EDITORIAL
New Times, New Ways to Serve by Trish Reynolds
The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Ontario Branch 2020 - 2021 Board of Directors Craig Kerr, President Richard Bernreiter Mauro Burri Charles Cook Chris Costanza Joanne Hagger-Perritt Alan Hui Michael Mastronardi Dr. Norm Muirhead Greg Robbins, Past President Teresa Roberts Mary-Pat Shaw Marlene Smith Sonya Solman Susan Tkachuk Terry Young Executive Director Anthony Tirone Ontario Branch 1599 Hurontario St. Suite 201 Mississauga, ON L5G 4S1 1-800-387-4474 905-278-3003 kidney.ca
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he last few months have been life-changing in so many ways, as we’ve all strived to adapt to our new reality. In July, we asked people affected by kidney disease or living with a kidney transplant from across Canada to participate in a survey about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them. Among the most noteworthy findings is that the vast majority of respondents reported experiencing feelings such as anxiety, depression or exhaustion since the pandemic began. We remain committed to supporting the kidney community through this difficult time. Our peer support programs are designed to provide emotional support and resources to help people live well with kidney disease. In Ontario, we transitioned face-to-face peer support group meetings to virtual meetings in March, resulting in greater opportunities for Ontarians to connect with others from across the province (see more about peer support on page 5). In addition, the financial impacts of the pandemic caused additional stress and hardship on the families we strive to serve. Demand for The Kidney Foundation’s short-term financial assistance program has soared in some regions. There have been increases in requests for assistance with transportation and the cost-of-living expenditures. We’ve also sought new ways to answer questions and provide valuable information in an online format. Webinars over the last year covered Covid-19 related subjects, including: Your Renal Diet; Kidneys and Coping: Ask Your Social Worker; Transplant Questions Answered, and Dialysis Questions Answered. Recordings of all of our webinars are available on our website at kidney.ca/ Webinars. While we’ve pivoted to deliver our programs in new ways to meet the increased need, we’ve also sought new ways to fundraise. (See more about how we’ve adapted our fundraising to support our mission on page 10). We also transitioned the annual Kidney Walk to a virtual event. The kidney community gathered online on September 27 for our virtual opening ceremonies. Participants walked in their communities with their families and raised more than $660,000 to support critical programs and services. We continue to listen and learn as we strive to meet the changing needs of our community. Every decision we make will continue to be patient-centred. We can’t do what we do without your support. Thank you. Fall 2020 / Kidney Living / 3
