Hinds Hospice Celebrates $1M from the Isnardi Foundation

Peter Tocchini (Left) receives a token of thanks from Nancy hinds (right) (Photo Samantha Golden, Clovis Roundup)

OCTOBER 8, 2022.  This month, Hinds Hospice celebrated a milestone of one million dollars of cumulative funding from the Isnardi Foundation since 2004.

The ceremony was hosted at the Hinds Hospice Thrift Store in Clovis where Nancy Hinds, founder of Hinds Hospice, gifted an old Isnardi family heirloom back to the Isnardi Foundation board as a token of thanks.

Nancy remembered the first time she met Vincent Isnardi in 2004, two years before the Isnardi Foundation was created.

“I was on duty at the hospice clinic and the doorbell rang and there was this gentleman,” Nancy said, ”He gave me a check, and I said thank you very much and off he went. And then I opened the check and it was for a hundred thousand dollars.” This was the very first donation Vincent Isnardi had ever given to Hinds Hospice.

“So I go running after him, just to talk with him, and he was in his car and he just waved and off he went,” Nancy continues, “That’s who he was, that silent giver, and not wanting anything in return. So generous. And oh my goodness how I wish I had invited him in and given him a cup of coffee or something.”

The token of thanks that Hinds was able to gift back to the family of Victor Isnardi was presented to Peter Tocchini, cousin to Victor and Director of the Isnardi Foundation.

He said, “It’s from our uncle’s drugstore, International Drug in Fresno, and apparently he gave this coin to customers to come back and redeem for other purchases.” 

International Drug used these tokens from the 1940s through the 1960s. Tocchini says that he plans to give it to the Fresno historical Museum to be displayed as a part of their Italian Heritage Exhibit. 

With the Isnardi Foundation’s most recent donation, Hinds Hospice was able to purchase new boxes and electric pallet jacks to make storing and sorting donations from the public more efficient and less physically demanding for staff and volunteers.

Desmond Davila, Director of Thrift Store Operations explained, “From a physicality standpoint it’s made a huge difference for our team.”

The Hinds Hospice thrift stores financially support programs provided to patients of the hospice clinic and their families, as well as providing the community with a wide variety of affordable goods. 

“It is very important work and we are very grateful to the Isnardi Foundation for recognizing that and helping us make it easier on our employees and more efficient for that,” said Director of Development for Hinds Hospice, Steve Weakland

If you want to volunteer with hinds Hospice this holiday season, you can call the Volunteer Department at 559-317-6016, or send an email to volunteer@hindshospice.org.