Shop to support hospitals and health care facilities

By Sue Tiffin

While we might feel fatigue about so many of our events, meetings, holidays and other ways of connecting being held online, a new virtual offering allows us to give back to the community in support of the Haliburton Hospital auxiliary and Minden Health Care auxiliary fundraising efforts in a way that many have been missing.

Shop to Give, a section on the recently updated Haliburton Highlands Health Services website, features a variety of selections from the Minden and Haliburton hospital gift shops – which have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the temporary closure of the vibrant gift shops, many of the other usual community-spirited fundraising efforts of the auxiliaries – teas and dinners, bake sales and tag days, theatre performances and bowlathons – have not been able to take place due to public health restrictions in place since March 2020.

“It’s a great way to shop, and ‘give gifts that give back,’ with all funds supporting health care in our community,” said Lisa Tompkins, executive director, Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation.

The Shop to Give section currently features items including special limited edition ‘bear friends’ from the HHHS stuffed animal program, books, teapots, mugs, genuine leather and vegan leather handbags and jewellery.

Purchases can either be picked up through a curbside option, shipped to any location, or delivered straight to patients at the hospital or residents of Highland Wood or Hyland Crest long-term care facilities.

Visit www.hhhs.ca/foundation/shop for more information or to browse the shop.