The Lawson Charitable Foundation was created in 2021 by Cathy and Tom Lawson. The mission of the Foundation is to help those that are working hard to help themselves and others.
A Legacy of Compassion — The Lawsons and HopeHealth
From Personal Experience to Purposeful Giving: The Lawsons’ Journey with HopeHealth
For Cathy and Tom Lawson, supporting HopeHealth is deeply personal. Shortly after moving to Rhode Island, Cathy began volunteering at a local hospice facility—an experience that opened her eyes to the extraordinary compassion, dignity, and peace that hospice care brings to individuals and families navigating the emotional challenges of end-of-life. Several years later, the couple experienced this care firsthand when Tom’s mother was lovingly supported by HopeHealth’s team. These moments deepened their shared appreciation for the vital role hospice plays in the lives of patients and families.
Since 2019, Cathy and Tom have been loyal supporters of HopeHealth, expressing their gratitude through personal giving via the United Way of Rhode Island and through the philanthropic commitment of the Lawson Charitable Foundation. Their continued generosity has helped ensure that more families across the region receive the same comfort and compassionate care their own family experienced.
In 2023, Cathy visited HopeHealth’s headquarters and met with Dr. Rebecca McDonell-Yilmaz, founder of the Pediatric Supportive Services program. Moved by the team’s dedication to children with life-limiting illnesses—and by the compassionate, skilled support provided to their parents and siblings—the Lawsons made a grant through the Foundation to support Child-Life Specialists, who deliver vital emotional and developmental care to young patients and their families
Turning Compassion into Action
Their commitment continued in 2024 with a personal gift supporting both general operations and pediatric programming—ensuring the continuation of vital services for families during their most vulnerable moments. In 2025, they deepened their investment with a $50,000 gift—channeled through the United Way—to strengthen HopeHealth’s grief and caregiver support services, which offer guidance, community, and healing for those coping with loss or caring for loved ones with serious illness.
This most recent grant supports the heart of HopeHealth’s mission: providing free, accessible grief support to thousands
of children and adults across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. From Camp BraveHeart, a summer program for children navigating loss, to caregiver groups for those supporting loved ones with dementia or Parkinson’s, these services offer space to grieve, connect, and find strength.
As Cathy and Tom’s story reminds us, organizations like HopeHealth are essential community pillars—offering care, dignity, and healing in life’s most vulnerable moments. Their support demonstrates the powerful impact that compassionate giving can have, and underscores how vital it is to invest in programs that meet families with empathy when they need it most.
Across every stage of life—and loss—the Lawsons continue to shine a light on dignity, healing, and the power of community care.
To learn more about HopeHealth’s compassionate programs serving patients, families, and caregivers, visit www.HopeHealthCo.org.
