Matching grant could lead to $400K donation
JARVIS/HALDIMAND—The Lions clubs of District A-2 are working toward a major fundraising goal that could see $400,000 directed to the new Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice, set to begin construction just outside Jarvis this summer.
The district, which includes 45 Lions clubs from Tillsonburg to Niagara Falls, is applying for a Lions Club International Foundation matching grant. If approved, the grant would match up to $200,000 raised locally, effectively doubling the impact of community fundraising efforts.
Lion Bob Townsend of the Simcoe Lynn Valley Lions Club, a past District Governor for District A-2, said the matching grant model allows clubs to support projects that are beyond their ability to tackle alone.
“There’s a hospice being built outside of Jarvis, and the Jarvis Lions and the Waterford Lions were talking to each other and said, we should do this matching grant,” Townsend said of how this plan began. “It’s a tool you can use through the Lions Clubs International Foundation for projects that maybe one or two Lions Clubs can’t do by themselves.”
At present, residents of Norfolk and Haldimand counties must leave the region to access residential hospice care in cities like Brantford or Hamilton. The new facility is intended to allow patients and families to remain closer to home during end-of-life care.
Under the proposed grant, funds would be used to purchase five state-of-the-art hospital beds, related patient room equipment, and essential infrastructure for the hospice.
Townsend said those items were selected to meet both the hospice’s needs and the foundation’s funding guidelines.
To secure the matching funds, District A-2 must raise $200,000 locally. Townsend said more than $100,000 has already been pledged by Lions clubs across the district, placing the campaign roughly halfway to its goal.
“Norfolk and Haldimand are right in the middle of our district, so a lot of Lions members embrace this project as something worthwhile for the community,” said Townsend.
The fundraising effort was launched by the Jarvis and Waterford Lions Clubs, with all clubs in the district invited to participate through donations and community fundraising events.
Interest has extended beyond the immediate area, with clubs from surrounding communities also taking part.
Townsend said the application is expected to be approved at a district cabinet meeting later this month.
If successful, the district would have up to one year to complete its fundraising, though he hopes to finish much sooner.
“We’ve pretty well got the pledges,” Townsend said. “My goal is to hopefully finish by June.”
June is the anticipated date for the start of construction on the hospice facility.
District A-2 has previously used Lions Clubs International Foundation grants to support large-scale community projects, including a $75,000 contribution toward a Teen Zone at the McMaster Hospital Oncology Clinic and $30,000 for furniture at the Riversyde Food Hub in Simcoe.
Townsend said the matching grant approach maximizes the value of every local donation.
“If a Lions Club contributes $1,000, it’s almost like $2,000,” he said. “You’re doubling your money with this matching grant.”
Residents wanting to support the fundraising effort should keep an eye out for local Lions events or contact their local club.
