NEWS RELEASE
MARIPOSA HOUSE HOSPICE
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Hospice care makes a huge impact on one’s experience at end of life, and it is provided at no cost to individuals and their families.
Mariposa House Hospice opened its doors just over two years ago and has provided end-of-life palliative care to more than 260 individuals since then. It is estimated that for every person who receives direct hospice support, at least four or five family members or friends also benefit from the experience. This means Mariposa House has impacted approximately 1,500 people in two short years — providing care at no cost to those who need it.
We have welcomed people of all ages and demographics in a welcoming, warm environment.
The percentage of the annual operating budget covered by provincial funding currently sits at around 40 per cent. The remainder is fundraised from our local community in a variety of ways including special events (Angel Tree, golf tournament, fashion show, Hike for Hospice), third-party initiatives, grants, endowments, in-memory donations, and the Butterfly Club.
The Butterfly Club is a group of committed supporters who donate monthly or annually. The donor chooses the amount and frequency, and combined with all the other Butterfly Club donations, this adds up to a significant portion of our annual fundraising goal.
As more and more people in our community recognize the importance of residential hospice care being available locally, the growth of the Butterfly Club has been steadily increasing. The goal of this inaugural campaign week is to create more awareness and momentum so that we can reach a goal of $150,000 annually, which would double the current amount raised each year.
We asked our good friends at the Orillia Home Hardware if they would like to sponsor our campaign and host a challenge to other community members, businesses and groups in the community to become Butterfly Club members. Owners Chris Locke, Kirk McLean and Bill Ecklund Jr. wholeheartedly stepped up with a $5,000 per year over six years for a total Butterfly Club pledge of $30,000.
Chris Locke spoke on behalf of the team, stating, “We think each person deserves to live out their last days with dignity and comfort. We are proud to support the only residential hospice that serves our community both now and into the future.”
All Butterfly Club members, including new ones who have signed up during the campaign week, will be invited to attend a special closing reception in the Mariposa House Hospice garden on Saturday, June 17 at 10:30 a.m. featuring live music by an ensemble of Orillia Big Band members, special performances by Mariposa Dance Studio, and an unveiling of our brand-new Butterfly Club recognition wall in the hospice reception area. The unveiling will take place at 11:30 a.m. and members of the media are invited to attend.
This unique installation has been created by local artist Frank Ripley (Ask Frank Designs) and generously donated by the Campbell family, who have given $25,000 to name the donor wall.
The Campbell family recently experienced hospice care at Mariposa House Hospice and had nothing but praise to say about Mariposa House. A member of the family, Wendy Murphy, agreed to be interviewed in our new communications video to speak about her experience and to highlight the value of hospice services. Her comments include the following excerpt:
“When I walked through the doors, it was ‘Wow.’ I got a wow factor, believe it or not, not a doom-and-gloom feeling. We had some reservations at the start. It’s the unknown, it’s the ignorance to hospice," said Wendy.
"You hear the word ‘hospice,’ and you know it means end of life, not really understanding that it’s end-of-life care. Until we were presented with the opportunity, seeing what’s available, seeing the facility, the rooms for the residents," she explained.
"It really put our minds at ease. The environment is so welcoming to the family atmosphere. We were so grateful to have that opportunity, to even gather for a meal together. It was beyond our expectations and made everyone feel more at ease, more comfortable, to come and visit. We just can’t believe ... the care ... and the compassion that we were shown and that my dad was given, from everyone, when you walk in the door. We just can’t thank everyone enough. It’s just a total change of mindset with a hospice setting, and I think we were very fortunate, and we will never forget it, and never take it for granted.”
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