In conversation with Tracey Robertson, Co-Founder of HHA and the creator of the Moonlit Memory Walk, blog contributor Muslima Mahzar, found the answers to some of her most important questions that helped her decide why this event was a good investment of her time.
Why is the Moonlit Memory Walk, as an event, vital to our community…
Moonlit Memory Walk welcomes those of us processing grief into a community of collective healing by building a legacy to memorialize those we have lost. Additionally, there appeared to limited resources and access for families and friends mourning the death of a loved one by suicide, a pregnancy loss, the loss of a pet or even those that have donated life-saving organs. Moonlit Memory Walk has created a safe space for people experiencing loss to share in their common denomination of grief.
For Co-Founder Tracey Robertson, it was integral for the Walk to be centered around commemorating lives, regardless of how long they lived or how they died.
What are some of the services the Moonlit Memory Walk fundraises for?
Moonlit Memory Walk raises money when participants seek in-memoriam donations for those they are hoping to build a financial legacy for (their loved ones). These donations support ongoing programs for those that are nearing the end of their lives by:
MOBILIZING a team of trained and supported caregivers to provide emotional and physical assistance, including Professional Death Doulas and Compassionate Caregiving Volunteers.
CREATING a network and support system consisting of professional and volunteer caregivers that can provide “around the clock” community care.
SUPPORTING family caregivers and preventing burnout, while easing their worry when they are unable to be home at the bedside of their loved one.
PROVIDING additional home care services for the completion of basic chores, allowing family to spend time with their loved one without having to worry about other responsibilities such as laundry or making meals.
CELEBRATING life by helping to create memories – a last birthday party, wedding vow renewal or family reunion.
PREVENTING unnecessary and stressful 911 calls when the family is physically and emotionally drained.
What are some of the challenges the team planning the Moonlit Memory Walk Face?
The time and effort that goes into making this event come to life is tremendous. The team meets once every week for a year to organize, plan, market and finance the annual Moonlit Memory Walk. The event has proven to be a monumental success as a healing space for people to come together in tears, joy and celebration. However, it endeavors to be able to also facilitate the continuation of support programs and expand our outreach across Canada through donations and fundraising. For more information on how this can be done, please click here. COVID has created an even greater challenge as we determine who to bring our community of healing together safely.
The team solved all their challenges with the help of some guidance and research. Here is the link to the most helpful article that helped us to solve these problems during event planning, https://www.socialtables.com/blog/event-planning/biggest-event-planning-challenges/
What is the ideal impact that Founders hope to achieve through Moonlit Memory Walk?
The hope is that one day, all communities beyond our current five regional Chapters throughout Canada, will be able to come together and journey along a moonlit path to pay tribute to the lives we hope to immortalize in our memories. That we are all bound together, not only in our grief but also in our will to make a lasting impact to the lives of those currently coming to terms with their death.
To honor those who have come and gone before us and support those who are here now, in unison under the light of the same Harvest Moon.
Why Moonlit Memory Walk Matters to Muslima and Why it May Matter to You
Those of us who have had relatives that spent the last moments of their lives in hospital beds understand the significance of being able to give others the opportunity that our loved ones did not have. It is the gift of being able to support someone's hope of a dignified death, surrounded by family, friends and compassionate caregivers in the comfort of their homes. This grassroots charity event that pays tribute to the lives that our loved ones lived, whilst raising funds towards essential caregiving programs and services led by Home Hospice Association is important because when (not if) the time comes that a member of our family needs HHA we want to know it is there.
The Moonlit Memory Virtual Walk takes place on Wednesday October 20, 2021. Now is the time to register, tell our community about who you want to remember and honour, raise money and receive great gifts. To register for the event, fill the form by clicking the link below;
Next week’s blog will continue telling the story of collective healing (a core feature of the Moonlit Memory Walk) as we share another entry “From the Pages of a Caregiver’s Journey”...Not Ready for The Final Goodbye.
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