VNA Hospice NWI celebrates care and connection at Don Quijote Dinner

At Don Quijote Restaurant in Valparaiso, the clinking of glasses and warm laughter carried a deeper purpose: supporting the mission of VNA Hospice NWI. The annual Don Quijote Dinner is more than an evening of fine dining. It is a gathering that sustains critical programs while building friendships that strengthen the community.

For more than 55 years, VNA Hospice NWI has provided care, dignity, and compassion for families navigating end-of-life journeys. Director of Development Maria Galka said the heart of hospice work is simple yet profound.

“The real mission of being in hospice is to make sure that the aging are able to age with comfort and peace and dignity,” Galka said.

The Don Quijote Dinner, sponsored by longtime community supporters Carlos Rivero and Elena Jambrina, helps keep that mission alive. Proceeds from the event support hospice patients who are uninsured or underinsured, ensuring that care is never withheld due to finances.

“When they support what we do, it helps us keep our hospice center open and running for people who need hospice care in an inpatient setting,” Galka said. “It allows us to care for people who don’t have the financial resources. Until our social workers can help them find coverage, events like this help us pay for the care that they need.”

Guests also brought bags of groceries to donate to Rivero, who is also the owner of Don Quijote. The food will go toward a program supporting Valparaiso residents who cannot afford meals during the Christmas season. Don Quijote will continue accepting grocery donations until early December.

While the evening carries a fundraising element, President and CEO Bob Franko emphasized that it is equally a celebration of community connection.

“This particular event is super important for us, because this really isn’t as much of a fundraiser as it is a friend raiser,” Franko said. “This is where we get people together, where we’re going to be talking about what we call our Reimagine Aging Initiative.”

The initiative addresses the urgent needs of the baby boomer generation, now entering the 65-and-older demographic. Franko noted that health care, housing, and transportation systems are already struggling to meet the demand.

“It should not have been a surprise for us that this generation was coming. It’s the biggest generation out there, and it’s almost like it snuck up on us,” Franko said. “It’s not that the crisis is coming. The crisis is here.”

Events like the Don Quijote Dinner allow VNA Hospice NWI to share these concerns directly with stakeholders and community supporters. Franko said the size of the dinner makes it particularly meaningful.

“These kinds of events are really special because they aren’t big events,” he said. “They allow us to be more personable and make better connections with people, and listen and hear their stories. They don’t have to be big to be special.”

The evening also reflects the trust the community places in VNA Hospice NWI, which has served generations of families.

“VNA Hospice NWI has been around for 55 years, and just about everybody in this room probably has a VNA connection somewhere,” Franko said. “They’ve had a relative, a loved one, a friend, somebody who’s been served by the VNA somehow, someway. They feel that connection, and it’s not anything we ever take for granted.”

Along with the Don Quijote Dinner, VNA Hospice NWI hosts events throughout the year, including Stroll for Hospice, Hops for Hospice, and its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Each gathering raises funds while offering space for reflection and healing.

“Some of those are mission-based events where not only do they raise funds to support the organization, but they help people who are dealing with their grief,” Galka said. “They’re able to be together with other people who are going through the same kind of thing, so they don’t feel so alone.”

Whether through a stroll, a brew fest, or a dinner at Don Quijote, the work of VNA Hospice NWI continues to weave together community, compassion, and care, ensuring that no one in the Region faces life’s final chapter alone.

To learn more about VNA Hospice NWI and how you can support its mission, visit vnanwi.org.