By Jill Sperling

Hospice expansion to provide workshop space for caregivers

Jan 22, 2019 | 3:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — A distant dream has suddenly become a reality. 

The Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home is preparing to open up its brand new Community Resource Centre, thanks to the support of the Cooper Family Foundation. 

“Originally we were looking at donating $100,000 or a couple hundred thousand dollars depending on what they needed,” said Nelly Dever, President & CEO of the Cooper Family Foundation. “And then following a few meetings with the Hospice and their board it became very apparent that they wanted to do a lot of outreach programs, but they didn’t have the space.”

The Cooper Family Foundation launched the Wings Above Kamloops fundraiser in September 2017, taking bids on a brand new, fully furnished home in order to help fund the construction of the hospice expansion. 

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“It’s unbelievable, you can imagine, that somebody would do that,” said Wendy Marlow, Executive Director of the Kamloops Hospice Association. “And not just a building you’ve seen around. It is beautiful, it’s phenomenal and I’m so excited to welcome people into our space and to share that with them.”

The reception and administration area has been re-worked for more efficiency. 

The 4,000 sq. ft. Community Resource Centre contains a kitchenette, office space, a fireside room for meetings and counselling, and a large multi-purpose room that will be used for workshops. 

“We’re doing workshops for caregivers,” Marlow said. “I always say we’ve got this expertise in this building, let’s take it outside the 12 beds and the walls and let’s share more with people. So, sometimes people want to look after their loved one at home and so the workshops will be for caregivers.”

The project began in July and keys to the reception area will be handed over this week. 

The new building will be ready in two weeks time. 

“I can’t say enough about the Hospice,” Dever said. “It’s one of those where we went, ‘I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to find another recipient that’s going to be able to match how amazing this was as our first project and our first recipient.’ They’ve been phenomenal from day one and it’s going to be hard to leave the site because you’re so used to seeing them every day, and they’ve become family.”