This past 20 months have seen many challenges and changes for all of us! I am happy to say that we are able
to have our Celebrate a Life display and memorial trees at the Super 8 and Black Rooster this year starting
November 25th .

As an essential service, Castlegar Hospice has been in operation throughout the pandemic, adapting to the
regulations and developing cohesive safety plans to keep clients and workers safe. The need, especially for
grief support has skyrocketed. Although the need for our services rose, the minimal funding we receive from
the health authority did not increase and with limitations still on many fundraisers, we continue to struggle to
maintain the services we provide.

Celebrate A Life has been one on the society’s major fundraisers. Funds raised go towards providing
essential health services in the area of hospice palliative care for those living with a life-threatening
condition, support for families, grief and bereavement support, the professional training and on-going
education of volunteer support workers, community workshops and our continual work establishing a
regional hospice centre. Hospice services are available for 100% of the community and we are proud to also
be a mentor and leader for other hospices in our region. Hospice services are provided to clients and their
families at no cost.

In order to continue to provide and expand these essential services to fill the need in our community, we
depend on the generosity of our Community Partners. I would like to extend an invitation to you to become
or to continue to be one of the Hospice partners to help us carry on with our vision of “providing the best
hospice palliative care in the Kootenays and to be a powerful advocate of all hospice palliative care”.
Thank you for your time and support of the Castlegar Hospice Society.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families.
Suzanne Lehbauer
Executive Director