The Refuge is a place where ordinary people come together in a beautiful, natural setting for respite and support.
Throughout the course of your stay you'll have a chance to experience the extraordinary through the people you'll meet, the new things you'll try and by coming in contact with something infinitely larger than yourself.
• Our new Youth-Senior Gift Exchange program offers an opportunity to foster meaningful connections between seniors and young volunteers in Hastings County. Volunteers aged 16-35 engage with seniors in their community, providing practical assistance, personal companionship, and documenting their life stories. By forging inter-generational bonds, the program aims to alleviate isolation among seniors, while offering valuable learning experiences for both generations. Volunteers gain essential skills, create lasting memories, and contribute to a more compassionate and engaged community, fostering empathy and respect across generations:
– if you would like to ‘make a difference’ in people’s lives, we’re looking for volunteer coordinators for our ground-breaking seniors’ programs
• Our new Project Anna and Simeon begins this fall:
– November 6, 6:30–8:30 p.m., a guest speaker followed by discussion and compline, on the current legislation and social implications regarding ‘MAiD’ in Canada; this will be held at 155 Broadview Avenue in Toronto
– November 20, 5:00–8:30 p.m., mini-retreat for those grieving a personal loss through MAiD; supper will be provided, followed by a guest speaker, shared reflection, and memorial service; please register in advance, info@stmarysrefuge.org or 613-473-2679; free of charge; good-will offerings can receive a tax receipt; if you would like to come but need overnight accommodations, please contact us
– offered in collaboration with St. John the Compassionate Mission, Compassionate Community Care, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, and St. Mary’s Refuge
– these events replace our originally-planned May 25 retreat
• The extraordinary beauty, respite, and support above sound great, but what really happens at St. Mary’s Refuge? For a glimpse, have a look at our new videos: “All About the Refuge” and “The Refuge – A Place For Seniors”.
• The St. Mary’s Refuge cookbook:
One of the important tasks for all Refuge programs is making sure there’s good-tasting nutritious food for hungry participants. Many who have volunteered their time and skill to cook and contribute for the Refuge have supplied their recipes.
The cookbook makes a good gift. Our Refuge is Cooking goes for $25 (no HST, but shipping extra). Contact us to order.