THUNDER BAY – On Friday, Jane Somerton, an 85-year-old resident at Chartwell Thunder Bay retirement residence, described going on a three-week trip that was a dream come true thanks to the Chartwell Foundation.
Somerton travelled to the Netherlands to reunite with approximately 45 of her cousins.
She had not even met some of them yet, she said.
“This trip means the world to me,” Somerton said.
“I had cancelled my health insurance, and talked to my daughters who live in the United States. I told them I can’t visit you anymore.”
Somerton is the link to her family’s reunion. She said they want her to return in order to have another reunion in the future.
She was 14 when she left the Netherlands, and arrived in Nolalu. Somerton had not been back to the Netherlands since 2019.
“I have cancer, there were many complications. I couldn’t do much of anything,” she said.
“This foundation has made my dreams come true. It has really brought me back to life. That’s a big statement, but it’s true.”
“We had a coffee chat and we were talking about the Chartwell Foundation,” said Rena Maxwell, general manager of Chartwell Thunder Bay Retirement Residence.
“A lot of the residents were asking questions, and wanted to know what the foundation does.”
The mission of the Chartwell Foundation, launched on National Seniors Day - Oct. 1, 2022, is to fulfill wishes of Canadian seniors.
The Chartwell Foundation has been able to grant more than 30 wishes for seniors across Canada.
Wishes have reconnected loved ones, celebrated lifelong passions and paid tribute to the past.
“When we shared that they grant wishes like this, and that they’re never too old to have their wish come true, it was amazing,” Maxwell said.
Mobility and financial issues are some of the barriers that seniors often face that stop them from planning and executing these wishes on their own.
“Jane came right away with her wish, we applied and she was granted her wish. It was just fantastic,” Maxwell said.
Somerton could not have had a better experience returning to the Netherlands.
Over 90 per cent of wish recipients who responded to Chartwell’s post-wish survey said having a wish granted helped improve their quality of life, happiness, outlook on life, purpose in life and overall energy.
It is clear that granting these wishes has a profound impact on seniors’ lives. These wishes provide a great way to combat social isolation, which a number of seniors face.
“We need everybody to know the Chartwell foundation is out there,” Maxwell said.
It is important to note that all Canadian seniors are eligible to have a wish granted. Applicants do not have to be Chartwell residents.
The Chartwell Foundation grants wishes in four general categories - commemorating public or military services, reconnecting with loved ones, celebrating a passion and fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Applications can be submitted through the Chartwell Foundation’s website.
The foundation posts photos and videos of wishes that are happening on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
