The Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS® (ASR) is pleased to report that a $5,000 grant, funded by the ASR Quality of Life Legacy and awarded to the Rose Garden Hospice Association (RGHA) in April, has been put to good use; the RGHA hosted the grand opening of their development office in Prince Albert.
REALTORS® and others were on hand at the Rose Garden Hospice Association grand opening on November 13, 2014. Kevin Wouters, ASR director and REALTOR® Prince Albert commented on how proud the ASR is to help the RGHA achieve their stated mission, “to build and operate a ten-bed hospice to provide quality patient-centred end-of-life care to persons in Northern Saskatchewan by providing care in an home-like environment which meets the physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs of the client, the client’s family and close friends.”
Bill Madder, ASR CEO, also spoke highly of the service the hospice would one day provide. “We all know dying is inevitable, and unfortunately, hospitals are not designed to accommodate family members who wish to stay with their loved one. Of course there are more alternatives in larger centres across the province, but this void is felt very keenly here in the northern part of Saskatchewan. Rose Garden will be the first stand-alone facility to offer palliative end-of-life care.”
The RGHA was incorporated in 2008 and the receipt of the Legacy grant has certainly given them a leg up in their fundraising process. Although it is estimated that the hospice itself is still five to six years away, opening the Development Office has been a great step forward. Board Chair, Marge Jurgens explains, “the office is meant to act as a demonstration of what a room within the hospice will hopefully look like.”
The Quality of Life Legacy initiative awards grants to six community organizations from different regions of the province on an annual basis. The initiative promotes the five principles of supporting shelter-related services:
- enhancing environmental sustainability,
- supporting public education on the importance of private property rights,
- promoting safer neighborhoods, and
- enhancing community development and better opportunities for “at risk” populations and/or disadvantaged citizens.
Photo: At the Grand Opening, (left to right) REALTOR® and ASR Director, Kevin Wouters; Mitzi Munro, RGHA Board Member; Deb Honch, REALTOR® and member of ASR Quality of Life Committee.
