The Chatham-Kent Hospice has received a grant to help them start a variety of initiatives linked to a new Wellness Program.
The hospice announced the $75,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation at an event Thursday evening.
Program Coordinator Caress Lee Carpenter says the grant will help in their new program which aims to help heal people in the community who suffer from complex grief.
"What that grant has allowed us to do is pilot a bunch of different programs to a bunch of different focus groups within that complex grief population," she says. "The very first one that we chose was to support those searching for hope and healing on their journey through infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant, and child loss."
Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP Rick Nicholls and a representative from the Ontario Trillium Foundation were at Thursday's event. In addition to the funding announcement, the hospice was also given a plaque to commemorate the work they have done in the community so far.
“The Chatham-Kent Hospice has already been a great addition to our community,” says Nicholls. “The support that they give patients and families during those last special days together is profoundly important. These funds will now assist them in reaching out to more people in need throughout the community.”
Carpenter says the grant has also allowed for a couple of new hires, including herself and Bereavement Counsellor Mary Lee Felder.
By creating a new program which looks to help people heal from grief, Carpenter is hoping that it will help the community look at the hospice in a new way. She says they're working with community partners to help address the needs of others who are dealing with loss.
"End of life can happen at any time so we are really trying to bridge the gap between what people identify a hospice for, and what we are trying to aim for as a hub to support people," she says.
Carpenter adds since the programs, which will soon launch in the community are new, they are hoping to get feedback. If people are experiencing complex grief they are encouraged to contact the hospice and give input on what needs need to be addressed so that the hospice can accommodate where possible.