The Benefits of Hospice

The Southern California Hospice Foundation was established in 2002 to promote awareness of palliative care and hospice options for terminally ill children and adults, helping to ease the transition with comfort, dignity, and respect for those at the end-of-life.

Hospice prioritizes the wishes of the patient and family with the holistic treatment of the body, spirit, and mind. The goal of hospice is to focus on quality at the end of life, allowing patients and their friends and families time and space to make lasting memories.

Our First 15 Years

In 2017 we honored the first 15 years of SoCal Hospice Foundation with a special celebration and this retrospective video.

We also launched our capital campaign for the Heavenly Home, demonstrating how our history and our vision for a revolution in hospice care have brought us to where we are today: building on the past in order to make a difference in the future, together.

Southern California Hospice Foundation - 15 Years of Serving Our Community - Badge

Our Staff

Michelle Wulfestieg Executive Director

With the heart of a servant-leader, Michelle Wulfestieg is a two-time stroke survivor who understands just how precious life is and believes that as long as you are here, you have a purpose. Her own health struggles drew her to the field of Hospice where she has dedicated her life’s work for the last ten years, which is described in her award-winning book, All We Have Is Today: A Story of Discovering Purpose.

Since 2010, she has served as the Executive Director the Southern California Hospice Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the lives of terminally ill patients and their families. Today, Michelle hopes to be an inspiration to those who are struggling. Her greatest wish for you is that you’ll find your true purpose, using the gifts you were given to change a life, to make a difference, to do good, to be all that you can be.

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Our Executive Director's Reason for Serving

Meagan Jolliff

Meagan Jolliff

Executive Assistant

Ky’Shawna Owensby

Ky’Shawna Owensby

Heavenly Home Manager

Katherine Tran

Katherine Tran

Project Coordinator

Board Of Directors

Shaun Moss

Shaun Moss

Board President

Companion Management Group, Chief Operating Officer

Matt Didier

Matt Didier

Secretary/Treasurer

CBRE | Office Properties, First Vice President

Jim Denver

Jim Denver

First Republic Bank Managing Director

Alfonso Galvez

Alfonso Galvez

TDW Risk Management Associates

Sandy Sligar

Sandy Sligar

SMS Fabrications, INC., Vice-President of Administration

Hospice Advisory Council

The purpose of the Hospice Advisory Council is to increase awareness of hospice, educate the community about hospice, and provide a dignified environment to those at the end of their lifes through the Heavenly Home Project.

Carissa Bechtloff, MBA

City of Hope, Orange County: Senior Director of Business Development

Melissa Dean

Consultant: Writing, Editing, Investor and Media Relations

Rhonda L. Ducote

Apriem Advisors, President/Principal

John Hornburg

Philanthropist, Hospice Volunteer

Bruce A. Lazenby

Chairman of Hospice Advisory Council, Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, Executive Director of Business Development

Vana Surmanian

Philanthropist, Hospice Volunteer

Deborah Veady

Philanthropist, Hospice Advocate

Kay Walker

Attorney at Law