Rotary Club Of Abbotsford Sumas gives back with books for kids at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
Submitted. The Rotary Club of Abbotsford Sumas participated in Rotarians At Work Day on Saturday, April 25 by volunteering their time at the second provincial location of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice (CPCH) in Abbotsford. Seven members of the local Rotary Club came out to help set up the Canuck Place Family Library and school room.
In addition, they presented a Rotary District 50/50 matching donation for $2,500 which, when added to the club’s original donation, brings a total of $5,000 in support for library books and school resource materials to the hospice.
“Everyone needs a quiet place to go when they are faced with challenges,” said Kelly Railton, Club Service Projects Director for The Rotary Club of Abbotsford Sumas. “The opportunity for our members to contribute towards this area in the Abbotsford location for family reflection, quiet thought and the therapeutic pastime of reading means a lot to our club.”
Currently in phase two of a four-phase opening plan, the Abbotsford location is providing community-centred services to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. These services include visits by physicians, nurses and counsellors in hospitals and homes, individual and group grief and loss support, as well as recreation therapy for children and families registered in the program.
The Canuck Place Family Library is an essential resource for families on the Canuck Place program. Stocked with books and publications on a wealth of topics related to children living with life-threatening illnesses and their families (such as end-of-life planning, grief, and bereavement), the library is a quiet space for reflection and information. The resources selected are largely based on the experiences of Canuck Place families interacting with the Vancouver location, staff experience and the newest resources available.
“Forty-six percent of the children and families registered on the Canuck Place program reside in the Fraser Valley health region,” said Margaret McNeil, Canuck Place CEO. “Our partners in the local community, such as The Rotary Club of Abbotsford Sumas, are truly instrumental in helping us to provide the complex clinical care and programs necessary for children and families located in the area.”
The Rotary Club of Abbotsford Sumas recently donated $2,500 to Canuck Place to assist with the purchase of clinical resources for B.C.’s children with life-threatening illnesses and their families supported at the Abbotsford location.
Rotarians At Work Day takes place on the last Saturday in April when Clubs around the world identify a hands-on project that all members can participate in to help their local community. The program started in 2006 as a joint effort between two Rotary Districts and continues to grow with 44 participating Districts, 2,830 clubs and almost 110,000 Rotarians.