Two firms are nominated for the Large Business of the Year honors through the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce, with Community Hospice and Save Mart the 2018 nominees. The award will be presented at the Friday, Jan. 18 Chamber Awards Dinner.
Community Hospice
For nearly 40 years, Community Hospice has been a steadfast supporter of the Oakdale community offering compassionate and quality care and support to their friends and neighbors as they face the end of their life journey, regardless of ability to pay. They have grown to meet the evolving needs of the community enhancing quality of life for patients and their loved ones when it matters. Services include end-of-hospice care, palliative care, grief support services for both adults and children, onsite children’s grief support, Camp Erin of the Central Valley for children and teens (ages 6-17) grieving the loss of a close loved one and crisis response.
In 2018 Community Hospice was honored to care for more than 200 Oakdale residents. Their services expanded throughout the last year to include palliative care services (not hospice). Their palliative care program provides support to those experiencing a serious/chronic illness that may need assistance navigating the healthcare system while seeking curative measures.
Community Hospice also provided many community educational opportunities for members to learn more about various end-of-life issues and resources, such as pain management and advance care directives by offering education in-services at various local businesses and organizations. Last year five children from Oakdale attended Camp Erin of the Central Valley in 2018, a free grief camp for children and teens who have lost a closed love one.
Oakdale is home to one of the Community Hospice Hope Chest Thrift Stores. The Oakdale location provides jobs and revenue to the local community while allowing residents the opportunity to shop and/or donate to help support their mission. In 2018 the Oakdale Hope Chest Thrift Store grossed around $851,000 and employs nine people along with multiple volunteers to help run the operation. They won the medium size business recycling award by the City of Modesto for the seventh year in a row; the Oakdale location plays a big part in this achievement.
Community Hospice participates in several events each year that supports our students and the community. They host a block party each year and provide various educational presentations assisting local businesses and civil organizations of a wide range of topics, they participate in the City’s Senior Information Day each year and Boxing Development Center USA Junior Olympics with Oakdale High School.
Community Hospice, Inc. (CHI) is a 501c(3) non-profit, community-based hospice agency, caring for thousands of community members each year. They were founded in a church basement by two registered volunteer nurses, and have grown to meet the needs of our community becoming the largest hospice agency in the Central Valley.
Save Mart
Save Mart is more than just a family-owned grocery chain. They are valuable members of the community that work to ensure their neighbors, workers and community thrive. They aspire to make the world a better place just like their shoppers do. The motto at Save Mart is to nourish community. That has so many meanings, and the company loves that it doesn’t necessarily involve food. It could be anything that makes us stronger as a community. The Oakdale location is a prime example of this philosophy. Each year they support community events like the Rodeo Parade, The Taste of Oakdale, The Chocolate Festival, Mid-Valley Cowbelles, Oakdale Rodeo and the California Team Roping Association.
Oakdale’s partnership with Save Mart has been mutually beneficial. As of October 2018, the Oakdale Save Mart location has donated roughly $70,000 back to community organizations and local schools through the company’s Shares powered by eScrip program. Through this program, shoppers can donate up to 3 percent of their purchases to the local schools and charities of their choice. The top two eScrip earners in Oakdale are Fair Oaks Elementary School, earning $6,000, and Sierra View Elementary School, earning $5,500.
In addition to the Shares program, stores adopt schools through the company’s Adopt-a-School program. This program allows each store to adopt a school every year and, in return, schools are entitled to year-round support and perks like teacher treats and book donations – Sierra View Elementary School was Save Mart’s adopted school in 2018.
All year long, Save Mart partners with local food banks to donate funds and food to help our communities in need. Between January and October of 2018, Save Mart has donated 14,300 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. Save Mart is also a proud sponsor of many local events and organizations.
The Oakdale Store also sponsors the local Guardian House Fundraiser. The store donates and employees help serve to help make it a successful event year after year. Each year they donate beef to the County High School’s culinary program, sponsored the Wounded Warriors Fishing Trip. These are just some of the examples of how Save Mart works to nourish the community by filling the needs of the under-served and supporting causes our shoppers care about.
Their mission to bring the Oakdale community together through their passion for food and a remarkable shopping experience is one of many reasons they were nominated as Business of the Year.
