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Published: Sunday, 26 September 2021 06:00 Written by Robyn Wiebe/Ronny Guenther

BTHC Foundation Chair Ben Friesen, “With the Donation Conversations we’ve been able to make the public more aware of what the Foundation actually, and how important it is for the hospital that the Foundation continues to operate.”

The second Donation Conversation in support of the Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation (BTHCF) officially launched Friday. BTHCF Board Chair, Ben Friesen says, in the past, community support has been fantastic, and it has allowed them to be able to add so much to the Boundary Trails Health Centre(BTHC).

“The community support is great, and always has been great in the Morden, Winkler (and) Southern Manitoba area. We have some local businesses that are always, always helping out. We always talk about ‘shop local’, and I’m just 100% in favour of that because most of the community does not know how much the local businesses support a lot of different things, not only the Foundation, but there’s a lot of different areas the local businesses really support.”

This year, BTHCF hopes to raise $150,000 to go towards the costs of three areas in Boundary Trails Health Centre, specialized equipment, as well as the Palliative and Spiritual Care Programs.

“There would still be Palliative Care,” Friesen shares, “But with the Foundation contributing the two extra nursing staff, 100% paid for by the Foundation, the rooms are furnished by the Foundation, giving a more comfortable family involvement at end of life, for a lot of the patients, The rooms have a recliner where people can stay in overnight and TV’s, and things like that, for family to be at. Spiritual Care has been really important this last year. With COVID, the local Pastors haven’t been able to make the normal visitation to their members, so this way our Chaplain has been able to look after that area, And then, the equipment.” Friesen adds. They have the regular healthcare equipment, “But it’s that little extra thing. Sometimes the doctors say, ‘Man if we had this, we can make the patient care that much better if we just had some little small item.’ That way we can help to contribute to that, and in that way, I think, we just make the care more comfortable for the patients throughout the year.”

Friesen says several local businesses have stepped forward to be Gold Sponsors matching the first $35,000 in donations to this year’s Conversation. This means every donation can make a difference.

“Not only the businesses, the local community, the general public, with the Donation Conversations we’ve been able to make the public more aware of what the Foundation actually is, and how important it is for the hospital the Foundation continues to operate. So anybody that goes to our Conversation Donation page, and just plunks in and donates $5 really makes a great difference, and this community always comes together.”

Friesen expressed gratitude for those joining the Donation Conversation.

“And we’re really thankful for the support we get from the community for the hospital and for the Foundation.”

The Donation Conversation will continue over the next few months. To learn more, click on the Donation Conversation page for Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation.

Written by Ronny Guenther/Dean Penner/Candace Derksen

The organization’s three-month long Donation Conversation campaign jumped well over its targeted goal of $150,000, raising a total of $176,000.

Officials with the Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation wrapped up a very successful fundraiser this month.

The organization’s three-month long Donation Conversation campaign jumped well over its targeted goal of $150,000, raising a total of $176,000. Those funds will be used to support a number of programs and equipment purchases at the Boundary Trails Hospital.

Board chair Ben Friesen says the generous contributions from donors helped lift them well past their fundraising goal, but he also feels the three month campaign helped create greater awareness about the foundation and the programs itFunds will be used to support a number of programs and equipment purchases at the Boundary Trails Hospital. supports.

“We got the message out to a lot of people as to what the foundation does for the hospital, quite a lot of stuff that not everybody knows about. I think it was an actual donation conversation in which a lot of information was shared.”

The initiative was put together to help cover the funds that are normally raised through the foundation’s annual golf tournament and banquet; two events that were cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

A minimum of $100,000 from the money raised will be used for a variety of equipment needs at the health centre, while the rest of the cash will be used to deal with other needs that will likely arise, according to Friesen.

The foundation chair acknowledges how the pandemic has created challenges for charitable organizations to raise funds over the past year but is amazed at the giving spirit that exists in the community.

“A lot of my other friends in other charitable organizations say they are all doing very well … so, it’s a super good feeling to be living in this community where we have so many people that care and share. That’s what makes this community so great,” added Friesen.

Written by Candace Derksen/Jayme Giesbrecht

This last month of the effort highlights the Spiritual Care program at Boundary Trails Health Centre. Courtesy BTHC Foundation website

The Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation is in to the final leg of its Donation Conversation.

The three month campaign is working to raise funds that normally would have come in during a number of regular fundraising events throughout the year, however many of those fundraisers had to be cancelled this year because of COVID-19.

This last month of the effort highlights the Spiritual Care program at Boundary Trails Health Centre located between Winkler and Morden. From services in the Chapel, to room visits for long-term patients, to active listening and prayer, the Spiritual Care Co-ordinator takes on a big role. And without the funds raised through the BTHC Foundation, it would not be possible to continue.

Pastor Randy Smart is Chair of the Spiritual Care Advisory Committee and he says the Province does not contribute to the program and as a result, it relies solely on donor support.

He explains the role of a spiritual care coordinator is to be a presence in the building and be available to individual patients throughout the hospital, including palliative care.

“And just the ongoing drama, if you like, of the realities of people when they are ill. They start thinking about ‘who am I?’ ‘what is happening to me?’ and they need perspective mentally and emotionally about things that are beyond our control,” said Smart. “The patients are dealing with those things, their families are dealing with those things and sometimes the staff who care for them find the load heavy as well, and so to have a pastoral presence in the building, someone who is known and trusted by staff and available to the patients, is very important.”

Recently, the committee hired Winkler pastor, Larry Reimer, to fill that role of spiritual care coordinator. His first day on the job will be January 4, 2021. Larry Reimer.

Not only is it his hope to be a regular support to patients, but also to the staff who he says are encountering an incredible and unexpectedly stressful time during COVID-19.

“Now we’re in it. How do we deal with it? How do we navigate forward?”, said Reimer who speaks from personal experience. He explained that his father has been in the hospital several times during this period and Reimer says he’s had to witness his mother go through the trying time of not being able to be at her husband’s side. “Seeing it firsthand really gives you a greater empathy for walking with other people,” he added.

Now that Reimer has been hired on to fill that coordinator role, Smart says the Board is examining how to better coordinate information between the institution and others in the caring community around it. For example, he says what happens in the case of someone coming in with mental health issues?

“How does the hospital deal with it? What are the things that we as part of the community around them can do to provide care?”

Local donors committed $35,000 in matching grants for the campaign this fall, helping to kickstart donations.

So far, $394,450 of the $420,000 goal has been raised.

“We all benefit from the generosity of the people in our community and we don’t always know when we are going to be one of those people in the hospital who needs that person coming alongside to encourage and strengthen us, or to meet and care for one of our family members or friends, and it’s nice to be investing now in a service that could one day be to our own benefit as well,” added Smart.

Click here to learn more.

 Written by Ron Guenther

Click here to donate to the BTHC Foundation!

The BTHC Foundation Donation Conversation continues in November, focusing on Palliative Care at the Boundary Trails Health Centre! We spoke with Dr. Kevin Convery about the impact that Palliative Care has on patients and their families in the Pembina Valley.