There's a lot of work to do over the next year before the Chatham-Kent Hospice opens its doors.
Board chair Jennifer Wilson says construction is slated to begin in the spring and the ten-bed hospice should be operating by the end of 2015.
"We have to outfit the building inside. So that's purchasing plates and blankets and sheets. We also have to screen and recruit volunteers," says Wilson. "I have over 70 volunteers serving on various committees informing on the design, the medical model, all of those things we're learning from other hospices who've been very generous with their time and information."
She says there will be an ongoing need for community fundraising because the province only pays for direct medical care costs. However, the hospice will be sharing some office positions with St. Andrew's Residence.