Donation from the Verspeeten Family

On Monday September 30, 2024, Dennis and Brian Verspeeten presented VON Sakura House with a $500,000 donation. The gift, which will help support the day-to-day operations of Sakura House, was given in honour of their late father, Archie Verspeeten.

Before he passed away in 2023, Archie expressed his wish to support Sakura House, a 10-bed residential hospice in Woodstock, Ontario that provides care at no cost to patients. “Our dad had visited Sakura House on more than one occasion,” explains Brian. “He had several friends that required hospice care and then, sadly, his 56-year-old son Alan also became a patient.”

Sakura House is Oxford County’s only residential hospice, and last year alone saw 276 patients through their end-of-life journey.

“Ultimately, this donation strengthens the heart of our mission—to provide compassionate care that honours life and offers peace in its final stages,” says Janine Jackson, Manager of Home and Community Care at VON Sakura House. “It ensures that Sakura House will continue to be a place where individuals and families can find hope, comfort, and connection at a time when they need it most.”

Brian and Dennis also shared that their father felt that, “no one is ever too young or too old to make a difference.”

“Each year we seek to fundraise over a million dollars to ensure that no patient or their family needs to worry about paying for the care received at Sakura House,” says Brittany Bratt, Manager of Fund Development at VON Sakura House. “Although we are partially funded by the government, things like heat, hydro and groceries must be covered through fundraising dollars. The Verspeeten family’s gift will have a tremendous impact on those we serve, and we are so grateful for the support of this wonderful family.”

Words cannot begin to express how thankful we are at Sakura House for the support of the Verspeeten Family - thank you from the bottom of our hearts!