After this week’s unusually cold weather, there are a lot of heroes that deserve praise for going beyond the call of duty. Frontline staff in hospitals and first responders, as well as the municipal staff who maintain our roads come to mind. But it is the staff who work in our long-term care, assisted living and independent living sites – in addition to home support workers out in the community and braving the snowy conditions – that we would like to recognize as well.

Whether you are a care aide or nurse, a cook preparing meals, housekeeping staff or a maintenance worker, we owe you our gratitude for taking care of our elderly loved ones.

There are so many stories we hear about that indicate the dedication and compassion people working in the seniors living and wellness sector exhibit every day. When the going gets tough as it has this week, it is remarkable how many great people step up.

At the Menno Place campus of care, it was a struggle for many to navigate the treacherous roadways to get into work. Abbotsford, like so many Fraser Valley communities, bore the brunt of the blizzard conditions.

Karen Baillie, CEO at Menno Place and BCCPA past president, described how her staff went the extra mile.

“Bas, my Maintenance Manager and his staff member, not only came in before the highway was closed,” says Karen, “but stayed overnight last night here in Abbotsford in a hotel and cleared our whole campus of snow. Also, our Manager of Dining Experience came in before the highway closed to make sure we could run our 5 kitchens. What a wonderful team we have!”

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This Christmas, the staff of Menno Home received this beautiful message from the family of Gian Maestri. It is a reminder of what makes our work in long term care so precious! This meaningful note inspires us all to work with an even greater sense of purpose. 

 

To the staff of Menno Home,

This past year has been one of acceptance for our family. The reality of our dad’s condition has always been there, but never has it been more real for us than at this present moment.

This journey has been one of a thousand tears, a thousand questions and a thousand goodbyes. We’ve met some extraordinary people and seemingly in the same breath, had to say goodbye to them. The privilege of walking the last steps of their journey was all ours. Their legacies will live on in our memories.

Who knows how much time we have left with our dad. No doubt the final goodbye will be the hardest one yet. But knowing that he is in the hands of the most loving and devoted care staff makes this process just a little bit easier. Because the reality is that you not only care for the residents, but you also take care of us – the family members.

Your smiles, warm hugs and love have meant the difference between falling on our knees in despair, and rising up in hope of a better day. You carry us, even on the days when I’m sure it’s a struggle to keep yourselves standing. But you do it any.

We are so blessed to know each of you. Your selfless love makes this place home to us. To whatever the future holds for us, we look forward to walking it hand-in-hand with you.

With sincere love & gratitude,

Alex, Leah, Cris & Family*

 

 

*This message has been published with the family’s permission 

Thank you to Rhonda, a staff member at Menno Place for heading up the Domestic Violence Awareness campaign during the month of November. Rhonda made hundreds of purple heart broaches for staff to purchase with the funds going to Victim Services in Abbotsford. The campaign raised $160 by staff and Menno Place matched the amount so that $320 was raised in total. Thank you to our staff for supporting such a worthwhile event.