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Partnering to Shine-Up the Shrine
Partnering to Shine-Up the Shrine

The sun was shining on a beautiful Wednesday in May as a group of Waypoint clients and staff volunteered to Shine-Up the Shrine!

Working alongside staff from the Martyrs’ Shrine, the group raked leaves and cleared debris to prepare for the seasonal opening of the sacred grounds, making way for the more than 120,000 visitors expected to walk through the gates this summer. 

The clients and staff who volunteered were all part of Waypoint’s Rehabilitation Services. Working in partnership, Waypoint offers services to both patients in hospital and those living in the community. The goal is to increase independence, promote wellness, develop a sense of meaning, and help clients attain personal goals as part of their recovery journey.

Shine-Up the Shrine
Staff and clients from Waypoint's Rehabilitation Services with
Martyrs' Shrine Assistant Director John Zurakowski

“Recovery means different things to different people,” says John Rodnick, Rehabilitation Services Supervisor. “But it often includes reintegration in the community, whether through community groups, volunteerism or employment.”

Waypoint’s employment specialists advocate for their clients and seek out opportunities, all while educating local employers about what it means to partner with the hospital and the benefits to be gained by employing affected individuals and supporting them with their recovery goals.

“As a Catholic hospital, one of our strategic goals is to seek out partnerships that align with our mission and vision of changing lives through the advancement and delivery of compassionate care,” says Carol Lambie, Waypoint President and CEO. “Partnering with the Martyrs’ Shrine is a great fit.”

“At Martyrs’ Shrine, we strive to create a peace-filled, beautiful, and healing place for the thousands of pilgrims who come each year to build upon their personal relationships with God. This is a mission we, in many ways, share with the Waypoint community,” says Father Michael Knox S.J., Martyrs’ Shrine Director. “For that reason, it is with great joy that we can, together, collaborate in a common vision rooted in the desire to help every person find wholeness. The Jesuit Fathers are very grateful to God for the Waypoint Community and, moreover, keen to find many more ways that we can work together for the good of all.”

While the “Shine-Up the Shrine” event itself was a success, additional prospects for our clients at the Martyrs'’ Shrine are also becoming available. These include opportunities in the gift shop, office administration, the grounds cleaning crew along with the potential to participate in the construction of a community garden next spring.

The Shrine’s compassion and kindness has opened new doors for clients to connect with their community and actively participate in their own recovery. “We are pleased and honoured to work alongside the Martyrs Shrine and its staff and look forward to continuing to grow and improve our relationship with the Shrine and hope it will flourish for years to come,” says Lambie.