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little boy in hospital bed

We're helping make MUHC hospitals a little more welcoming and comfortable for everyone.

Let's be honest...whether you've come to the hospital to receive treatment or sit with a loved one, your visit isn't always expected and, unfortunately, not always welcome. We get it, and we're all about easing the experience and offering a helping hand where it counts.

New 2024 logo

PO Box 23008 Vendôme, Montreal, QC H4A 3V4

Charity Registration No: 810067173 RR 0001

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All about us Incorporated in 2014, the Friends of the MUHC is a registered charity supporting the McGill University Health Centre network...and even though we can’t change the reason someone comes to the hospital, we can make many things easier and thoughtfully less stressful.
We look to help wherever we can, by doing things that
we know make a real difference. It could be purchasing a specialized piece of equipment or providing a hospital-wide

in-patient service...all contributing to a more friendly
and calming environment. 
Our Board of Directors volunteer their time and expertise to bring the Friends’ plans to life. There is such a great camaraderie that it never seems too hard to juggle other commitments to find the time it takes to get everything done. Like they say, where there’s
a will there’s a way.

All About Us
JoAnne Booth

JoAnne Booth
Member At Large

I love getting to work with a great team of people who are as passionate about the MUHC as I am. I so enjoy organizing events and playing an active role in bringing our community and hospital together.

Julianne Brock

Julianne Brock
Member At Large

My grandmother founded the

Heart Pillow Project at the MUHC and it’s an honour to follow in her footsteps. I'm excited to contribute my marketing and brand development experience towards such an important cause.

Ea Dawson

Anthea Dawson
Member At Large

With three very active kids and an accident prone husband,
the MUHC has always played
a very important role in our lives.
I am so happy to now be involved with the Friends
to help in any way I can.

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Deborah Faessler
Member At Large

I am a recently retired ballet teacher,  and having seen first hand the exemplary care given to family members at the MUHC,  I am delighted to help the dynamic Friends in
any way I can.

Julie Hooton

Julie Hooton
Member At Large

I'm a get-involved hands-on person so the Friends' approach to volunteering for the MUHC community is right in my lane.

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Laura MacFarlane
President

Having spent 20 odd years out of the rat race being a full-time mum,
I was very happy to dust off my 
marketing skills and put them to good use
for the Friends.

Angela Mora

Angela Mora
Heart Pillow Program

After an exciting international career in PR and logistics in many countries, I am very happy to have the chance to combine my job as a busy mom of two with putting my business skills to work for the Friends.

Joanne MacPhail

Joanne MacPhail
Glen Tours

I retired from the MUHC after 45 years, and chaired the closing celebrations of the Royal Victoria.
I now organize and give tours
of the Glen, an amazing,

state-of-the-art hospital.

Ana Maria Plata

In the midst of bringing up three little ones, I am happy to put my business and financial skills at the service of such
a beautiful cause.

Ana Maria Plata
Assistant Treasurer

Lori Spence

Lori Spence
Treasurer

 I am very pleased to be able to use my professional accounting background to help improve the experience of patients at the MUHC, and the dedicated health care professionals that provide such excellent care.

Gillian Robertson

Gillian Robertson
Secretary

I'm a former software developer turned stay-at-home mum, and
I enjoy giving my time
to worthwhile causes
like the Friends.

Mary Spencer

Mary Spencer
Vice President

I'm a big fan of our beautiful new hospital and my advertising
and graphic design background
is a fun way 
for me
to pitch in.

The Game Plan

THE GAME PLAN We know that being flexible and staying open-minded about how we respond to calls for help brings us the best results. It also means that our

game plan does tend to be subject to change!
So it's a good idea to check back on a regular basis to see where the action is...

OPERATION
WINTERIZE

The Friends supported
Social Services at MUHC hospitals and purchased the coats, boots and other winter wear that so many adult patients need when they leave the hospital.
Our generous community donors agreed with us that everyone deserves a warm and cozy winter!

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THE GREAT
COFFEE GIVEAWAy

A past Giving Tuesday initiative, saw us

run a $20 for 20 coffee breaks
fundraising campaign to treat our hardworking nursing teams and patient attendants to free coffee or tea during their shift in January. It seemed our generous community had other ideas, and after we matched every dollar donated, we ended up with a total of close to $20,000 to spend. So our kickstart to the year was still being
enjoyed six months later by many
more staff than we ever imagined!

Coffee Cup

comfort
cart

The name says it all.
We make a daily visit to a patient’s bedside to say hello and see if there’s anything they need to make their stay a little easier.
At any time we have up to fifty welcoming and useful items available: from personal hygiene products to make patients feel a little more like themselves...to playing cards, magazines and headphones
to help pass the time.
And everything we stock is
complimentary: nothing to pay for and
one less thing to worry about. 

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friends
cookie Crew

It doesn’t take much to show someone they're appreciated: a simple ‘thank you’ and a big smile works wonders. That got us thinking and gave us the idea for the Friends’ Cookie Crew: building fun pop-up stations in high-traffic
areas 
at the Montreal Children's,

the Royal Victoria and the Montreal General

and surprising our hard-working hospital staff

with over 5000 freshly baked cookies.

Chocolate Heart

student
training & education 
program (step)

This is a great program aimed at high school and CEGEP students, and provides them with
a unique chance to explore different career opportunities in healthcare. Chosen applicants
volunteer in their assigned hospital once a week and attend career seminars. Doctors, surgeons and nurses are among the speakers, as well as key personnel from other fields such as dentistry, research, physiotherapy and pharmacy. Also offered is a trauma center tour and a simulation workshop, giving students unique opportunities to see the healthcare system firsthand. 

Tree

ENCHANTÉ
STAFF CHOIR

We're very lucky to have our own
choir at the MUHC and these gifted
songbirds are either members of
staff or hospital volunteers.
They tell us it feeds a really important creative need and helps melt the stresses of the day away. That gets our vote.

 

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THE HEART PILLOW PROgram

An important part of the recovery process for heart surgery patients is clearing their airways by actively coughing or sneezing which can be painful. When we first came across the Heart Pillow Project we saw it as great fit for us and jumped at the chance to get involved. They’re designed in the shape of a heart, and meant to be held over the incision site to take the brunt of the force. And they work. Patients take their pillows home to continue to help
with their recovery.

painted heart

THE RBC
ART and HERITAGE centre

Over the years, we've forged a very special bond with the team at the RBC Centre. We've found them event stewards, invited project donations through our website...and showcased their extraordinary work in a
Giving Tuesday zoom lecture entitled 

How Art Helps Us Heal. 
To enjoy this recorded event yourself
please click here.
 

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Our Impact

our impact

Quite simply, we buy critical inventory and fund essential programs and services for staff and patients across all MUHC locations. With no staff costs to cover and minimal overhead expenses, we use 100% of your donation, in addition to our own, to make every dollar work harder. To date these
have included:

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