With another holiday season comes another chance to remember loved ones meaningfully.
For almost 15 years, Carman Palliative Care has hosted its memory tree fundraiser at Christmas. The evergreen is up at Access Credit Union and is ready to be adorned with angels.
Each paper angel on the memory tree has the name of someone being remembered. To participate, people have to make a donation to Carman Palliative Care, write the name of the loved one they want to remember and hang it on the tree for all to see. Gifts of $20 or more will get a tax receipt from the organization.
“It gives loved ones, family, and friends the opportunity to celebrate their loved one that’s passed,” said Sandy Cameron of the organization.
Everything can be done at Access Credit Union. People can make their donations, write and hang up their angels, and remember their loved ones.
Money raised from the memory tree goes back into Carman Palliative Care and the cost of continuing their programming. The organization offers help and respite for patients and their families in hospital settings and their homes. Part of their programming is giving baskets to families of those in palliative care with everything they should need for their hospital stay and upkeeping the palliative care rooms.
Money from the memory tree also goes toward purchasing new equipment to provide comfort and care for people. They’ve purchased special beds that prevent bed sores and skin breakdowns, chairs, a portable ultrasound machine, and more.
According to the federal government, 58 percent of Canadians who died in 2021-2022 received palliative care, up from 52 percent in 2016-2017. Of those who received some form of palliative care, 61 percent received it in-hospital, and 36 percent received it at home.
This fundraiser is one of Carman Palliative Care’s most important ones. The organization runs strictly off donated dollars, so it helps to set them up for the year ahead. The memory tree fundraiser raises money and helps those dealing with loss to honour their loved ones. For anyone experiencing grief, Cameron suggests going to www.mygrief.ca for help in dealing with the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. The memory tree will be up into the new year, so people can get their angels up until then.
Carman Palliative Care is celebrating 30 years of the program in Carman in October 2025.
