Much like the beginning of this project, ribbons were an important part of the Grand Opening Ceremony for Chatham Kent Hospice.
An official ribbon tying ceremony was held to officially mark the opening of the new residential hospice, the first in Chatham-Kent.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to say that starting next week, Chatham-Kent Hospice will begin caring for the people of our community .This week we celebrate and then we begin the important work of providing for our family and friends in their time of need,” said Jennifer Wilson, Chair of the Chatham-Kent Hospice Board of Directors.
Jessica Smith, Executive Director, explained that each ribbon colour was symbolic.
“Red represents compassion, blue represents peace, yellow represents joy, purple represents honour and green represents encouragement. Together, we have made this project a reality and together we will service Chatham-Kent,” Smith said.
Chatham-Kent Hospice receives operational funding from the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).
“Hospice is a unique service in health care because, unlike other services which work to extend life, the main focus of hospice care is to respect and honour the end of a persons’ life. Each person is unique and the hospice workers embrace that individuality by providing personalized care for both the patient and their family,” said Gary Switzer, CEO, Erie St. Clair LHIN.
The construction of the new facility was made possible through the generosity of the community and the public are invited to tour the facility this weekend.
Public Open House will be held:
– Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
– Sunday, April 10 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Meet at St. Andrew’s Residence at 99 Park Street, Chatham to begin the tour. Parking is available at the former No Frills, old Cinema Six, the Downtown Chatham Centre, the Kent 1974 and Family Service Kent.
– Submitted photo: From left, Ralph Ganter – Director of Health System Design and Implementation, Rick Nicholls – MPP Chatham-Kent-Essex, Jessica Smith – Executive Director of Chatham-Kent Hospice and St. Andrew’s Residence, Derek Robertson – Chatham-Kent Councillor, Jennifer Wilson – Chair of Chatham-Kent Hospice Board of Directors.
