Story Type: Volunteer

The team at JBH was able to cauterize a vein in her nose, alleviating the issue and her grandmother regained her strength quickly.

“When we picked her up from the hospital, she was grinning ear to ear as she was so pleased a solution was found,” Maria said. “She went on to explain to us how much she really appreciated the kind and compassionate care of the staff, and she could tell from the staff’s eyes their help and concern for her wellbeing was genuine and compassionate which gave her great comfort.”

For Maria, her grandmother’s experience showed how important it is to have access to high quality care close to home and in the community.

“Being a resident of Burlington for over 10 years prior to being on the Foundation Board, I knew very little about JBH and felt foolish I didn’t know much,” she said. “It wasn’t until I had my grandmother frequented JBH did I have any experience at the hospital.”

Maria couldn’t stop thinking about the many generations within her own family where JBH would be the community hospital of choice in a time of need. She had a desire to learn more about our community hospital, have an opportunity to give back and support an organization that directly supports the fundraising initiatives of the hospital.

When a friend of Maria’s who was on the Foundation Board let her know they were looking for new members, specifically with an accounting background, she immediately put her name forward.

“I shared with her my grandmother’s experience and I would love to find a way to give back and express my gratitude to how she was cared for by JBH,” Maria said. “And six years later, my term is sadly coming to an end.”

During her term, Maria valued the opportunity to get to know the staff of the Foundation and Hospital.
They are dedicated and passionate individuals working in great collaboration as a team and with the Hospital to support fundraising for key priorities,” she said. “Being a Director offered a wonderful opportunity to learn firsthand from the Hospital Senior Leadership Team who are a group of passionate, responsive and strategic individuals truly committed to delivering excellence and the best healthcare for our community. “

In addition to her board work, Maria had to juggle a number of other responsibilities.

“My time on the Board would not have been possible without the understanding and support of my “village” – my employer RSR Global, my husband Pietro, and my close family friends who were flexible with their schedules to assist me in attending the committee meetings and Foundation events,” she said. “I truly love and appreciate each and every one of you!”

The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation would like to thank Maria, and all the volunteers who give their time generously in support of our hospital for making a difference for healthcare close to home.

In 2018, Barbara was considering retirement and was looking for something meaningful. Acquaintances who were on the Foundation Board at the time put her name forward. For Barbara, it fit her desire to give back and apply some of her professional knowledge and experience.

“I think that having a really good hospital in our community is important and this was a way to help in that cause,” she said. “It’s been an exciting time with the redevelopment and the progress that has continued since then.”

For Barbara, the importance of volunteering started at an early age.

“My father and older brother were both involved with boards and foundations, and my mother was a 30 year volunteer at McMaster Medical Centre,” she said. “I started volunteering when I was 15 and have always done volunteer work of some kind. It’s just part of the value system I grew up with and I believe that involvement in one’s community is important.”

But it is a juggling act. Barbara retired soon after joining the board, but had to juggle her active lifestyle and her responsibilities as Nana with her commitment, but she felt the Foundation was a good fit with her schedule.

“This has been the most efficient and effective board I’ve been associated with,” she said.

The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation would like to thank Barbara, and all the volunteers who give their time generously in support of our hospital for making a difference for healthcare close to home.

And like any volunteer activity, Jen had to find a balance between professional work responsibilities, family commitments and volunteer work on the Foundation board.

“It would not have worked without my supportive network of family and friends, as well as my workplace at BDO,” she said. “In addition, following through on and committing to my day to day schedule while mastering the art of prioritization helped me balance and succeed both personally and professionally in these roles.”

For Jen, being on the Foundation board for five years was a privilege and showed her how a committed group of individuals can have a big impact.

“I’ve worked alongside my fellow board members as well as the staff at JBHF, all of which I have immense respect for as they are truly passionate about making healthcare better,” she said. “My time on the board has been great and one that I embrace with gratitude. I wish everyone at JBHF continued success and I look forward to continuing in my next chapter of development.”

The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation would like to thank Jen, and all the volunteers who give their time generously in support of our hospital for making a difference for healthcare close to home.

“My family has always been supportive of my desire to give back to our community.” says Tracy, “Volunteering is truly a part of who I am.”

Tracy began volunteering at her children’s schools, creating and running multiple events to help bring the community together while raising funds.  It was at the Crystal Ball that Tracy was first introduced to the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation.

“I was approached by a Board member to consider joining the Foundation Board,” recalls Tracy.  “With my background in finance and my own personal commitment to making a difference, it felt like an opportunity for me to make a meaningful contribution to the community I now called, home.”

For Tracy, engaging with the broader community while helping to raise critical funds for her community hospital has made volunteering fulfilling.

“Being a part of the Foundation Board has allowed me to give thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff that work tirelessly to ensure we have exceptional healthcare delivered in our community,” says Tracy. “It has allowed me to meet and thank donors, both major donors and the children who set up a lemonade stand and let them know the impact they are making to healthcare in Burlington.”

Katie has volunteered with the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation Board of Directors since 2017 and is retiring from the board after six years of service. She has served on numerous committees and recently completed her second year as Vice-Chair.

She volunteered throughout her children’s school years – from fields trips, and class celebrations through speech judging, staff appreciation to major gala fundraising events – which she says kept her busy for almost two decades.

