This has been an exciting year for the New West Hospice Society. We have celebrated our 10th Anniversary, moved into new office/program space, continued to build our programs, continued community outreach, sought more revenue sources, expanded our communication plan by launching our newsletter in September and continued our “New West Needs a Hospice” campaign.
New Office/Program Space
In April of this year, we moved into office space in Braid Studios at 321 – 6th St. We are sharing the office with the New West Farmer’s Market, another non-profit. Our lease agreement gives us access to other spaces in the building including a large salon on the second floor. We are hosting our Expressive Art Therapy classes there and will be holding our Volunteer Training Program beginning later this month. The room is also large enough for Board Meetings and special events. Many thanks to Susan Greig for her generosity in making the rent affordable.
Programs
We have continued to train volunteers for our Compassionate City Crew. Last fall 7 people completed our training program. We receive referrals from the Palliative Care Team at Royal Columbian Hospital, from doctors, from families, from other agencies and sometimes we receive self referrals. Our volunteers provide support to clients wherever they choose to end their days.
Expressive Art Therapy classes moved from Arrieta Studio to Braid Studios this summer. Many thanks to Mishel Arrieta for sharing her studio space with us for the past two years. Classes are the third Sunday every month in the salon at Braid Studios. Classes are designed to help participants process grief and loss.
Walk and Talk Bereavement Group is an eight-week outdoor grief support program for people who are grieving a significant loss in their lives. Each week, participants gather for a gentle walk and a guided conversation about grief with time for reflection, shared experiences and quiet moments along the way. This spring, participants who walked in Queen’s Park were supported by three facilitators.
Voice for the Vulnerable is a program which we participate in as part of our partnership with Homelessness Coalition. We join them on Connect Day in the spring and the fall to reach out to those who are precariously housed to assist them in completing an Advance Care Plan. The plan is filed with Fraser Health under their Personal Health Number. Clients designate their next of kin, their wishes for care at end of life, and what they would like done with their belongings.
Hospice Care at Legion Manor: We have a suite designated for our use at Legion Manor. This suite is dedicated for a person who is needing palliative care but has no home. We have developed a referral process and have had 3 clients as part of a pilot project.
Dialogue on Death and Dying had over 200 participants last year. This event included an Art Exhibition, a Night of Music, a Dance Performance in Queen’s Park, a Poetry Salon and several workshops over 4 days. Evaluation forms for the event told us that participants felt that the program helped to normalize the conversation about death and dying. Planning for this year’s event is well underway.
Community Outreach
Every year we go out into the community to let people know who we are, what we do, and encourage people to get involved. This year, we “pitched our tent” at the following events:
- Love New West in February
- Seniors’ Resource Fair at Century House in April
- Farmers’ Market in June and July
- Pride Festival in August
- Recovery Day in September
And we will be attending the Volunteer Fair at Douglas College in October.
Financial Stability
Like most non-profit organizations, especially young ones like ours, we are continually seeking financial stability. We receive grants from Fraser Health and the City of New Westminster. Our biggest fund raiser is the River Walk which we hold in May of each year. We also hold smaller fund raisers like 50/50 draws, raffles, and clothing drives. We also appeal to other agencies for support.
This year we were invited to attend a workshop hosted by the city and presented by Vantage Point, entitled “Raise the Right Revenue.”
It was helpful in providing ideas for raising funds.
New West Needs a Hospice
We have continued our campaign this past year. We visited Langley, Crossroads, and McKenney Creek Hospices to look at physical layouts and consider best practice. We met with Francis Moon, Executive Director of Regional Home and Community Care Services for Fraser Health twice in the past year. He keeps us apprised of regional projects. The mayor and council sent a letter to the Minister of Health, the Interim Board Chair, and Dermot Kelly, President and CEO of Fraser Health expressing support for a Hospice Residence in New Westminster. We also meet with John Stark, Manager of Social Planning for the City. John keeps us apprised of local projects. We recently met with Jennifer Whiteside, our MLA, to develop a plan for next steps. Jake Sawatzky, our MP, has met with us as well and is looking into funding available at the federal level.
Transition Planning
The current Board of New West Hospice Society is a working Board. We have had discussions during this past year about whether it is time to transition to a governance Board. We approached Vantage Point and asked for a proposal to assist us in this process. We will continue the conversation in the coming year.
We are also in the third year of our Strategic Plan. This report is a reflection of the work we have done to achieve the goals in our plan:
- To reinvigorate New West Hospice Society’s programs and services.
- To secure sustainable funding to meet New West Hospice Society’s priorities.
- To secure appropriate physical space to meet New West Hospice Society’s mission, vision and values. (Physical space includes appropriate office space for staff and volunteers and Hospice space for the community.)
We are so appreciative for the support from our Compassionate Community throughout this journey. Thank you for being with us these past 10 years and for recognizing “New West Needs a Hospice!”