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The ladies who attend day
services at the Chilliwack Home have been sponsoring a child named
Yilerdy through Compassion Canada. The monthly amount they pay is
obtained through their bottle collection recycling program. This
past February they also fund-raised $850 through a special
Valentine’s Day venture. They baked and decorated cupcakes, made
little chocolates and created Valentine cards, all of which they
sold to friends and family.
Maggy, Resource Manager, and
Pat, Community Networker, flew to the Dominican Republic where they used the money to fill up the pantry of Yilerdy’s family,
giving her father a month’s salary (he had
no income for 3 months), and to present funds for a new project in
the downtown area of Santo Domingo that provides single mothers
education and their children (some with disabilities) with proper
nutrition. They also brought dolls and gifts that Andrea, Jannet,
Elizabeth, Gaal and Ilse had made to give to the children.
Pat and Maggy met with the
mothers in this project who explained that they are not able to
raise enough money for medication, vaccines, and good nutrition. It
was shocking to see the very poor living conditions of these
families. The ladies of the Chilliwack Day Services and their
support staff are committed to reaching out to this community
through prayer and practical help. Thank you to the Chilliwack
group for your service to the Dominican Republic.
How Well Are We
Doing?
 Bethesda
has always been committed to getting input from the individuals and
their families. That’s what helps us be truly person centered. But
once every three years we undertake a formal exercise to find out
how well we’re doing. In addition to asking the individuals we
support, we sent out a satisfaction survey to every family and
professional that helps us. Of the individuals we asked questions
like; “Do my caregivers really understand my needs and do they
listen to what is important to me?” Families were asked questions
like; “Are your visits and involvement welcomed in the life of your
family member?” Professionals were asked to assess the overall
quality of care that we provide and asked whether their input was
appreciated.
We can all be proud
of the resounding compliments we’ve received. It affirms the
genuine care given to our friends with disabilities. But it is also
a quiet witness to the One we serve and in whose name we do it.
With the satisfaction survey come suggestions for how we can do what
we do even better. And to that we pay particular attention. After
all, “to support persons with disabilities and their families” is to
listen to how they would like that to be done.
If you would like
to share your thoughts about Bethesda's services, please feel free
to contact us at our Head Office, 604-850-6604. |
