DreamCatchers, a national, student-run nonprofit that seeks to grant hospice patients’ wishes, launched a Georgetown chapter in February and will hold its first meeting after Easter.

“It sounds corny, but I love celebrating life, and I think [DreamCatchers] is a great opportunity to celebrate a generation,” Chapter Founder Katie Day (NHS ’15) said. “It’s a celebration of all that they’ve learned, and family’s involved, and I feel passionately about that.”

Day said that she decided to begin the club because she noticed a lack of hospice center outreach programs in the Center for Social Justice.

DreamCatchers member Sarah Hewitt (NHS ’15) agreed and said that DreamCatchers is unique in its target audience.

“I think the most noteworthy difference between DreamCatchers and other clubs on campus is the population we hope to serve,” Hewitt said. “To my knowledge, there is no other club on campus that works with hospice patients. … I think the elderly population tends to be forgotten in their last years of life.”

Georgetown DreamCatchers is partnering with the Washington Home and Community Hospices. The group chose this location based on its demonstrated level of need.

“I want to stick with one center and build a good relationship with them to start,” Day said. “We’ll do realistic goals, since we’re working with a limited amount of time.”

Day cited family reunions and new foods as examples of possible wishes.

Current Notre Dame sophomore Caitlin Crommett founded DreamCatchers while working at a hospice center when she was 15, and she continued growing the organization in college.

“I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is just listening to these people’s stories,” Crommett said. “What they have to say has made such a difference in my life.”

Last summer, Crommett and a team of DreamCatchers members travelled to Raleigh, N.C., Washington, D.C., Nashville, Tenn., Phoenix and Las Vegas in order to set up new chapters and gain recognition as a national foundation. According to Crommett, the group’s visit to D.C. had revealed strong interest in the organization.

Lucy Gibson (COL ’15), a member of the Georgetown chapter, said that she looked forward to helping hospice patients.

“I am interested in DreamCatchers because the elderly have given so much to us. Culturally, I worry we take that for granted.” Gibson said. “There have been certain moments in college that propel you out of your life-vantage. I expect this club to be a consistent, somewhat jarring, reminder of not just life outside the Georgetown bubble but the nature of life itself.”

Hewitt cited her personal experiences with hospice care as her reason for joining the organization.

“While I can’t be there with my grandparents, who live across the country, through DreamCatchers, I can do my part to serve those who find themselves in similar situations right here in the D.C. area,” Hewitt wrote.