Opening your hearts
Your compassion for others is providing assistance to people in their most vulnerable moments.
On a warm spring morning in May, more than 1,100 people were the first to hear about a new initiative St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation is undertaking – The Patient Assistance Fund for Mental Health Care.
Launched at the 2024 Breakfast of Champions event, which shines a light on mental health care, the Fund will directly impact the lives of people receiving mental health care at St. Joseph’s.
Donations to this Fund will be used to purchase items that might not otherwise be available to people in our mental health care program. These items express dignity, respect and empathy for the whole person – things like personal care kits, grocery gift cards, transportation vouchers, clothing and accessories.
Will Heeman, Breakfast of Champions event chair, shared the news of this new fund to the audience and asked them to lean into their own commitment to mental health and consider a gift.
“For many people, these items are more than just a warm winter coat or bus fare; they are an expression of care and compassion for someone who really needs it in that moment,” he says. “Trust me when I tell you, the patients St. Joseph’s serves and the staff who deliver this care appreciate it more than you will ever know.”
Without hesitation, many guests went online right away and made donations of $25, $50 and even $100. To date, nearly $10,000 has been received.
“We are so grateful for this outpouring of support,” says Michelle Campbell, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. “Thank you for opening your hearts.”
The needs of people in the community extend beyond the mental health care program. And care providers across St. Joseph’s are increasingly concerned by the challenges their patients are encountering that can significantly impede their health and wellness. From not having a safe place to sleep at night and a lack of nutritious food, to an inability to pay for transportation costs to get to medical appointments or pay for prescriptions – many in our community need more support just to get by these days.
It's why the Foundation has established additional Patient Care Assistance Funds including one each for the Diabetes Care program, the Ivey Eye Institute and the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Centre. Working closely with the hospital, the Funds will be administered through an already well-established process through St. Joseph’s Patient Relations department.
Why I Give
“Your heart grows,” says Jennifer Devlin about how she feels supporting a cause that she cares deeply about. “You offer a helping hand, and you just feel better, and then you reflect all of that back into the world.”
It’s how she felt after making a donation to the Patient Assistance Fund for Mental Health Care following St. Joseph’s 2024 Breakfast of Champions event.
“The cause [mental health care] is so important, and so near and dear to my heart,” she says. “I feel all of us know or have known someone who is experiencing a mental illness, and this fund will help those who need it the most.”
A former St. Joseph’s staff member, Jennifer still feels a close connection to the organization and its core value and has been regularly attending Breakfast of Champions for years.
“Every year it inspires me and serves as a beacon of hope,” she says.
“I got so excited and enthusiastic when I heard about the fund,” she adds. “What they are doing at St. Joseph’s is phenomenal, and I wanted to support the patients and families there.”
Your Donation Matters Here
Your ongoing monthly contributions or single gift to any of the Patient Assistance Funds will make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.