Hospice of Waterloo Region

06/04/2026

In June we celebrate Pride Month! This picture features staff and a volunteer who attended a Pride themed gameshow that our EDI Committee hosted last June.

Hospice Waterloo Region considers itself a Positive Space and an ally to the 2SLGBTQ+ community. This speaks to the deep philosophy of hospice palliative care, where every single individual deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and care as they navigate life, illness, caregiving and bereavement. Education is important, so we make sure every staff member and volunteer completes Rainbow Diversity Training. We also have consulted heavily with Spectrum to ensure our processes, materials, forms are all using inclusive language. Our work is not done, and we are truly committed to continuing our work and efforts of building a truly positive space for all individuals in our care and in our community.

05/29/2026

What a privilege to be part of The Governer General’s Canadian 🍁Leadership Conference Ontario study group today. It was lovely to meet engaging people from across Canada -🇨🇦. It was an opportunity to share the importance of hospice care needs across Canada.

05/29/2026

Congratulations Judy!

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Judy Nairn ✨

A lifelong resident of Waterloo Region, Judy Nairn has over 35 years of experience in the non-profit and business sectors. Since 2012, she has served as Executive Director of Hospice Waterloo Region. Learn more about Judy at womenoftheyear.ca/recipients

🏆 Award proudly sponsored by Schlegel Villages

05/28/2026

Our residence enjoyed these beautiful cupcakes made by one of our amazing volunteers. The love was felt on this beautiful spring day.

05/26/2026

Save the Date for the Dragonfly Open, Hospice Waterloo Region's first annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser! ⛳☀️

The Dragonfly Open is Hospice Waterloo Region’s newest signature golf event, honouring the journeys of individuals and families touched by grief, caregiving, and end of life. Building on the legacy of Bereaved Families of Ontario’s long-standing tournament, this event brings our communities together on the fairway to support compassionate care, healing, and hope.

If you are interested in receiving updates about the Dragonfly Open, please fill out the form linked below:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Rw8_PeNft02NxJsYJJT3c8CnLAOpMfNGmjmy6z1mxA5URVZYRTk2MFVRTDhHMFpNTjNOWEJQRTYxOS4u

05/25/2026

We are incredibly proud to share that Judy Nairn, Executive Director of Hospice Waterloo Region, has been named the recipient of this year’s Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Women of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.
This award recognizes a woman who has made an exceptional contribution to the development and future of Waterloo Region over the course of 35+ years—and Judy is truly deserving of this honour.
Since joining Hospice Waterloo Region in 2012, Judy has guided the organization through tremendous growth and transformation—from a community hospice to the opening of The Gies Family Centre, a welcoming space that supports individuals and families through illness, grief, and bereavement, and home to the 11-bed Cook Family Residence.
Judy’s leadership, vision, and compassion have helped shape a community where people and families feel supported through every step of the end-of-life journey—from diagnosis, to caregiving, to grief and bereavement.
We are deeply grateful for Judy’s dedication, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to compassionate care.
Please join us in congratulating Judy on this remarkable and well-deserved recognition. 💙

05/22/2026

Did you know all of our programs and services are available at no charge in Cambridge as well?

At our office in the Langs Hub this we have:

➡️Day Away program
➡️Peer grief groups
➡️Complementary therapies
➡️Individual counselling

We also provide the following services throughout the community in Cambridge:

➡️Palliative and bereavement navigation support
➡️Virtual counselling
➡️Memory and keepsake projects
➡️Transportation to our programs
➡️Hair salon services
➡️Individual volunteer visiting

If you or someone you know would be interested in or supported by these programs, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 519-743-4114.

05/22/2026

Thank you to the May Court Club of Kitchener-Waterloo for their donation this year to help with our children’s bereavement programming. We are most grateful! May Court Club KW

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

We are thrilled to share that the Garden Team raised an incredible $3,568 - our most successful plant sale ever!

A huge thank you to the Garden Team for running the best perennial plant sale we have ever had! This event helps fund everything the Garden Team does, and we are so grateful for all the time, energy, and care that volunteers put into making it such a success.

A special shout out to the Friday crew and everyone else who pitched in behind the scenes throughout the week. From splitting plants and collecting donations to organizing and setup, your extra hours and hard work truly showed.

And finally, thank you to everyone who came out to help with the sale. We had an amazing turnout, lots of happy customers, and great conversations with people wanting to learn more about our services, support the Hospice through donations, and of course find new treasures for their gardens.