Photo supplied by Lara Rockefeller
The Norfolk Haldimand Hospice project has received a major financial boost after 17 Lions Clubs across the region raised more than $240,000, unlocking an additional $200,000 matching grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).
The fundraising effort was led by the Waterford and Jarvis Lions Clubs, and required them to submit an application to the LCIF.
That was Lara Rockefeller of the Waterford Lions Club. She said the project showed what service clubs can accomplish when they work together, with clubs from Niagara Falls to Tillsonburg joining the fundraising effort.
The combined total of more than $440,000 will help purchase five hospice beds and other approved infrastructure for the new 10-bed hospice planned for Jarvis.
Bob Townsend, with Simcoe-Lynn Valley Lions, said the matching grant allowed local fundraising to have an even greater impact.
Townsend went on to say every donation mattered, regardless of its size, but the campaign soon exceeded his expectations.
He added that everybody was part of the effort, and that’s what made it successful.
The grant will fund equipment and infrastructure that meets LCIF guidelines, including five hospice beds. While LCIF does not fund land purchases or staffing costs, the hospice project itself began with a generous local donation.
Jarvis Lions Club member Dennis Craddock said one of the club’s early members, Drew Williamson, donated more than 10 acres of land that will become the future hospice site.
Rockefeller, Townsend and Craddock said the project also strengthened relationships between Lions Clubs throughout the district and they hope the success inspires more people to volunteer.
The new 10-bed hospice will help fill a long-standing gap in end-of-life care for Norfolk and Haldimand, which currently has no residential hospice despite serving a population of more than 116,000 people. Lions members say they will continue raising money for hospice care through future community fundraisers and local events.
Written by Jeremy Hall
