By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—It takes a team of highly passionate, qualified volunteers to run the Dunnville Hospital & Healthcare Foundation (DHHF). Karen Tilstra fits that description to a tee.
“My parents moved to Dunnville after they were married in 1961. My mother was a nurse at the hospital between having children until she retired. Me and my siblings were all born in the Dunnville hospital. My children were also born in the Dunnville hospital,” explained Tilstra on her connection to Haldimand War Memorial Hospital.
Tilstra, along with her husband Ted, and his brother and family, raised her children on a dairy farm near Canborough. Even before volunteering, she believed strongly in supporting local health care, making financial contributions and getting involved in a series of “Save our Hospital” rallies in the 1990s.
“It is important to have this hospital here in Dunnville supporting local and guest residents,” said Tilstra, who has now held many different positions with DHHF over a long tenure.
She recalled her first time getting involved, in 2013, walking in a 25 km Hospital Walk fundraiser, now known as the Henriette McMichen Memorial Stride and Ride: “The organization of it, the feeling of community, was inspirational.”
She hasn’t missed a walk since, and she also participates regularly in DHHF’s charity golf tournaments, with this year’s scheduled for August 26.
“I was privileged to be board chair during the ‘Every Moment Counts’ campaign to raise $3 million for the hospital to build an emergency department. It was the largest campaign ever to support the hospital,” said Tilstra. “It was a lot of fun and showed the community support for the hospital. Every time the community comes through, it gives me the energy to move on to the next fundraising venture to assist the hospital and makes me want to participate in the events.”
She called her time with the Foundation fulfilling and expressed thanks to the board member who initially recruited her for having “confidence that I would be a good board member and add value to the organization.”
“It’s good to go where your passion is,” said Tilstra. “Your passion may or may not be health care, but if your passion is marketing, promotion, events, finance, etc., you can ensure the hospital has current equipment and infrastructure to serve future generations of this community.”
Tilstra encourages others in the community to consider volunteering, calling it a great opportunity to “add direct value to the community you live in.”
She urged community members to consider donating: “Those funds go to the hospital to fund most needed equipment. Keeping equipment up to date is vital in today’s health system. Having it here in Dunnville means way less travel to cities to have tests.”
She touched on the various rewards that come from her involvement: “There are so many. The people I’ve met, worked with, both Foundation board members, Foundation staff, and those I’ve met at events and on the street that know I’m involved. The strength and growth in the organization that I’ve witnessed over the last nine years. It is a top-notch organization with great staff members. They care.”
She concluded, “It is very rewarding to use the gifts that God gave me to assist this community in having a great hospital. If you feel that way too, please send the foundation an email and we will get you into the board member application process. Currently we are looking for people with background in finance, marketing, and governance.”
