On October 20, 2020, the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller presented a cheque to Paul Pallan the Chair of the Board of Victoria Hospice for $60,000 bringing the total 8 year contribution for hospice counselling services to $430,000.
Maria Dominelli, Victoria Commander of the Sovereign Order of St John said: “Our 8 year funding commitment has provided Victoria Hospice with funds to engage counsellors in thousands of cases and to reach out to our most vulnerable citizens.”
The grant funded the Community Counsellor position in a unique program allowing Victoria Hospice to expand its existing community counselling services to serve people of all ages who are:, elderly and living at risk, lacking financial security and living in poverty, living with multiple health issues at the end of their lives, including mental health, addictions and a variety of physical co-morbidities, experience situational hardship such as lack of resources and access to services, absence of housing and appropriate health care, and generally experiencing circumstances disenfranchised and isolated leading to marginalization, need and poverty.
“The ongoing support of the Sovereign Order of St. John and its members is tremendously heartening and greatly needed,” said Victoria Hospice Society Board Chair Paul Pallan. “We are so grateful for this very significant contribution which has allowed us to provide compassionate end-of-life care for all.”
Over the 8 years thousands of counselling sessions, telephone calls, volunteer consults and professional face to face sessions have eased the burden for marginalized people in our community.
Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller is an international organization founded over 900 years ago as a society that raises money for charitable donations to aid the sick and the poor. The Victoria Commandery, now 63 members strong, was founded in 1996 and quietly provides donations annually.