Baycrest

RE Straight talk Entering this season, I look around and see preparations being made for Passover. While this is a time of deep, personal holiday observance, I remember the ethical and cultural values of Baycrest's Judaic heritage that also compel us to help others in need. And Baycrest, your vital community institution for seniors care and research, is now in need. "... specialized care comes at a price..." As you've read on the cover of this newsletter, Baycrest has a yearly $12,000 gap in funding per resident. And we've launched our Annual Campaign with a goal of eliminating crucial funding shortfalls. Only through donor support can we maintain the exceptional level of care the community has come to rightfully expect from us. Anyone who has spent time here can attest that Baycrest is second-to-none when it comes to caring for- and engaging its residents with prized value-added services. "Consider how Baycrest has touched the life of someone..." Again, this specialized care comes at a price; one that can only be paid with the help of our friends and supporters – people like you. As you read about giving in the stories that follow, I ask you to please support us now. A gift to Baycrest today is your pledge to future generations. Consider how Baycrest has touched the life of someone you know and help others by making your donation to our Annual Campaign today at Baycrest.org/rethink. I encourage you to reach out and let me know your thoughts. Email me directly at gfoster@baycrest.org, visit the Foundation website Baycrest.org/give, or find us on your favourite social media channel. Thank you for your support. I look forward to hearing from you. Chag sameach, Garry Foster President & CEO, Baycrest Foundation You make Passover possible at Baycrest Passover at Baycrest is a time of warmth and community building, as residents gather together to celebrate with prayer, song and feasting. It is their time to reconnect with fond memories of the enticing aromas of wonderful meals of Seders past with family and close friends. "Because of donors like you... residents, their families and friends can freely express themselves and rejoice in their Jewish identity..." For some, there is also sadness, remembering loved ones lost in the Holocaust and a way of life forever gone. Yet happy memories are made at Baycrest, even if they are sometimes only fleeting. For those with memory impairments, the feelings of joy, connectedness and belonging made here last with them beyond the moment of the Seder. Because of donors like you, a warm, safe environment is created here, where residents, their families and friends can freely express themselves and rejoice in their Jewish identity, without fear of reprisal from the nightmares of the past that may haunt them. When I see family members come to visit, I witness a time of special connection as they rejoice together with their loved ones at Baycrest and witness the care with which we attend to the spiritual and religious needs of our clientele. Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Haber Director, Spiritual Care Culture, Arts & Innovation Dept. Baycrest (pictured above) Baycrest residents light the traditional festive candles for the Jewish holy days. Garry Foster THINKING BRAIN

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