Christoph and Susan Hoffmann

Christoph and Susan Hoffmann have lived in Needham for 35 years and have been devoted to the hospital for nearly that long. For the Hoffmann family, community involvement is not only about giving back but also about honoring relationships. Early on, the couple saw the hospital as a place where all types of people intersect and where relationships are formed around a mutual goal.

“The people involved in the hospital are drawn to service and giving back. We have a common ground there. I think we all live for relationships and seeing our place in the community,” says Christoph.

When Susan, a Cape Cod native, visited the local hospital for the first time for minor surgery, she says she “immediately felt right at home.” Susan began volunteering because she wanted to give something back: “I love the people, and I enjoyed being around them—getting to know the doctors and spending time with the patients. I just felt an over-the-top kindness from everyone I met.”

When they learned about plans for the new Outpatient Clinical Center, they decided this was the time to honor the care they have received through the years with a legacy gift. “We’re very confident about the hospital, and this additional facility is very much needed. To the extent that Susan and I can contribute to that, that's what we wanted to do,” says Christoph.

This year, Christoph and Susan designated the hospital as the sole beneficiary of their charitable remainder trust to honor the relationships formed that had a life-saving impact.