The Grey Bruce Hospice has launched a foundation, something it didn’t have before, to focus on raising money for its continued operation.
Before, it was a not-for-profit organization that had people within it doing the fundraising as well as other duties. The new foundation will enable them to keep providing, at no cost to families, a compassionate and supportive environment for those with a life-limiting illness.
Foundation Board Chair Paul Rowcliffe says, “It’s where people can come and spend the last few days or weeks of their life in a really caring environment and give the families an opportunity to become a family again rather than the caregiver.”
He explains, “We want to make sure that Chapman House is able to keep providing this wonderful service, well into the future and that there’s never going to be a resource issue for them. That’s our goal. I know it’s achievable and it’s really exciting.”
They unveiled a foundation logo today, which closely resembles the Hospice logo, but features the addition of roots to the tree emblem. Rowcliffe says it symbolizes that, just as a tree’s strength comes from its roots, the foundation is deeply rooted in the generosity and support of the communities throughout Grey and Bruce.
The foundation will now oversee all donation processing, issuing of tax receipts, and fundraising initiatives that support Grey Bruce Hospice- Chapman House. “It’s just a natural progression to what needs to happen for sustainability,” says Rowcliffe. He says it will enable them to have reserve funds for specific things like beds, which he notes will need replacing soon and they cost about $30,000 each. “We can also start doing some more long-term planning with legacy donations and doing some investments that will help generate income so that ultimately, there is income there year after year.”
The hospice is roughly 50 per cent funded by the provincial government, mainly for wages and some medical items. But Rowcliffe notes, most other things, repairs, beds, food, furniture and general operation relies on donations from the community.
The hospice also relies on volunteers for a number of things, from maintaining the garden to reception, events, helping in the kitchen, resident care, maintenance, laundry and other roles. Some choose to volunteer after they see the kind of care that’s provided at Chapman House while they say goodbye to a loved one.
Rowcliffe adds his own personal note, saying as the foundation gets started, the board has named the foundation office in memory of his late wife, Pam Rowcliffe who passed away three years ago. “She was a very quiet person in the background making sure that things happen,” says Rowcliffe, explaining, Pam helped the Hospice maintain its ability to keep cooking homemade meals in the hospice kitchen by paying for the cook for five years when it first opened. “I’m super proud of what she did and I’m very pleased that they decided to name the office in her name.”
Rowcliffe notes, it was a quiet contribution like hers, that he’s proud to remember.
The Grey Bruce Hospice has annual fundraising campaigns and a number of different ways to donate for more information www.gbhfoundation.com
