While the Chatham-Kent Hospice Committee is raising funds for a new 10-bed facility, in reality the effort is about a lot more than just bricks and mortar.
“Obviously, the building is front and centre, but we will be so much more than just that,” said Jennifer Wilson, chair of the hospice committee. “We want to fully integrate into every part of the community.”
Wilson said the hospice committee recently chose ROA Studio Inc. of Chatham to design the facility that will be located adjacent to St. Andrews Residence in Chatham.
“We had seven very strong proposals from across Southwestern Ontario,” she said. “It was a difficult choice but we’re very happy with it.”
Even the building’s design is meant to be inclusive.
“We’ve been reaching out to the various groups in our community to make sure all faiths and traditions are respected and taken into account,” she said. “The idea is for the hospice experience to be a seamless transition for the person whose life is coming to an end. That includes family, culture, religion and traditions.”
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The design work is expected to be completed this fall with construction to begin thereafter.
The hospice committee will launch a fundraising campaign next month although it has already raised $3.5 million of its $5 million goal.
“We’ve been encouraged by the support of the private donors who stepped in and helped us raise the required $1.5 million in matching funds we needed to ensure the municipality’s fund, and we did it in half the time allotted,” she said. “We’re now going before the community as a whole to reach our goal.”
Actual construction is expected to be in the $3 million range with the additional $2 million to be used as a “sustainability fund” to ensure the project’s continued success.
“We anticipate we will always have some minor fundraising to do, but for most part we want to get set up initially and stay in the background,” she said.
The inclusive nature of the project mirrors the reception the group has had from the community.
“We’ve been warmly welcomed by other end-of-life service providers,” she said. “The Palliative Care Crisis Team, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and the Community Care Access Centre have all been very supportive.”
