The Chatham-Kent Hospice has touched the lives of many local families by supporting people at the end stage of life and providing a home-like setting where they can live their final days.
Jodi Maroney, the Executive Director of the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation says they need an average of $110,000 in donations every month to support the Hospice’s annual operating requirements.
“Chatham-Kent Hospice receives partial funding from the provincial government, covering about 50% of the annual operating budget,” Maroney stated.
“These funds are for direct medical costs, so donations are vital to cover all other expenses such as groceries, utilities, program supplies and administration expenses.”
Maroney says the organization was honored when they found out a local farmer, Bethann Vandevelde, nominated them for a CFGC Program grant.
“It’s always good to know that people understand what we do and how the community benefits from our services,” Maroney said.
Vandevelde responded to a social media post asking local farmers to consider nominating Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation for a $2,500 Bayer Fund grant.
Maroney doesn’t know the specifics, but she assumes Vandevelde either knows someone who has benefitted from their services or thinks that our community benefits from having the hospice services available.
The Chatham-Kent Hospice has provided compassionate end-of-life care to almost 900 families since opening in 2016.
The Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation was one of 66 organizations in rural communities across Canada that received a Bayer Fund grant last year.
Applications for the Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities Program are open until Sept. 30, 2021.
