Turning $4000 into $50,000 to help feed people in the community.

A team of HHS Respiratory Therapists (RTs) parlayed $4,000 that they donated into a $50,000  fund to provide food for discharged patients.

The group raised $4,221 for Hospital 2 Home’s food division, during the period of June 12 – July 3. The H2H program offers many services, including providing nutritious meals for at-risk patients who have recently been discharged from the hospital.

The #HCWS4FOOD fundraiser was originally started by health care workers at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. They challenged health care workers at other Ontario hospitals to fundraise for local food programs in an effort to give back to communities affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Lori Reimer, a respiratory therapist at Hamilton General Hospital, saw the campaign on social media and suggested that HHS RTs participate. Her colleagues enthusiastically agreed.

From there, plans for the challenge quickly fell into place. With the support of the RT Professional Practice Council and H2H, HHS RTs raised the most out of the six health care centres that participated.

In addition to the $4,221 raised, a separate donation was made to H2H by an anonymous individual who learned of the HHS RT’s fundraiser. This additional donation bumped the total to a whopping $50,000.