Dear friend of Menno Place,

In this season of gratitude we thank God as we
reflect on our past year and prepare for all that He has in store for more than 700 seniors, their families and the staff of Menno Place.

Thank you for your generosity in time and spirit! In the past year, there were many expressions of kindness and care  – with more than 10,000 hours of volunteer time logged by those who support this very special work!

Thank you for your generosity in
donations! 

In 2016, we received donations from residents and families that enabled us to purchase all that we dreamed of last Christmas! —A brand new bus! A putting green garden and a duet bicycle to ride residents around Mill Lake Park. We are humbled… and grateful. All will be available summer 2017!

Thank you to all who dream that the senior years and end-of-life can be a time of love, joy, peace and hope.

As we enter 2017, we continue to dream… of ways that we can make life wonderful for seniors who are in need of support, who are living with dementia or who are in their final weeks and days.

In 2017, we are dreaming of sleeping chairs that will enable family members to spend the night with their loved one while keeping vigil during the last days and hours of life.  We will replace our old beds with  comfortable places to sit with loved ones. We are dedicated to fostering the most comfortable and meaningful time at end-of-life.

In 2017, we are dreaming of mobile computer carts that will give us the opportunity to bring computer fun to residents. Our recreation teams would love to engage our residents in brain games, Facebook, reminiscing and other wonderful activities.

Seniors are eager to learn computer skills and would love to have the opportunity to learn, connect, engage and have fun through mobile computer carts. We are dreaming of 20 mobile computer carts!

In 2017, we are dreaming of adding more benches to our beautiful gardens. We have 12 benches donated on behalf of a family member. These are beautiful places for our residents and their family members to sit and enjoy nature and each other. We are dreaming of 12 more benches to enhance the Menno Place campus.

And we continue to dream of the opportunity to build a new residential care home at Menno Place. We ask you to dream and pray with us that we would be entrusted with the privilege of honouring seniors in Abbotsford in a beautifully designed new home. We continue to work with Fraser Health to make this dream a reality.

With these dreams in our minds and our hearts, we thank God for all that He has done in 2016. We are grateful for the 600 staff who serve our seniors with joy, diligence, kindness and excellence.

We are grateful for all who participate in the spiritual care of our seniors—from choirs, to church services, to chaplaincy visits to prayer.

We are grateful for the community of Abbotsford who is dedicated to creating an age-friendly city—and for inviting us into the process.

We are grateful for the church communities who surround Menno Place with love, prayer and partnership. It was the heartfelt compassion of church members who founded Menno Place in 1953. We continue to see the same love and compassion poured out across this campus by faithful church communities who love and serve selflessly.

We are grateful for you!  We thank you that you are a part of the wonderful team that has created a vibrant community of compassionate Christian care.

Sincerely,

Gerd Bartel, Board Chair

Karen L. Baillie, CEO