COCHRANE NOW – Written by Noel Edey Friday, Oct 22 2021, 10:00 AM
The Cochrane Lions Club has made a $2,000 donation to the spiritual care program of Bethany Cochrane to assist with the emotional and mental well-being of its residents.
“The Cochrane Lions Club is proud to be a supporter of the spiritual care program at Bethany Cochrane,” says Mark Demeo, the club’s community relations director. “The program truly supports the residents and their families, along with the wonderful employees that work at the facility.”
Diana Kashuba. director of development of the Bethany Care Foundation, says donations like this help enhance the quality of life for their 116 seniors living in long-term care and supportive living, as well as their employees.
“It’s through community support that we received from organizations like the Cochrane Lions that we’re able to do programs or be able to provide a home-like environment in our common spaces,” she says.
“Our seniors are truly grateful, especially in these times, to be uplifted and remembered by the community.”
She says the pandemic has presented new challenges.
“Our spiritual care practitioner is so great at drawing out people’s strengths and providing calm in a time of challenge. In providing that still presence, she supports them with experiences that they might be trying to process, the grief of the loss of time with family members being one of them.
“With her ability to help through this program to draw out those strengths, we’re also drawing out Bethany’s strengths now and beyond the pandemic.”
Bethany Cochrane site administrator Monica Johnson praises the Lions Club for their contribution.
“It’s always so wonderful to be connected to our community, and donations like this have such a big impact. It helps us to maintain some normalcy and allow us to make sure residents have the supports that they need for mental and emotional health.”
Both say community support has been phenomenal throughout the pandemic, and that they continue to look for ways to engage the community, both through activities and financial donations.
Bethany Cochrane welcomes inquiries from Cochrane residents about available volunteer opportunities.
