Mariposa House Hospice wrapped up its Butterfly Club campaign week Saturday at its 1140 Brodie Dr. location.
The Butterfly Club, which has been running since the beginning of the hospice’s capital campaign, recognizes sustainable donors.
“Their pledges are coming in monthly and annually,” explained Lynn Thomas, donor relations co-ordinator. “It’s a better way to engage the community to be committed to what we do here.”
The Butterfly Club campaign week helps to educate the community about the services Mariposa House Hospice provides to the community at no cost.
“A lot of the people we speak to don’t know that we are here,” Thomas said. “If they don’t have a loved one who’s gone through the house and our program, they aren’t really sure what hospice is.”
Mariposa House Hospice provides end-of-life care for people who have life-limiting illnesses.
“Generally, our residents are here for a week to a month,” Thomas said. “We have some that are only here for a few hours.”
The organization provides individuals with security, comfort, and a place for their families to gather with them in a quiet space during their final life moments.
“It’s not just about death and dying; it’s about honouring every moment of life, and every moment when you are dying is very precious,” Thomas said.
There are five beds at Mariposa House Hospice. They are usually at capacity, and there is a wait list.
Once a diagnosis has been given, individuals can apply for hospice through their family doctors, or family members can call the hospice. It serves people from the Couchiching area and those whose support system is in the area.
“We are doing all that we can to meet the need,” Thomas said. “As an aging and retiring community, we are seeing a greater need all of the time.”
She hopes Mariposa House will one day be able to expand, and there is room on the property for it to do so.
The organization receives 40 per cent of its funding from the Ministry of Health for its operations, while the remaining 60 per cent comes from fundraising efforts such as the Butterfly Club.
Making the services free helps minimize capacity at the hospital and long-term care homes. It also eases the financial burden on families who are forced to put their loved ones in long-term care.
Orillia Home Hardware pledged to donate $30,000 over six years to the Butterfly Club this week.
“We’ve been aware and involved with this facility since Day 1,” said co-owner Chris Locke. “It’s a need in our community for end-of-life care, and this facility does an amazing job providing it and looking after the whole family during that difficult time.”
Supporting Mariposa House Hospice was a “no-brainer,” Locke says.
“We try to focus our charitable giving on projects that make an impact locally. This one does that, and it’s a great team here that we are happy to help out,” he said.
Wendy Murphy, whose father, Herb, lived at Mariposa House Hospice for five weeks, donated $25,000 with her Campbell family siblings.
“The end-of-life experience was much less scary here,” she said. “There was no feeling of doom and gloom. There was a level of comfort knowing he was in a safe space and we could come here to spend quality time with him.”
The family’s donation was used to create the new Butterfly Club wall, designed by artist Frank Ripley. The wall honours Mariposa House Hospice’s loyal supporters.
“I’m definitely proud and happy to know that when you walk through this door and come to the desk, you will see this incredible wall,” Murphy said. “It’s honourable and surreal.”
