KENT Building Supplies Donates Kitchen and Dining Room to The Lodge, Halifax
The centre of any home is the kitchen. The Lodge is no different. Because of KENT's donation, the heart of the Lodge has named the dining and kitchen area the KENT Kitchen.
The Sobey Cancer Support Centre, The Dr Susan K. Roberts Lodge That Gives, Nova Scotia Division provides warm and welcoming accommodations to those who come to Halifax for cancer treatment. Since opening in 2009, the Lodge has been home to 1,100 Nova Scotians receiving cancer treatments.
Nova Scotia residents who live more than 50km outside Halifax and are receiving cancer treatment stay free of charge and meals are provided at no cost. The Lodge offers a family style kitchen with a professional chef who prepares nutritious meals.
Bob Arnet of Antigonish, Nova Scotia is nearing the end of his cancer treatment. He has been staying at the Lodge. “The Lodge has been just about everything,” Bob said. “I don't know how we would be getting through this without it. There would be a lot of cost involved if it weren't for The Lodge. If you're not at home, I can’t think of a much better place to be. The people have been so good and so welcoming.”
"Food brings people together," said Adam Hayley, Chef, Kent Dining room, The Dr Susan K. Roberts Lodge That Gives. "It's a humbling place to work. Every day your problems are put into check.” Adam feels the KENT Kitchen is a special place in The Lodge, where guests can connect with people going through the same thing. “I get to watch relationships build. These are relationships that will go well beyond their 6 to 8 week stay. These friendships will last a lifetime."
“For people on their cancer journey, having a home away from home is so very important,” said Jane Parsons, CCS Regional Director - Atlantic Canada. “Not only for their physical recovery, but also for their emotional and spiritual well-being. For those people who call the Lodge home for an average of 17 days per month, it is so much more than a place to eat and sleep; it is a sense of security that there IS somewhere to go and that they are not alone. Access to the Lodge that Gives can quite literally mean the difference between hope and desperation; and the need for access to this vital space will only continue to grow over time. We are so deeply grateful to Kent and JDI for helping us create this home away from home.”
The Lodge runs entirely on funds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.