build it and they will come! - Sorrentino`s Compassion House

SPRING
2014
COMPASSION
CONNECTION
build it and they will come!
Sorrentino’s Compassion House Opens its New Doors
That same leap of faith was taken by more
recent boards. Launching a $5 million
campaign to more than double the size and
capacity of the current house takes careful
planning and conviction.
Our Growing Compassion campaign was
a great success, meeting our $5 million
fundraising goal. The lead gift of $1 million
from the Anne & Eldon Foote Fund at
the Edmonton Community Foundation
demonstrated the amazing spirit of generosity
that we would realize throughout the
campaign.
Build it and they will come! We found this
t-shirt when we moved out of Sorrentino’s
Compassion House for the renovation. Our
founding board took a leap of faith in 1998.
They had a vision and a group of people who
weren’t afraid to work hard to make it become
a reality. They built and the women came.
We built again and they came! Reopening
to guests in early September, we were
overwhelmed by how two vacant lots, a vision,
and a lot of hard work could transform our
original house into such a welcoming,
modern space.
Thanks to all the donors large and small and to
our Growing Compassion campaign team who
helped us build this special place for women
fighting breast cancer. We appreciate and
welcome your continued support to operate
the house.
We hope you will join us for the grand opening
of the new Sorrentino’s Compassion House on
May 25, 2014.
Janet M. Riopel, Board President
Mellissa Kraft, Executive Director
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AVON GIVES GUESTS A LIFT
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COMFORTS OF HOME
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THE COMFORT OF COMMUNITY
4
A HAVEN OF HEALING
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avon gives guests a lift
As a longstanding partner of the Compassion
House Foundation, Avon Canada has always
been there to help out. But even we were
humbled when Avon made a gift of $200,000.
but a way to get around town. In addition to
donating $100,000 to name a guest suite, Avon
donated another $100,000 to purchase and
operate a van for guests to access services or
attend outings in the community.
“The fight against
breast cancer is one
we take to heart.”
Petra Smoley, an Avon District Manager
in Edmonton, is no stranger to both our
organization and the larger fight against cancer.
“I have been a District Manager with Avon for 26
“The fight against breast cancer is one we take
to heart,” said Elizabeth Munro, Manager,
Public Relations & Communications for Avon
Canada. “Through our network of District
Sales Managers and Representatives, we’ve
made it our philanthropic mission to raise
funds and awareness for the cause. In today’s
tough economic times, it’s more important
than ever to support and recognize the
integral role that charities, like Sorrentino’s
Compassion House, play within the
community.”
As the house expanded from six to 14 guest
suites, Avon wanted to ensure guests not only
had a comfortable place during treatment,
years and I have seen firsthand the dedication
of our Avon Representatives to the Breast
Cancer Crusade,” says Petra. “I am so proud
of them for supporting the cause. We have
all been affected by cancer in some way. Yes
we have made a difference and yes we will
continue to do so. I take great pride in my
work with Sorrentino’s Compassion House
and I look forward to welcoming guests in the
new Avon Canada suite.”
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comforts of home
Generous donation from
Regional Municipality of
Wood Buffalo reflects a
culture of caring.
For many of the women who travel to
Edmonton for breast cancer treatment, it
can be overwhelming to leave friends and
family behind.
When the Regional Municipality of Wood
Buffalo heard that Sorrentino’s Compassion
House was being forced to turn women
away due to space, it was only natural they
stepped up with a $100,000 donation to
help fund the expansion.
“Unfortunately breast cancer touches both
our community and our corporate family
far too often,” says Heather Evasiuk, a
community services manager for Wood
Buffalo. “The stress of leaving your home,
the financial pressures, the lack of support
– it all takes an incredible toll on families.”
Since first opening its doors in 2002,
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Sorrentino’s Compassion House has provided
a haven to hundreds of women from Fort
McMurray and across northern Alberta. The
Growing Compassion campaign to more than
double the capacity of the house ensured that
guests now have ample room to bring a friend,
a sister or a husband along for comfort
and support.
“... we just hope they
find strength and
comfort from knowing
just how much their
community cares.”
“Our community has grown very quickly. We
are a vibrant region but we’ve never lost those
small town values of helping your neighbors
when they are in need,” Evasiuk explains. “We
hope that having a new guest suite named for
the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
reminds women that we are right there with
them during their difficult journey.”
Evasiuk points out that Sorrentino’s
Compassion House provides so much more
than accommodations, it’s all about providing
quality of life to focus your strength on the
cancer fight. When guests first walk through
the doors, jaws tend to drop at the warmth,
comfort and space that surrounds them. That
intangible feel of the house - like a luxurious
hotel suite with the unmistakable comfort of
home - brings out the emotions. Uncertainty
seems to melt into relief once you drop your
bags and stretch out on a beautiful big bed.
“These women arrive tired. They are
exhausted, not just from the trip, but from
the journey. If we can be there and make a
difference, we just hope they find strength and
comfort from knowing just how much their
community cares.”
the comfort of community
Cenovus Energy serves up a
$250,000 donation that hits
the heart of the home.
The warmth of the oven, the rattle of the coffee
pot, conversations between family and friends these are the things that bring us together
in Alberta.
