One of its donors has given $35 every quarter for years. Hospice Hawaii has grown this way, through the generosity of people who believe in the organization's mission; to bring comfort, dignity and a sense of purpose to the terminally ill.

"When someone is dying, often people don't go to see them because they just don't know what to say," said Ken Zeri, president of Hospice Hawaii. "But our staff and our volunteers are people who boldly go in every day. They meet the patient where they are and say 'how can I go with you on this journey?' They face every day without fear."

Thirty years ago, Hospice Hawaii was a grass roots idea that came out of the belief that Hawai'i needed a better way to take care of terminally ill patients.

"Death and dying had become institutionalized and had been taken out of the home and into hospital settings, and with that came a kind of sterility," Zeri said.

What started as a group of community members holding meetings at someone's house has grown to a staff of 80, plus 125 volunteers serving 700 patients a year. Most of the care is done in the patient's own home, though Hospice Hawaii has two five-bed facilities.

"There was one man in one of the houses who liked to be outside. He had spent much of his life outdoors and had a life that hadn't had much stability," Zeri said. "He had his favorite spot out in the yard where he would go every day. Those last months were probably the best months of his life."

To mark Hospice Hawaii's 30th anniversary, the organization is honoring the memory of Hawaiian music legend Aunty Genoa Keawe, artist Peggy Chun and philanthropist Charles Cooke Spalding, who were all patients of Hospice Hawaii.

"We're trying to put a face on what it is we do," Zeri said. "These are people who impacted our community. We got their family's permission to tell their stories. Sometimes there's a feeling that going into hospice might mean 'I'm giving up.' There are emotional barriers. These heroes remind us that hospice is available to everyone."

The benefit "Na Hoa Malama" is Nov. 7 starting at 6 p.m. at the Waialae Country Club. The event will feature a silent auction and a wine tasting by HASR Wine Company. Individual tickets are $100. For information, call Hospice Hawaii at 924-9255.