March 08, 2022
“
Dear Rifky and the wonderful staff… doctors and nurses. In appreciation for all the care you show my mother.” -DS and family.
That’s just one of the many notes of gratitude received by Baycrest’s Social Work Department from our Gift of Thanks Program. Social Work staff, and the interdisciplinary care teams who work with them, provide vital, world-leading care to clients and residents at Baycrest every day.
Baycrest’s
Gift of Thanks program helps provide crucial funding for our work in care, innovation, education and research into brain health and aging while honouring our staff heroes.
Rifky Blau, a social worker in the Inpatient Psychiatry Department at Baycrest Hospital, never fails to be moved when she receives a note like the one above.
“When I receive a Gift of Thanks note from a client or their family it reinforces the privilege that I feel in being present for others during a time of intense struggle. A recognition of this sort brings my work to a new level where I am reassured that regardless of the outcome I can make a difference. As an interdisciplinary team we work endlessly to improve our teamwork and communication,” Rifky says. “A gift of thanks note acknowledges the necessity of learning from others while providing care in synchronized harmony. It helps us to acknowledge the roles that every one of our peers plays and grows the respect we have for each profession on the team. I have kept every award and note of thanks I have received from clients and their families, and I look at them often, as a reminder of the privilege I have earned in being a frontline worker.”
Another recent Gift of Thanks card to Daniel Navy, a social worker in the Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged, was similarly moving.
“Within just 48 hours of our mom’s move into Apotex 5, she’s happier, healthier and safer than she’s been in 10 years. Thanks to the stewardship of Daniel and the committed… team on 5W, our family knows she’s getting the best possible care.” – BK
Daniel takes it all in stride and is grateful his work can help those in need.
“It means the world to be recognized and appreciated. It is a special feeling knowing someone took the time to honour your work in support of Baycrest,” Daniel says. “A Gift of Thanks reminds our team that big or small, our work does impact and make a difference in the lives of our residents and their loved ones. It provides our team with a sense of fulfilment and motivation, for which we are so grateful during these challenging times.”
A Gift of Thanks is a charitable donation to the Baycrest Foundation to thank staff who go above and beyond in their duties. The gift supports Baycrest’s most urgent needs in the area where the staff member(s) work and helps cover costs that do not receive government or other forms of support.
To learn more about the program or to make a gift, please visit Baycrest’s
Gift of Thanks program.