So when it came time to expand the capacity of
Sorrentino’s Compassion House, our friends
at Cenovus Energy knew this was more than a
community investment strategy. It was about
supporting the strong women who are integral
to community life. Cenovus wanted to ensure
these women have the comforts of home during
their stay at the house.
Choosing to direct their donation towards a
beautiful new coffee bar and dining area
aligned perfectly with what the company
stands for. The kitchen area at Sorrentino’s
Compassion House has always been the place
where guests gather to share meals and gather
strength. It’s where they share their stories
and form friendships that last a lifetime. Now
that the kitchen extends into a comfortable
area where women can gather with a cup of tea
or coffee and socialize.
“We’re extremely pleased to commit
$250,000 to help further the excellent work of
Sorrentino’s Compassion House in Edmonton,
which supports hundreds of women,” said
Jennifer Pendura, Cenovus Group Lead,
Community Investment. “It is important to us
to know we are contributing to the well-being
of women around Alberta while they are
receiving treatment, which of course is a very
difficult time.”
Being able to build this comfortable shared
space in the house reflects the strong
Cenovus belief in the value of community
above all else. Cenovus is investing in
programs that strengthen the safety and wellbeing of communities as well as supporting
programs that improve quality of life.
Cenovus takes the time to listen to what our
communities really need and then finds a way
to support those initiatives both financially
and through volunteering.
“We want the communities where we live and
operate to be better off because Cenovus is
there,” Pendura said. “Our contribution, along
with many other organizations, combine to
achieve this goal.”
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the new sorrentino’s
compassion house:
a haven of healing
We had a vision. We had skilled planners, committed contractors and
interior designers working hand in hand to make the expansion a reality.
We are grateful to our construction committee who met bi-weekly at
the construction site (the garage) to keep the project on track. With
representatives from our general contractor Cormode & Dickson, our
architect Stantec, many of the trades and Compassion House Foundation
board members, it was very rewarding to watch the house take shape in
front of our eyes. We could not have accomplished our goals without all
the hard working trades and the in-kind support we received from local
contractors.
At 16,665 square feet, a perfect balance of space to socialize and the
privacy to rest and refocus is created. The house features 14 private
rooms (all with ensuites) and beautiful common areas, like a state-ofthe-art kitchen, wellness room, home theatre and laundry facilities. Two
barrier-free suites and an elevator make the house even more accessible
to our diverse guests.
And as we celebrated the progress of construction (but before the
flooring went on) we invited some former guests to write messages of
hope and inspiration to future guests on the floors. Staying within these
walls changes our guests, and before we started this new chapter we
wanted to celebrate the stories of survival and sisterhood.
GUEST REFLECTIONS
THIRD PARTY FUNDRAISERS
Thank you to the following groups for hosting fundraisers to support
Sorrentino’s Compassion House: Sorrentino’s Garlic Month; Second Cup,
Cup of Compassion; Kinette Club of Lac La Biche 5 km breast cancer walk;
Edmonton Oil Kings Pink at the Rink and the annual Golf Tournament in
Woking, AB.
If you would like to host an event or raise funds for Compassion House
Foundation, please call our office 780-425-7224.
OCTOBER 30, 2014
The fashion event of the year.
fashioncompassion.ca
pres ent ed b y
NEW LOOK - TWICE THE
REASON TO CELEBRATE
Compassion House Foundation and Sorrentino’s Compassion House
have a new visual identity. Our new visual identity reflects powerful
connections, forward movement and a new energy for the future.
The design of our new logo is an amulet—a symbol of strength and
protection. The amulet’s interlocking lines visually convey comfort and
security, and the center space forms the shape of a house. The colour
palette aims to capture the warm and inviting nature of Compassion
House Foundation and Sorrentino’s Compassion House.
It is an exciting time and we hope you enjoy our new look and brand as
much as we do! Check out our new website: compassionhouse.org.
VOLUNTEER WITH US!
We are always recruiting friendly volunteers to support programming,
help out at events or spend time visiting with our guests. If you are
interested in volunteering at Sorrentino’s Compassion House, contact
Anika at 780-784-3223.
join us at our
community open house
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
CUP OF COMPASSION 2014
Friday, May 23 (at participating Second Cup locations)
GRAND OPENING OF SORRENTINO’S COMPASSION HOUSE
Sunday, May 25, 2 - 6 p.m.
May 25
GRAND OPENING – OPEN HOUSE
The paint was barely dry when we welcomed our first guests within our
new walls. But just because we hurried to get back in the business of
providing a haven to women visiting Edmonton for cancer treatment
doesn’t mean we forgot about the party.
Come celebrate with us on Sunday, May 25, 2014 from 2 - 6 p.m. at
10909 - 76 Avenue, Edmonton.
Join us for a tour of the house, chat with a guest and visit the market in
the alley behind the house.
WOKING GOLF TOURNAMENT
August 16, 2014, Chinook Valley Golf Course
FASHION WITH COMPASSION
October 30, 2014 – lunch and dinner
Sorrentino’s
Compassion House
@yegsch
10909-76 Ave.
Edmonton, AB T6G 0J6
compassionhouse.org
780-425-7224