DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard
SCUGOG: Oak Ridges Hospice of Durham continues to make progress on what will be called the Morgan and Sidhu House. “We’re really pleased to say we have in fact reached our construction capital campaign goal of $8.6 million, which allows us to complete the building,” hospice executive director Brent Farr told The Standard. “We expect to finish construction by the end of December.” The local hospice organization has recently launched a new campaign, looking to raise $500,000 to purchase furniture and equipment for the hospice. “It’s called ‘Opening the doors for compassionate care’,” Mr. Farr said. “We’re excited to announce an anonymous donor from the local area has pledged to match dollar for dollar every donation made up to $175,000. So that’s absolutely great.” The new Port Perry hospice, to be located near the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, will be named after project donors Kevin Morgan and Dave Sidhu. “They both have been very generous donors to us. It’s been absolutely great,” Mr. Farr stated. Oak Ridges Hospice also recently announced they’d agreed to have Saint Elizabeth Healthcare provide PSW and nursing staff for the facility. “It’s been in the works for some time. There’s been a great deal of planning that has gone into all aspects of getting [the] Oak Ridges Hospice building up and constructed, and to look into partnerships within the community to make sure we are capable to be up and running by this spring,” Mr. Farr said. Mr. Farr explained the current COVID-19 pandemic will “certainly impact some of the protocols, safety protocols, and some of the ways [they] utilize volunteers initially” when they open the facility. “We feel very confident we can move ahead and still meet our timeline of opening our doors for our residents by this spring. We’re still shooting for [a] March or April [opening date],” he said.