July 2, 2025

Supporting Comfort and Care—One Grant at a Time 

Every year, our Foundation invites hospital departments and units to apply for grants of up to $5,000 from our Patient Comfort & Kindness Fund. These grants are designed to make a meaningful difference in the patient experience by providing funding for small, thoughtful enhancements to our units and care programs that fall outside the scope of government funding but have a big impact on the comfort and care we provide. 

Last year, thanks to the generosity of our donors, hospital staff, and a remarkable anonymous contributor known as The Ever Hopeful Fund, our Foundation provided 71 grants to bring comfort and kindness to patients across 65 different programs and departments at our Hospital. 

This year, The Ever Hopeful Fund has once again stepped forward with a generous gift of $225,000, allowing us to extend comfort, compassion, and kindness to even more patients and families within our hospital. All campuses, units, departments and satellite or off-site programs at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton are eligible to apply for a Patient Comfort & Kindness Grant, but remember, applications close on Friday, August 8, 2025! 

Want to Learn About What Our Patient Comfort and Kindness Grants Can Help Our Care Teams Do? Here are two great stories from our 2024 grant recipients. 

A Growing Hobby in our Acute Mental Health Unit  

Through the Patient Comfort and Kindness Fund, the Acute Mental Health Recreation Therapy team was awarded $2,900 to initiate a therapeutic horticulture program. With the funds, they created a green space to grow an array of herbs, vegetables, and plants. The team was also able to restock their kitchen with cooking and baking equipment so patients can safely create meals and snacks, often incorporating fresh produce they’ve grown themselves. Staff have shared that the program has provided meaningful leisure engagement for patients, and that they have received positive feedback on how the plants have brought brightness and life to the recreation room. 

Now We’re Talking! Translated Therapy Resources for OSP West Clients 

Last year, the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy West (OSP West) team received a Patient Comfort and Kindness Grant of $5,000 to purchase translated therapy manuals and CBT worksheets for their non-English speaking clients. The resources are purchased as needed, and over time they plan to build a comprehensive library. Staff shared that these materials have empowered clients to practice the skills they are taught in session with greater comfort and ease. It also offers them the chance to explore additional psychotherapy resources outside of their sessions to reinforce key concepts, explain skills with diagrams, and provide culturally relevant examples. The funding provided through the Patient Comfort and Kindness Grant is making sure that every client of OSP West can access care in the language that’s most comfortable for them.