Prince George, B.C. – “Raising awareness.”

That’s what Donna Flood, the executive director of the Prince George Hospice Society, says has been the biggest challenge in the new role she took over January 1 this year.

“The biggest challenge for us is the awareness that we are a charity that relies on the donations of the community in order to keep our doors open,” she says. “That we are partially funded by Northern Health but we really need to have community donations.”

Donna Flood – photo submitted

Flood notes “less than half of our operational budget is through Northern Health,” and that “we have to raise well over $1 million a year to support our existence.”

On a typical day she says that still includes letting people know what they do, what the needs are, and even what the community wants.

“What do they want for end of life care? Are we looking at people wanting it in their homes, what can we do to support that or is it providing and expanding the care that we do over in the hospice house?”

In a bid to continue the work they do, she says they are “looking at ways to be the charity of choice, either through straight donations, bequeaths, and legacy.”

Flood isn’t sure area residents realize how fortunate Prince George is to even have a hospice house (with 10 beds).

“I would say maybe 25% of communities in B.C. have this service. A lot have hospice societies, but not very many have stand alone, independent hospice care. So we’re really lucky to have this.”

Aside from the financial challenges, she says getting people to discuss death can be a challenge in itself.

“A death denying culture is what we are, but unfortunately it’s going to happen to all of us.”