund new central air conditioning equipment, a hot water holding tank, and a generator to assure uninterrupted electrical power. The building will need a new roof soon. The grounds and walking areas will also be updated.
“We are reminded each day of all it means to be a non-profit community-based hospice, locally governed, created for our lakeshore communities, and supported by them,” says Houseman. “We are deeply grateful to all our supporters who make it possible for us to care for their family and friends on their final journey.”
For more information, go to HarborHospiceMI.org.
