Thunder Bay, ON – Hospice Northwest is launching its 2021 annual campaign this month, with a goal of raising $22,500. The funds raised go directly towards helping our palliative and grief clients in Thunder Bay and Region make every moment matter by offering comfort, support and a sense of connection.
“In order to ensure our services remain free of charge for those who need them, Hospice Northwest must raise $562 per day. Funds are raised through various events, memorial donations and through our annual campaign”, explains Cherie Kok, HNW’s Executive Director. “We offer both end-of-life and grief support to over 350 clients each year. Our specially trained compassionate volunteers make a huge difference in the lives of the clients and families they support. In the last few years, our requests for grief support have tripled. The need is clearly there, and we are working hard to meet it.”
The funds raised through the annual campaign will also be instrumental in allowing Hospice Northwest to launch a brand new grief support service for children. HUUG (Help Us Understand Grief) is a specialized children’s grief program developed by Heart House Hospice in Mississauga Ontario. Hospice Northwest recognized the need for children’s grief support in our community and is working with Heart House Hospice to launch the program here. Statistics show that 1 in 5 children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18. In 2016 there were 53,810 children and youth in the Northwestern Ontario region (0-19 years old). This means approximately 10,700 children will be bereaved in our region. Hospice Northwest hopes to provide support for this very vulnerable population with unmet needs. The launch of the HUUG program would not be possible without the extra funds raised through the annual campaign.
Hospice Northwest has been operating in Thunder Bay and area since 1987. It is a community volunteer organization that complements, enhances and delivers end of life care, including grief and bereavement services. The mission of Hospice Northwest is to foster a compassionate
community response to the needs of anyone living with, dying from, or affected by illness and disease.