Dearest Friend,
Since we last wrote, Compassionate Community Care (CCC) has been working to deliver a number of critical projects to you. This update will help to inform you on the important milestones we have achieved in these short months as well as current and planned projects we have in store.
The “Her Story” special 100th anniversary edition for the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) of the Diocese of London has been published in print and digital form. You can view the book on our website: www.beingwith.org/resources. Over 50 women contributed their personal stories of family, ministry, friendship, and service. This collection of stories is a wonderful example of what any type of group can do to create a living legacy for each member.
Above: Dianne Kehoe & the ladies of St. John the Divine CWL
Above: Tobias with the “Her Story” book
“Early in 2020, the CWL London diocese began working with [CCC] stressing the importance of keeping in touch with their members in their homes, and retirement or extended care homes. One of the biggest issues facing some of our most vulnerable today is isolation, loneliness and depression. Collecting our seniors’ stories gives them the opportunity to share their experiences and memories with us. It can be their legacy for our councils’ history and for their families.” — Mary Ann Horne-White
CCC plans on growing the Being With, My Story visitor’s training program and expanding the collection of stories with other groups. If you would like to begin a visiting program in your community and/or are interested in ordering a copy of “Her Story,” please contact us.
Ongoing speaking engagements, such as Being With, My Story and Community Advocacy training with Alex Schadenberg continue to shed light on the importance of being with others, advocating for those who need it, and being active in your community by starting Compassionate Community chapters close to you. Recordings of these events are available on YouTube and on our website. Our online training seminars are free, including the materials.
The Honouring Our Seniors (HOS) project is complete! CCC collected over 500 surveys of seniors across Canada; the final report is available on our website. Results revealed a need for increased awareness about elder abuse and prevention strategies, and how to respond better to seniors’ interests and ongoing needs. CCC hosted a special event, “Honouring Our Seniors: Evening of Gratitude” which included launching the report, an in-person gathering at our office in London (Ontario), and a simultaneous online event in which we shared the results and thanked those who participated.
To conclude the project, we did a three-part speaker series on elder abuse prevention. Speakers included two nurses who spoke about their experiences working in senior’s homes, human rights and constitutional lawyer Hugh Scher, and Prevention Consultant, Mary Shkoury from Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario. These seminars are available on our YouTube channel. A pamphlet on elder abuse awareness, and a shorter summary of the HOS survey are also available on our website.
CCC has been speaking with groups across Ontario from Sarnia, Hamilton, and throughout the GTA, as well as doing training and online seminars in February and May, with upcoming sessions in June and July. In July we are offering both visitor and advocacy training over the course of two days in Madoc, Ontario. This event is being hosted by St. Mary of Egypt Refuge at their community outside of Kingston. For all event and registration information, please visit www.beingwith.org/events
We continue to serve Canadians with our helpline, offering advice, help and support regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide prevention and end-of-life treatment issues: 1-855-675-8749.
Lives are saved from euthanasia and assisted suicide thanks to this helpline. Thank you for enabling this important work to continue!
We have accomplished a great deal thanks to your support. Please consider enabling our work to continue with a donation today. We humbly appreciate any amount, whether it be a monthly or one-time contribution, whatever you are able to give means so much to us and we sincerely thank you for it. CCC is a registered Canadian charity.
It is because of your generosity that we can continue to offer the valuable education, resources, and vital assistance that continues to save lives.
You can mail your donation (cash/cheque) to Compassionate Community Care, call the office number, or donate online via www.beingwith.org/donate
Thank you for your contribution!
I look forward to sharing more with you in the future about our continued work and upcoming initiatives. Please do stay in touch with us and know we are here for you.
Sincerely yours,
Kathy Matusiak Costa, Director, CCC