The Ashcroft and District Hospice Society held the grand opening of its new office at 509 Railway Avenue on June 25, inviting members of the public to learn more about the society and what it has to offer.
The volunteer-run society has been operating in Ashcroft for nearly 40 years, providing end-of-life support for clients and and their caregivers and families. They operate a hospice room at the Ashcroft Hospital, available free of charge for those who want end-of-life or palliative care close to home, and for the last two years have had office space at the Elizabeth Fry Society office in Ashcroft.
When it became clear that that space would no longer be a viable one, the society set its sights on being able not only to move to another office, but to hire someone to assist with the society's activities, to take some of the burden off the hospice volunteers who provide support to those who need it.
Hospice society president Deb Tedford says that they are "very grateful" to E. Fry for gifting them office space for two years. A new space has been found in the Wellness Studio building at 509 Railway, and the society has been able to hire Ashcroft resident Gwen Dost as the program and volunteer coordinator.
Tedford credits many years of fiscal planning within the society for enabling them to make this move, but adds that community support has been a huge factor. The hospice society's annual plant "sale" has always been very well supported by residents of Ashcroft and Cache Creek, and the society was the recipient of funds raised at the Guns and Hoses charity hockey match in January, which amounted to $11,000.
"Guns and Hoses took us over the edge," says Tedford. "We have exceedingly generous community members. I thought that we would raise about $3,000, maybe $5,000 if we were really lucky. I was absolutely shocked with the total."
She says that one of the reasons the society gets such support is because everyone lives with death or illness that is personal to them. "People might be too shy to seek help publicly, but they support us, and that support has grown by huge amounts."
The office is open on Mondays and Tuesday from 2 to 5 p.m. through July and August. There is a library of support material that people are free to browse, borrow, or keep for as long as it's useful to them, and contact information for other support services. People can make an appointment, or just drop in, to speak to Dost or to a hospice volunteer in a space that is accessible, private, and safe, and there is no charge for the service.
"It's a space where people can come to have a conversation to determine their journey," says Tedford. "People can talk about their needs. Hospice is about helping people live with dignity, not just die with dignity. It's about making that life as good as it can be; not just for the client, but for their caregivers and family as well."
Tedford notes that support is available for anyone who needs it when it comes to dealing with end-of-life issues. The society has no capacity to offer counselling, but provides grief support for a very specific type of grief. "We have to focus on this one type of grief, as this is where we have experience," says Tedford.
"It's very simple to agree that if it's your spouse or child or parent you will need support, but it's for friends too. If you find that you want to be supported we have resources that can help." She adds that the support is not just for adults: the society also has material aimed at helping children cope with grief after the death of a loved one, whether it is a family member or a friend.
The society is now setting up a "Friends of the Hospice Society" group, which will consist of associate society members. "Their role isn't to supply personal support, but to bring their talents, whether that's in business or fundraising or anything else. They can become an associate member and run for a seat on the society board, and support the society that way."
It's one of the ways that the society is trying to expand in order to be sustainable.
"We have an extremely dedicated and committed group of volunteers. and it takes a very special kind of person to do that," says Tedford. "Thirty-nine years of volunteering is amazing, but the service needs to be sustained for everyone."
To find out more about the Ashcroft and District Hospice Society, or to book an appointment, call (778) 207-7575, visit the Ashcroft and District Hospice Society Facebook page, or visit their website at https://www.ashcroftdistricthospicesociety.org/.
