Since 2016, Bingemans Gift of Lights has raised $87,500 for kids at Grand River Hospital! This festive, family-friendly light display is the largest drive thru holiday light display in Southwestern Ontario, featuring two tunnels and over 300 animated and static light displays. Thousands of people from Waterloo Region and beyond have come to Kitchener-Waterloo to enjoy this holiday spectacle over the last several years.
When we were expecting our first child, we were fortunate to share in the expectant parent joy with several of our friends and family, our child being the last of the arrivals. By the time my due date rolled around, we had already celebrated the arrival of almost half a dozen babies. I heard so many stories of water breaking, labouring, the wait for the epidural, and then the magic of when the baby finally made its appearance.
The Learning Development Fund at Grand River Hospital enables staff to pursue additional educational opportunities to gain new skills and further their professional development. It is also entirely funded by generous donors and supporters like you.
We asked hospital staff who received financial support from the Learning Development Fund to share how it promotes learning, helps them become better professionals, and ensures Care. Never. Stops. at the Hospital.
Here are just a few of the things they had to say:
“The reimbursement received through the GRH Learning Development Fund is greatly appreciated! Not only does it help financially, but it is a wonderful way to let team members know that continuous learning is recognized and valued in our organization.” – Heidi Clay, OHS, Physiotherapist
When someone opens up and shares that they’re struggling with their mental health, often times our first reaction is to try to fix it. Offering practical help is one way you can support someone... But when we try to solve things, we might be missing what they really need: to know they’re not alone.
Volunteers are critical to our vision of a world class health care system, and as National Volunteer Week comes to a close, we wanted to say thank you for everything you do for the hospital and our community.
Throughout the week, we shared the stories of John, Justin, Ed and Joyce, four of our incredible volunteers at Grand River Hospital. Learn all about their different volunteer roles, why they got involved and continue to volunteer in support of the Hospital, and how they make a big difference just by volunteering!
Joyce Bell was Grand River Regional Cancer Centre’s very first volunteer when it opened in 2004.
“I had applied to Grand River Regional Cancer Centre before the building was completed,” Joyce recalled. “I did tours for the public of the Cancer Centre before it officially opened and worked the first shift of the Monday it opened.”
Ed Cober and his wife have been coming to Grand River Hospital for more than a decade. Ed’s wife is a Kidney Care patient who regularly receives dialysis at the Hospital, a procedure that helps patients by cleaning their blood when their kidneys no longer can. Patients typically require dialysis three times every week, with each treatment lasting for about four hours—Ed and wife have been coming to Grand River Hospital on a regular basis since 2011.
Meet Justin Hammond, a Grand River Hospital volunteer who has taken on numerous roles throughout the Hospital. Since he began volunteering in January 2018, Justin has volunteered in the Emergency Department, with the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), as an Information and Portering volunteer, with Grand Venture (the Foundation’s online shop in support of the Hospital), and by giving hospital tours for new volunteers and employees.
John Lindsay has a personal connection to Grand River Hospital that led him to become a volunteer.
“As a former Grand River Hospital patient, I felt a great desire to give back to both the Hospital and the community,” John told us.
Join us in celebrating our incredible team of volunteers this National Volunteer Week! As generous people from our everyday lives—parents, siblings, neighbours and friends—who give their time to make an extraordinary difference, volunteers are essential to supporting the health and wellness of our community.
Wow, today is a great day. The Ontario government just announced a planning grant that will see a joint project to build new and renewed hospital infrastructure, designed to better meet patient care needs in our rapidly growing community.
Eat healthy and support local with truLOCAL, a high-quality, local meat delivery service. For a limited time, Grand River Hospital supporters can get a discount on custom built boxes of high quality, locally sourced meat products—truLOCAL will even donate a portion of proceeds from your purchase directly to cancer care at Grand River, an area of care the team at truLOCAL has a special connection to.
