Please accept my email as a giant THANK YOU card to all the incredible volunteers (and coordinators) who provide community care to patients and visitors to Grand River Hospital.

On March 20, I had spinal surgery at Grand River Hospital and returned yesterday for follow up at day surgery and x-ray. Right from my entrance to the hospital, to the elevators, to patient registration, and onward to x-ray and day surgery I was greeted and accompanied directly to my destinations by sunny, cheerful teams of volunteers who were obviously invested in assisting me. I was uplifted by their kindness and positive attitudes and certainly gained confidence that I would meet all my appointments. No pointing "go that way" or "use that elevator"; I just followed a real person and was taken where I had to go. It's little wonder that I had a smile on my face and had little time to worry about having staples removed! Thank you.

No one wants to have to spend time at the hospital, but thanks to the generous residents of Chartwell Westmount Retirement Residence in Kitchener, the hospital experience in now a little more enjoyable for the kids in our community who do.

Loraine Berge is a long-time Grand River Hospital supporter who is committed to making a difference in our community. Since her retirement, Loraine has made and donated thousands of comfort quilts to health care patients, and now she is generously auctioning off four of her beautiful quilts to raise money for the future of local health care and Grand River Hospital’s joint long-term vision with St. Mary’s General Hospital: Building the Future of Care Together.

If you’ve ever experienced a serious illness or injury, then you know that in these challenging situations, all you desperately want is to recover: to feel like yourself again, to be able to do all the things you used to do with ease and to get back to spending your time with friends and family doing the things you love. In the rehabilitation program at Grand River Hospital’s Freeport Campus, music therapy makes a tremendous difference for patients working towards these goals on their road to recovery.

Grand River is grateful to the Optimist Club of Conestogo Winterbourne for their generous donation to mental health care in support of the people in our community who have struggled with mental illness. A contribution of $4,000 was made to lend support to child and adolescent mental health care.

Earlier this year, Grand River Hospital proudly became the first teaching community hospital in Canada to partner with Signal 1 to explore a clinic...

As a part of the Women Empowering Women Digital Community’s International Women’s Day initiatives this year, we invite you to attend the Youth Program: Non-Profit Organizations session. This is a fantastic learning opportunity for our next generations of non-profit leaders, who will one day play an integral role in leading both our health care system and community to reach our vision of becoming world class and beyond.

For the past two years, local performing artist Mary-Catherine Pazzano has been raising money for Grand River Hospital with her new live album. Recorded right here in Waterloo and distributed by the Grand River Jazz Society, her album Christmas Live at the Jazz Room was released in 2022 and raised an impactful $1,400 for mental health music therapy!

On Sunday, May 28, come out to Beaverdale Golf Club in Cambridge, ON to play a round of golf in support of Grand River Hospital at the first annual Alain Vienneau Memorial Golf Tournament. Alain was a charge nurse for Grand River’s renal program, who suddenly and tragically passed away in March 2022. His hospital colleagues, family and friends have organized this tournament to celebrate his passion for nursing and give back to the hospital—the proceeds from the event will support Kidney Care.

You are invited to attend our Income Tax Reduction & Estate Tax Elimination on April 26, 2023 and taking place at Foundation House, Grand River Hospital Foundation's new home across the street from the hospital at 914 King St.

Make a difference for the children and families at Grand River Kids by generously donating new or like-new baby blankets to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU is looking for

• Flannel baby blankets (30" x 40" or 40" x 40" in size)
• Fitted sheets for bassinet mattresses measuring 26" x 12" x 1.5" (smaller than a fitted crib sheet)

Several times per week and sometimes for years, patients with chronic kidney disease spend hours receiving lifesaving dialysis treatments at the hospital. Bernard Wilson, better known as Bernie, is a familiar face to many at Grand River Hospital. Bernie is a kidney care patient who is frequently at the hospital for dialysis and is known for his friendliness, his outgoing, positive spirit and always having a smile on his face—aptly, his motto is, “Keep smiling!”