A small group gathered today (Dec. 16) to recognize and support our newest Guardian Angel. Hospital President and CEO, Mary Wilson Trider, and OBS Manager, Lynn Heath, presented Jodi Lee, the Team Lead on OBS, with a Guardian Angel Pin on behalf of an anonymous but very thankful donor.
Mary said she had received a very touching letter from a patient who had experienced very difficult circumstances but received tremendous kindness from all the OBS staff. The donor was very grateful for the skilled and compassionate care that everyone but especially Jodi provided to both her husband and her. They wanted Jodi to know how much they appreciated everything she did.
Congrats Jodi and the OBS team!
It’s precisely to address this confusion that the AGH FVM Foundation and Almonte Legion produced a fun little video called: Catch the Ace Almonte – Everything you need to know.
The video, which features the voice talents of Almonte’s Noreen Young and Stephen Brathwaite, helps simplify what Catch (or sometimes called Chase) the Ace is and how it works, both for the players and the charities.
We tried to produce something short and fun,” said Al Roberts, Managing Director of the Foundation, “because we continue to hear that some people are not playing because it just sounds too complicated. Noreen and Stephen agreed to help out which gave it a real nice Almonte touch.”
The more people that play, the better for the two charities. Our first round raised over $45,000 and the big winner won over $58,000. So far this second round has been running for 12 weeks. The progressive jackpot currently sits at over $12,000.
Tickets are available online at www.catchtheacealmonte.ca
Lottery license #RAF1216249
Donating To Charity In Your Will – How To Change Your World And Make A Difference
Donating to charity in your will is an action that can make a tremendous difference to your community and the world. But often, people don’t take action even though they can have a significant impact on their own lives and the lives of others.
Why is that? What are the barriers to taking action?
When we look around, we see so many problems that could use our help. This can be discouraging and overwhelming, leading us to give up the idea and do nothing for many reasons.
The Challenge With Donating In Your Will
To begin with, we may not know where to start. We look around and see the need to help families with challenging disabilities, refugees who are new to our country, cancer patients and their families who need coaching, Alzheimer’s patients who need to remain independent as long as possible, teenagers experiencing mental health challenges, young students in disadvantaged neighbourhoods who need access to school supplies and sports equipment, community hospitals badly in need of equipment, and so many other worthwhile causes. How do we choose between them?
We may also assume that this is the job of the charitable sector. But the truth is that many charities are suffering due to a reduction in donor support while the demand for their services has been increasing. So it is up to us to take action and make a difference in the world.
As Gandhi said, “For things to change, first I must change.” We all need to have hope and believe that we can make a difference – but it takes a great deal of courage to have hope.
So, where do we start? Can we inspire hope within ourselves and others?
I believe we can! The more I learn and interact with charities, their donors, and our clients, the more I see the powerful impact of donating in wills, and the more I want to get involved.
I’ve learned firsthand that engaging in this process ultimately changes me, my mindset, and my perspective in positive ways. The more I open up the discussion with my clients and ask specific questions from an appreciative inquiry point of view, the more I see increased gifts in wills and the awareness of and desire to impact the world and the lives of others.
Beginning our transformation to change the world is a great starting point; however, we have also found that many people get stopped in their desire to give back by some genuine and complex challenges and barriers.
We believe that together we can overcome these hurdles.
To begin, we often ask our clients, “who and what has made a difference in your life and how did they make a difference?” This leads us to hear stores such as these:
“Ronald Mcdonald House provided us with a comforting place to stay while our newborn child received life-saving surgery at CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) in Ottawa”.
“The YMCA of Eastern Ontario provided our disabled child with the support and resources to compete in the Special Olympics, which gave them a reason to feel proud.
“Donations made to The Almonte Hospital and Fairview Manor provided the medical emergency equipment used to diagnose our acute condition so that the treatment could save our lives.”
“The March of Dimes provided our disabled child with the support they needed to be and work as independently as possible.”
“Friends of the Earth Canada is helping to protect our environment, and our biodiversity needs to thrive and survive on our beautiful planet.”
These stories provide us with inspiration and hope, which is a great place to begin when thinking about leaving a gift in your will. But we need to go further and address the major challenges and problems people face when thinking about their legacy.
If you’re interested in learning more about the issues many people face when thinking about donating in their will (and some solutions!) I invite you to read the full article here: https://bettyannehoward.com/donating-to-charity-in-your-will-5-ways-to-change-your-world-and-make-a-difference/
As we begin to explore further and develop our legacy values and the corresponding impact we want to have, we experience pleasure in knowing our lives have had significant meaning. What that meaning ultimately becomes for you is a very personal journey.
We know and understand that money is a tool that we can use to enhance our own lives, the lives of others and use it to build a world we can all be proud of. Donating a gift in your will is a part of that journey.
_____________________________
Betty-Anne Howard
M.S.W., B.A. (Hon.), CLU, CHS, CEA, Certified Financial Planner, Master Financial Advisor, Philanthropy
Betty-Anne Howard is an award-winning Financial Planner, Author and Speaker who specializes in helping women make their dreams a reality through financial literacy and charitable giving. Betty-Anne’s goal is to raise an additional 50M for charities in her lifetime.
PRESENTING PARTNER
ENTERTAINMENT PARTNER
DINNER PARTNER
The past two years have presented many challenges… so we’ve turned them into exciting opportunities that will continue to support patient and resident care at our hospital and manor.
AGH FVM Foundation is excited to present our 2nd Evening at Home Gala, a fundraiser that features sumptuous food prepared by Almonte’s finest Bouffage Kitchen on Saturday, November 20, 2021 beginning at 6 p.m.
Only 150 tickets are available. Tickets are $150 per person. Charitable tax receipt of $75.00 per ticket.
For more information please contact Louise Beckinsale, 613-882-2358 or email becki9lou@gmail.com
We are so thankful to our 2021 Virtual Gala prize donors for making the evening extra special. We are thrilled to announce the following attendees won the incredible prize baskets:
Earl Carr — Dairy Distillery prize
Lyman Gardiner — Patrice’s Independent Grocer prize
Tom Campbell — Levi Home Hardware prize
Gudrun Boyce — Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Basket