Bethell Hospice Foundation

Sharing Recipient Stories

2025 Dufferin County Community Grant Recipient
$3,000

Sharing our story

The grant funds supported the Hike for Bethell Hospice, a vital community event that provides essential funding for palliative care and bereavement services for Dufferin County residents. This project directly benefits the community by offering a unique space for families to process grief and find “good therapy” through shared experience.

The Hike brings together a wide variety of people touched by the hospice’s mission: community clients seeking support, resident families honoring loved ones, and a dedicated network of individual donors and major sponsors. For participants like Sharon and her daughter, the Hike was instrumental in their healing journey following the loss of her son Eric, on January 26th 2025. Sharon noted that the event “couldn’t have been smoother” and allowed them to reconnect with other families they met during Eric’s stay at Bethell Hospice, stating, “The Hike was good therapy, and it really helped my daughter a lot. We connected with other families who had also spent time at the hospice.”

The project aligns with the County’s Strategic Priority of Community by fostering social connection and mutual support among residents navigating loss. It also supports Equity by ensuring that the funds raised provide high-quality, dignified end-of-life care for all, regardless of age or ability. As Eric’s experience showed, the hospice team “realized how hard this was for our family” and provided a space where a young person with disabilities could still “articulate his wants and needs.”

Ultimately, the Hike strengthens our local social fabric by mobilizing volunteer efforts, corporate sponsorships, and generous community donations to sustain these vital services. By bridging the gap between clinical care and neighborly support, the Hike ensures that the “integrated service experience” Sharon praised continues to be available for every Dufferin family. It is this collective commitment that allows our neighbors to “keep defying the odds” and find peace, dignity, and compassion in their final days.

To read more of Sharon and Eric’s story you can find our Fall 2025 Newsletter at: https://foundation.bethellhospice.org/

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the $3,000 grant, which was instrumental in making the Hike for Bethell Hospice a success. While the Hike is a fundraising event, its true value lies in the support and compassion it provides to our community. It serves as a vital bridge between the clinical care provided at the hospice and the long-term emotional recovery of the families left behind.

As seen through the experience of “Team Eric #4”, the Hike allows residents to reconnect, offer silent gestures of solidarity, and find strength in shared stories. These funds ensured we could host a seamless event that honors the memories of loved ones while fostering a resilient, supportive network across Dufferin County. This support ensures that the spirit of compassion those like Eric experienced during his stay continues to walk alongside his family and many others long after their time at the hospice has ended.

Kaitlyn Knight
kknight@bethellhospice.org
9058383534 x2227
https://foundation.bethellhospice.org/