Graham Makes it Happen for Hospice Calgary
The new Hospice Calgary Counselling and Education Centre emanates warmth and welcome to each hurting individual or family who step through its doors. With the expertise, labour and resources of Graham, the former law office was transformed into a peaceful centre filled with play therapy spaces, counselling rooms, multi-purpose facilities and administration offices for the Calgary charity. It opened in September 2009.
Sarah Walker, Hospice Calgary Executive Director, said that just two years previously she only dreamed that such a facility was possible. At that time, the Centre was located in a congested office building downtown." The lease was coming up and that prompted our Board of Directors to find us a permanent home," said Walker. Calgary donors, businesses and the Alberta government gave generously. Within a year, Hospice Calgary had raised sufficient funds to purchase a building in southeast Calgary.
Jeff Vallis, the co-chair of the Holding Hands, Healing Hearts Community Campaign, approached Bill Flaig, Graham's president and CEO, and presented the opportunity for Graham to be involved. Flaig and the team at Graham responded eagerly.
Hospice Calgary took possession of its new building on February 27, 2009. The following Monday, Graham began the refit, which included tearing down walls, creating new spaces, installing carpet and flooring, and outfitting washrooms and a kitchen. Graham and 30 sub-trades together donated more than 1300 volunteer hours and over $150,000 worth of materials.
Soon after the new centre's opening, the sound of children laughing could be heard as they crafted memory candles to honour a parent or sibling who had died. One mother remarked: "Being here, with others who have undergone similar circumstances, has helped my daughter realize that what she's going through is normal and she's not alone."
