Season of Giving: A Look Back at Examples of Generosity during the Holidays
Published Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Jordan and Nathan Malench present the completed pillows to Karen Roberts, Manager, Clinic Operations, Nursing, Systemic Therapy, Palliative and Supportive Care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
As part of their Confirmation class project at St. Paul's Anglican Church, brothers Jordan and Nathan Malench were asked to provide a helpful service to the community.
After some discussions with their family, they decided to use the funds provided by their rector, the Venerable Deborah Kraft along with their own contributions, to make pillows that patients can use after breast cancer surgery. These pillows are often difficult to find in Thunder Bay and are designed to provide patients with physical comfort after surgery. Shaped like a heart, the pillows fit nicely under the armpit to prevent chafing.
The project ended up being a family affair. Jordan and Nathan's Dad cut out the pattern, their Mom sewed the pillows, and the brothers were in charge of the stuffing. In total, they made 30 pillows, and packaged each one in a labeled resealable plastic bag to ensure that they would stay clean. Jordan and Nathan have generously donated these pillows to the Hospital's Regional Cancer Care Northwest program, the Tbaytel Tamarack House, and the Canadian Cancer Society.
The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is thankful for Hospital staff and those in our community who donated items during the holiday season. Thanks to your donations of essential items like hats, gloves, toothpaste, socks, slippers, shampoo, personal hygiene kits and so much more, our dedicated volunteers were able to stuff over 200 stockings for elderly patients in need. This includes all 64 patients at the Transitional Care Unit at Hogarth Riverview Manor and those referred to the HELP program at our Hospital. This generosity helped to make someone's holiday a whole lot happier.
If you didn't have the opportunity to contribute an item, but would like to donate your time instead, call (807) 684-6266, email volunteering@tbh.net or visit bit.ly/BecomeaVolunteer-TBRHSC for more information.
Staff from our Hospital's Emergency Department (ED), including nurses, clerks, support workers and physicians made a difference during the holiday season by helping a local family in need. They participated in the family sponsorship and holiday hamper program, organized each year by the Children's Aid Society. Donors interested in sponsoring a family are provided with a list of suggested items, as well as non-identifying family information to assist in personalizing the shopping experience.
Together, the ED staff contributed toys for the family's children, four stretchers full of food, household items and $1,000!