“Once my kids all graduated a dear friend introduced me to JBHF, and what a great fit,” Katie says. “I couldn’t think of a more important organization to which I should direct my energies. Healthcare is important to everyone.”

She is proud to have learned so much about the funding requirements of hospitals, how only the operations are funded by the province, all equipment needs to be paid for through fundraising.

For Katie and her family, Burlington has been home for over 25 years, with her youngest being born at JBH, as well as a few visits to the Emergency Department over the years. So getting involved in supporting healthcare close to home was an easy decision.

“Burlington is a great community to raise a family and it’s important for Burlington residents to be able to count on our local community hospital to provide excellent healthcare,” she says. “Through my time on the Foundation Board and hearing regularly from the senior leadership team I have total confidence our hospital provides excellent healthcare and will continue to do so moving forward.”

“JBH and Burlington have provided me with caring and supportive collaborators in demonstrating the kind of innovation that makes access to high quality care possible,” he says. “To me, volunteering is an essential part of that, and an essential part of each of us making our contribution to the world.  We are all at our best when we are giving – giving of our time, our energy, our expertise, and our other resources.”

For Dr. Selchen, his time on the board was a unique and extraordinary opportunity to both learn and share how essential the Foundation is to being able to provide the kind of care hospitals provide.

“Many people think that because we live in a country with a publically funded healthcare system, everything is simply provided for by government,” he says. “In fact, very little of the extraordinary care JBH provides could be possible without the generous and vigorous support of our community through the Foundation.”

For Dr. Selchen, volunteering with the Foundation has allowed him to lead by example, to participate in the giving, to work along side passionate and dedicated volunteers and supporters, to learn from the extraordinary Foundation staff and network of generous supporters, and to help realize our vision of access to high quality care.

And how does he balance his clinical, professional and family responsibilities with his time volunteering?

“Volunteering in this way hasn’t come at the expense of my professional responsibilities or family duties – it invigorates them both,” he says. “One of my fondest memories is standing in the rain with my three children, and thousands of members of our community, at a JBH Foundation event, all of us in orange ponchos, as we tried to set a record for the largest letter J made out of people.”

And for Dr. Fornasier, a big part of that is showcasing the Foundation and the role it plays back to the frontline workers in the hospital and in the community.

“I wanted to inform the community just how helpful their generosity and commitment is in terms of improving the quality of care that we can provide in the hospital,” he says. “My time on the Board and working with the Foundation team has been a wonderful, eye-opening and inspiring experience.”

Dr. Fornasier says he learned the true value in volunteering when he worked in the United States, where “it seemed like everyone did at least 3 or 4 volunteer jobs.” He says volunteering is very important to me because I feel like it is up to each of us to try to create a better hospital, a better community and a better world.

“What I saw in the US was a great spirit of volunteerism and people really wanting to make a difference in the community,” he says. “We’re so fortunate to live in this great country, it’s easy to give back…I consider it a duty and an honour.”

For Lori, volunteering with the Foundation has helped grow her appreciation for healthcare and healthcare workers.

“We take a lot of our healthcare system for granted because we’ve been told healthcare is provided to us, we don’t fully appreciate how much isn’t a given,” she said. “My time on the board really helped me understand that while our taxes go to provide a level of healthcare support, it isn’t enough. So much of what someone sees and experiences within the Hospital is a result of direct support to the Foundation.”

Lori is proud to live in Burlington and encourages everyone to consider their role in community building.

“We are fortunate enough to live in one of the top-rated cities in the country, and that doesn’t just happen,” she said. “We all have a responsibility to ensure future generations experience the same or better … and that doesn’t come from watching others.”

We recognize Lori and thank all the Foundation volunteers during National Volunteer Week.

During her time on the JBHF Board, Anna spent two years as Vice-Chair, and two years as Chair, driven by her belief in the power of community and our collective ability to lift each other up in meaningful ways.

During her time on the Board, Anna reflects on the impact of COVID-19 on hospitals, and the community.

“Covid hit us hard – we had to pivot on how we would connect with our donors, stakeholders, volunteers, and our new board members,” she said. “It was so great to see how the board and the community came together and I was so proud of the strength of our hospital and our front line health care team.”

For Anna, volunteering brings diverse people and communities together and encourages others to give back to JBH.

“It’s our community and it’s our hospital – we need to give back because when we need the hospital it will be there for us – so we need to be there for the hospital.”

We recognize Anna for her contributions and wish all our volunteers a very happy National Volunteer Week.

“I cannot be happier that I chose Joseph Brant Hospital and the Foundation Board as my avenue to try to give back and that they allowed me to be a part of it,” he said. “What an incredible community hospital Joseph Brant has become. It is the pride of our community and the envy of others and I will miss being a part of this incredible continuing transformation.”

Oran is also incredibly appreciative of the generous and ongoing support of all the Burlingtonians who have donated their time and money to make Joseph Brant what it is today. And he has a special message for the staff on the frontlines everyday.

“To the doctors and nurses, service staff and volunteers that pour their heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into providing exceptional care before and now during this pandemic at Joseph Brant Hospital, please know we all owe you a debt we may never be able to properly convey or repay.”