Making Space for Care

A community call to support the future of long-term care at Bennett Village 

By Erin Kelly

As the Director of Development at Bennett Village, my responsibilities are to raise money and oversee communications, including brand awareness.

Currently, we are involved in a new project to build a long-term care home in Halton Hills. What’s exciting is the provincial government funding will cover a portion, and Bennett Village is responsible for the remaining 15% of the build’s cost. That means we will be going out into the community and asking for support in various ways.

I’ve been doing fundraising for a long time, and it’s important to me that I’m now back in my own community doing this work. On a personal level, I’m at a stage in life with where I have ageing parents, so this theme of elder care is very top of mind. It should be for our community as well thinking about the support we need as our parents and grandparents age.

What I love most about Bennett Village is our residents. They are wonderful people. I also love witnessing the interaction between our care staff and residents. For example, our PSWs and RNs offer incredible care. They are truly saints and angels. For me, it’s very fulfilling to be part of a bigger project: building a better and larger home for our residents.

I love being in this space, talking with residents, and seeing the work our staff do every day. I would like to see more awareness in the community about what Bennett Village is all about and what we do. We are the only not-for-profit long-term care home in Halton Hills, and our vision of building a true village for seniors is important to us. 

For context, we currently have a waitlist of over 300 people. That means many seniors must go elsewhere for care, often outside their community. We need to do better for our seniors and for families. Right now, Bennett Village has 66 long-term care beds. This new project will increase that to 192 beds, allowing us to expand our services significantly. 

The most obvious: we need to break ground. That is the next big step, and ideally will take place during late spring of 2027. I want to see the community get behind this project. We are looking for leadership-level philanthropic gifts and people who are willing to step forward to help set the stage for this campaign would be an incredible asset.

Bennett Village consistently leads in Ontario in terms of care levels. We surpass the standard for one-on-one interaction, and we are one of the only long-term care homes in the province doing that. I believe we need to be champions of our own work and let the community know that we provide excellent care with exceptional staff. My hope is that this inspires people to support us.

I want to see that continue in the new expansion.

We are currently recruiting a board member and building a campaign cabinet. These are volunteer roles. We also have ongoing volunteer opportunities within the home for people to engage with residents.

More broadly, we need the community to get behind this project on few levels: through volunteering, participating in events, and donating. We also need to bring seniors and their care back to the forefront. It can be very overwhelming for families caring for ageing parents. It is often isolating, especially when balancing work, children, and caregiving responsibilities. Expanding our home and finding support through our local community events, service clubs, church groups, and any way people can contribute, will help relieve some of that pressure.

If all this were to occur as hoped, it would mean better support for seniors and their families, and more opportunities for connection. For example, intergenerational engagement is a big part of that. We already see it through volunteers who come in to lead activities, such as the local children’s choir performance, which was a big hit with our residents.

The reality is, many residents have family who live far away, so these moments of connection are meaningful. In the new home, we will expand these opportunities. The building will have multiple gathering spaces, including shared areas and smaller spaces within each level, allowing for more activities and interaction. Community involvement will continue to be essential. It doesn’t end once the building is complete, it will be ongoing. We already have volunteers who bring music, performances, and activities. That kind of engagement will continue to grow.

Story curated by Phillip McAllister

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This post is part of a larger CDH Member Story Project. The intent is to share the depth of our non-profit sector, name how community can support and imagine together what is possible through the non-profit sector to ensure Halton is a health, inclusive and resilient place to live.

Are you a CDH member and want to let your story to the project. You can get started HERE.