The Bridge Hospice
137 Old Hastings Rd E K0K 3K0 Trent Hills, ON, Canada

Anyone else facing domestic obstacles to frequent hand-washing? (Photo courtesy Dr. Rana Awdish)

The Bridge Hospice staff & volunteers pay tribute to these individuals through the month of January, and send love & care to those who mourn them.

For anyone interested in reading Amanda Gorman's thrilling inaugural poem, here's a transcript: https://thehill.com//535052-read-transcript-of-amanda-gorm

Posting this not to scare monger -- just a reminder to us all to avoid large social gatherings, wear our masks, maintain physical distancing, and stay home if we're feeling unwell. Worth the short-term sacrifice -- no one wants their special event memorialized this way. "Aug 7 2020. A wedding reception with 55 persons in a rural Maine town led to COVID-19 outbreaks in the local community, as well as at a long-term care facility and a correctional facility in other counties. Overall, 177 COVID-19 cases were linked to the event, including 7 hospitalizations and 7 deaths (4 in hospitalized persons). Investigation revealed noncompliance with Centre for Disease Control’s recommended mitigation measures."

Reminder: Anyone in Ontario can call 211 for FREE to access community services including emergency food supports, mental health supports, housing & financial supports, and COVID-19 info. 211 is confidential, and the best place to start with simple or complex needs. Contact 211 Ontario by: calling 2-1-1 texting 21166 chatting http://211Ontario.ca.chat emailing: [email protected] Let's look out for each other & pass this along to anyone who's struggling.

Last call for donations to 2020 Challenger DENNIS GEBHARDT & Schoolhouse Gardens who vowed to move 20+20 heavy patio slabs into place. "I got very inspired when I had to be creative with the placement of the patio slabs, which are square and needed to be set on a curve in the walkway. My solution was to place them on an angle, which gives a wonderful design. THANK YOU to all my donors for my 2020 Challenge. 2 more days to donate: https://www.canadahelps.org//TBH/page/schoolhouse-gardens/

Today, as Ontario moves numerous public health regions into greater restrictions, HKPR, Peterborough and Hastings Prince Edward Counties remain in the Prevent (Green) category the broadest allowance of activities. There are still limits though, and here they are: GENERAL PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES (GATHERINGS, WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS & FACE COVERINGS) Limit for events and social gatherings (for example, barbeques): o 10 people indoors o 25 people outdoors...Continue reading

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." In memory of many. In honour of all. Thank you.

2020 Challenger & our Board Chair DAVE BURNHAM (shown wrangling rubber ducks, not retrieving golf balls!) went for 72 holes of golf in a single outing & lived to tell the tale. "Thanks for those who supported my Golf Challenge. My goal is to ensure that The Bridge Hospice is available for you and your family, as it was for mine. Believe me when I say that you will be pleased that the hospice is in good shape, and there for you, and your family, when the unfortunate inevitably... occurs. I would gladly play 72 holes of golf every day if it meant ensuring that The Bridge Hospice is available to offer its wonderful and compassionate care for our families in need. I'll have to check with John at the golf course about that one.) Thanks for your support of The Bridge Hospice." 3 more days to donate to Dave's Challenge: https://www.canadahelps.org//pa/marathon-golf-for-hospice/ See more

Updated Swiss cheese/pandemic graphic by Dr. MacKay: It reorganizes slices into personal & shared responsibilities. Think of this in terms of all the slices rather than any single layer being most important.

