Celebrating 20 Years of Compassionate Care at the Hospice of the Fisher Home
- Hospice of the Fisher Home
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
For 20 years, the Hospice of the Fisher Home has been honored to provide compassionate end-of-life care to individuals and families throughout Western Massachusetts. This milestone is an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, recognize the people who made our work possible, and look toward the future of hospice care in our community.
We hope you will join us for our 20th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in The Roosevelt Room at Union Station in Northampton.
A Legacy That Began More Than a Century Ago
Although the Hospice of the Fisher Home welcomed its first residents in 2006, the story of the Fisher Home began nearly a century earlier.
On December 30, 1909, the Amherst Home for Aged Women was established through provisions and proceeds from the will of Ellen Kellogg Fisher. Her wish was to create a home that would care for elderly women in North Amherst and the surrounding communities.
While its official name was the Amherst Home for Aged Women, community members affectionately referred to it as “The Fisher House.” To resolve the confusion between the two names, the organization officially became The Fisher Home, Inc. in 2000.
In its early years, women could sign over their estates in exchange for a lifetime of care. Community support also took creative forms, including “Jam and Jelly Days,” when homemade preserves and excess furniture were auctioned to benefit the home. Some of that furniture can still be found in our bedrooms today!
From Elder Care to Hospice Care
The Fisher Home was originally located in a large white farmhouse near the front of the property. By 1967, the building no longer met the requirements for elder care and would have required extensive renovations. A new residence was constructed, and the original farmhouse was sold and moved to Hobart Lane, where it remains today.
Decades later, the Fisher Home reached another important turning point. In 2004, facing a dwindling resident population, its Board of Directors voted to gift the residence to Friends of Hospice, Inc. The goal was to establish the first end-of-life care residence in Western Massachusetts.
That vision became the Hospice of the Fisher Home.
In September 2006, we welcomed our first hospice residents. Since then, the Fisher Home has grown into a close-knit community of residents, families, staff members, volunteers, donors, and neighbors united by a belief that every person deserves comfort, dignity, and care at the end of life.
Celebrating the People Behind 20 Years of Care
Our 20th anniversary belongs to everyone who has been part of our story.
It belongs to the residents who trusted us with their care and the families who allowed us to accompany them through some of life’s most meaningful moments. It belongs to the nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, volunteers, staff members, and board members who have carried our mission forward. It also belongs to every donor and community partner whose generosity has helped make this work possible.
We have experienced many changes over the past two decades, including renovations, program growth, and the expansion of our community-based hospice services. Through every change, our commitment has remained the same: to provide skilled, compassionate hospice care centered on each person’s comfort, wishes, and dignity.
Join Our 20th Anniversary Celebration
We invite our friends, neighbors, families, and supporters to celebrate this milestone with us.
The Hospice of the Fisher Home’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank will take place on:
Thursday, September 17, 20266:00–9:00 p.m.
The Roosevelt Room, Union Station125A Pleasant Street, Northampton, Massachusetts
The evening will offer an opportunity to reflect on the past 20 years, celebrate the community that surrounds the Fisher Home, and look ahead to the next chapter of our work.
Visit fisherhome.org/events to learn more and purchase tickets.
Looking Toward the Next 20 Years
As we celebrate our past, we are also preparing for the future.
The need for compassionate, community-based hospice care will continue to grow. With the support of our community, the Hospice of the Fisher Home can remain a place where individuals and families find comfort, connection, and exceptional care when they need it most.
Twenty years of hospice care would not have been possible without you! We hope you will celebrate with us in September and continue alongside us as we begin the next 20 years of the Fisher Home’s story.