As I begin my second year as Chair of St. Joseph's Foundation, I have been thinking about what makes this role so meaningful to me.

I am a Board member and Chair, but I am also a donor. I support St. Joseph's Foundation for the same reason so many people in our community do: I believe everyone deserves to receive care with dignity, compassion and respect.

Our role as a Foundation is to inspire generosity and connect that generosity with opportunities to strengthen the exceptional care provided every day by St. Joseph's Care Group.

When you look through our latest Impact Report, you see what that partnership makes possible.

Sometimes impact is a piece of equipment that helps a care team provide safer, more effective care. Donor support helped provide new vital signs monitors, a bariatric stretcher, equipment for rehabilitation and wound care, and other important tools. It also helped transform the Palliative Care Spa Room into a warm and calming space where people can experience comfort, dignity and precious time with those they love.

But impact isn't always something you can measure in dollars or equipment.

It can be a handmade quilt. A garden. An art program. A Christmas gift for someone who may otherwise have spent the season without one. More than 580 clients received gifts during the holiday season because people in our community wanted them to know they were remembered and cared about.

Those moments remind me that philanthropy is ultimately about people.

As a Board, we have an important responsibility to ensure St. Joseph's Foundation remains a strong and trusted philanthropic partner to St. Joseph's Care Group. As we look ahead, we are committed to listening, learning and identifying opportunities where generosity can have the greatest impact while respecting what matters to our donors.

We are also fortunate to live in a community that cares deeply. Individuals, families, businesses, service clubs and community groups continue to find their own ways to support care. Community-led events and projects have created new opportunities for people to come together and strengthen care close to home.

As both a donor and Chair, I am proud to be part of that community.

To everyone who has made a gift, volunteered, attended an event, purchased a ticket, shared our story or simply taken the time to learn more about the work of St. Joseph's Care Group - thank you.

You are part of what makes compassionate care possible.