The Rotary Club of Abbotsford Sumas participated in Rotarians at Work Day on Saturday, April 25 by volunteering their time at the 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; and recreation therapy for children and families registered in the program.
The Canuck Place Family Library is stocked with books and publications on a wealth of topics related to children living with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
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.
Canuck Place CEO Margaret McNeil said 46 per cent of the children and families registered with Canuck Place reside in the Fraser Valley.
“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.”
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.
Canuck Place in Abbotsford is located on the Dave Lede Campus of Care on Marshall Road next to Abbotsford Regional Hospital.