2020 Challenger LYDIA GRENON -- sheer guts & commitment whether in the Yukon wildwaters & back country or paddling through local locks. She's inspirational & we're so grateful to her -- as she is to her supporters (4 more days to donate!). Read her tale: "Some of my challenges I surely would have turned around or stopped, had it not been for the end goal of completing all 20 for the Hospice. Even though they got hard, I still loved doing them. I did have to stop short a coupl...e times, but did my best to make up the difference. When the waves got too rough and we had to take the boats out for the season, the extra 30km I canoed made up for that the 9km we were short... and when I was running out of daylight and my swimming companion and I feeling nearly hypothermic... we got out of the water after only doing 20km between the two of us. I aim to complete a full 20km of my own in one trip next summer, and I biked an extra 40km which should help make up for that... I really just ran out of swimming weather and time - had to work too much! "If you are wondering, my final 5 were: rollerblading, kayaking, walking with my on-call radio (patrolling we could call it), jogging (that was hard, I almost got frost bite! It was something like minus 12, after a snowfall, into the dark of the evening, on a dirt road in the woods where there had been a Grizzy tracks a few kilometers away the day before!) and lastly, touring a real Yukon gold cache on 4 wheeler. I actually totally forgot that I had done that one back in August. I was disappointed not to find quite enough snow to ski or snowshoe in. I didn't have the time off work to get away into the alpine where there is an abundance of snow currently! But I will do that next month. Though I'm proud of my achievements, most of all I am so impressed with the response from my friends and family - so many generous donations were given to support the hospice, and so many kind words of encouragement, thank you so much. If you haven't had the chance to give yet, I challenge you; if I can give 400+km, (plus the saddle sores, wetsuit abrasions, sore achy muscles, and tube-lash from the tube ride!), what will you give?" https://www.canadahelps.org//lydias-2020-travelling-chall/ See more

Apologies for foggy image -- click to expand.

LAST WEEK TO DONATE TO THE 2020 CHALLENGE! Here are 2 of our hospice heroes who’ve kept each other company during the pandemic. NAN & DAVE MACDOUGALL each took up Challenges. Nan baked & baked & baked some more, writing: I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people who sponsored my Challenge. Twenty dozen muffins was quite a lot of baking, but I enjoyed doing it and was very pleased with the money it raised for The Bridge Hospice. Meanwhile Dave went toonie! Every day of the 2-month Challenge, he deposited a virtual twoonie into his virtual piggy bank, donating $200. While their Challenges are done, there’s still time to support their efforts: Nan’s donation page: https://www.canadahelps.org///page/nans-muffin-fundraiser/ Dave’s donation page: https://www.canadahelps.org//TBH202/page/david-macdougall/

Appreciation for the excellent quality & service by everyone working at our local restaurants & cafes (and for dropping goodies at the hospice!) You've fed & cared for us while tackling undreamt-of challenges & high stress every day. Thank you. For the rest of us, let's keep patronizing these wonderful folks as often as we can. (The late Anthony Bourdain below)

All the travel guides for 2020.

2020 Challenger CAROL CURRELLY BURNHAM. Woah, these Challenges are not for the faint of heart! Read Carol's tale: "Thank you so very much for your support with my 20K kayak it was a grueller! Gusts of 38k and whitecaps over my bow in one bay, so I chose a quieter, but still turbulent bay and did a 7Km loop 3x with 3 major downpours. I will tell you that it was a tough physical challenge I was gritting my teeth and certainly using my entire body to get any forward m...ovement. I was so glad for all of those years of Dragon Boat training they sure paid off! I was very relieved to complete the task almost emotional. I figure that it was my Woman against the Elements Event LOL. Dave was with me all the way 2 legs single in a canoe and the other leg in our motor boat I was very grateful to have him with me, cheering me on! The hospice is still striving to meet the $40,000 goal but I am thrilled to have exceeded my personal goal! And so very grateful for friends like YOU!" To donate to Carol’s Challenge: https://www.canadahelps.org/.../carols-calamatous-kayak/ See more

As of Oct 22...

2020 Challengers Dean & Lynda: Founding Father & Visionary for The Bridgestill supporting hospice (and very fit!) after all these years. They send this message: "A massive THANK YOU to all of our contributors. It made the pedalling (sort of ) easier to know that you were behind us!" Just 8 more days to support D&L's Challenge: https://www.canadahelps.org//the-happ/captain/dean-peters/

4 THINGS THAT MATTER MOST When time is running out, matters of the heart can weigh heavy, especially old rifts, hurts & unstated feelings. We yearn for healing of relationships and of internal battles too. Where to begin? Dr. Ira Byock has laid out a path of 4 short statements that offer resolution & soul’s rest. Words to share regardless of which side of the bedrail we’re on. Not everyone is granted time at end of life to share these declarations. Ten words that are powerful medicine at any stage in life.