It’s been five years since the Chatham-Kent Hospice opened its doors.
Since that time, the 10-bed end-of-life care facility has supported over 860 residents and their families.
Executive Director Jessica Smith says they couldn’t do it without the support of close to 200 volunteers.
“Our volunteers are involved in every aspect of Chatham-Kent Hospice, from reception, kitchen, housekeeping, they even provide support to our direct care staff, administration, events, they do everything,” Smith says. “There’s always a volunteer that’s willing to take on any task that comes across our plate, they are willing to step up and help us with that.”
The Chatham-Kent Hospice has recently added grief and bereavement support to its list of services to help residents across the community in their grief journey.
Smith says the pandemic and ongoing restrictions unfortunately means they can’t celebrate this milestone with the community.
“We’re just so grateful for their support, without the support of the community we wouldn’t be here. From day one, when we announced that we were hoping to bring a residential hospice to Chatham-Kent, the community stepped up and they continue to do so, whether it’s donations, attending events, the support is just really amazing.”
Chatham-Kent Hospice receives partial funding from the provincial government which covers about 50% of the annual operating budget. The rest of the budget is made up through donations from the community.