With the holiday season here, our teams are finding many ways to bring smiles to people in the hospital and in the community. From participating in Niagara Health Foundation’s Celebration of Lights and Niagara Health’s United Way Workplace Campaign, to donating to holiday food and toy drives, our teams are finding ways to make the holiday season a little brighter for our patients, residents and community members.
The holidays bring about opportunities to spread kindness across our sites and beyond our hospital walls. Here are some of the ways our team members are spreading kindness this holiday season:
Niagara Health Foundation's Celebration of Lights
NH team members are celebrating the season and giving to others by donating to the Celebration of Lights. Read a heartwarming letter from Katrina, the mother of Leo who was born at our St. Catharines Site in 2018. Leo was born with a heart defect, which left Katrina and her family to spend two weeks in the Special Care Nursery. Katrina is thankful for the care Leo received at Niagara Health and is inspiring others to give this holiday season. Read Leo's story.
Niagara Health's United Way Workplace Campaign
Niagara Health’s 2020 United Way Workplace Campaign raised a record amount of $82,806 through employee giving for community organizations in need. Staff and physicians across all sites could be seen wearing red and blue “A Healthier Niagara Starts Here” T-shirts, which were the highlight of the campaign. United Way invests in more than 100 programs and special initiatives to help the most vulnerable people in our community. NH team members could also direct their donation to Niagara Health Foundation to support the purchase of much-needed hospital equipment right here in our organization.
Holiday Food and Toy Drives
Niagara Health team members across all of our sites are generously donating toys, non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items in support of Community Care, Open Arms Mission and Hope Centre and Project Share. Hundreds of donated items have been collected across our sites and will be delivered to families in need throughout the holiday season.
Candy Cane Tree of Wishes
Ever year our Extended Care Unit and Interim Long-Term Care Unit team has had a tradition of decorating a tree with candy canes. Each candy cane has a wish card attached, noting a personal wish that each resident has for the holidays. Anyone can take a candy cane wish from the tree and purchase the item requested. On Christmas Day, Niagara Health’s Recreation Therapy team brings everyone together for a festive celebration and visit from Santa who fulfills their wishes as he delivers presents to the residents.
