While celebrating the birth of their second child at Sechelt Hospital, Joe and Mandi Marino gazed out the window and across the parking lot to their new store, Marino’s Independent Grocer. A lot had happened for their young family between September and December of 2021; from buying a business and moving to the Sunshine Coast where Mandi grew up, to setting up a new home and preparing for a new baby’s arrival, all during their last trimester.
Amid all of those changes, the Marino family knew they wanted to do something special to thank the nurses and doctors who helped to create and foster such a positive experience at Sechelt Hospital. “A core value we share is the desire to give back to our community and to help other young families on the Sunshine Coast,” remarked Joe Marino. So, the family contacted Sechelt Hospital Foundation to discuss a few ideas for the greater good.
As the Tsain-Ko Centre – the location of Marino’s Independent Grocer – was planning to reconfigure their parking lot and to install a cross-walk at Ti’ta Way, right at the Hospital entrance, Marino offered to carve out 14 spots for hospital staff. Working in partnership with tenants to improve customer experience and community safety, Tsain-Ko made it happen. hiwus (Chief) Warren Paull, of shíshálh Nation, was impressed with the foresight. “What a thoughtful gift from our newest tenant at Tsain-Ko Centre. We were thrilled to help Joe and Mandi make this happen for hospital staff.”
Vancouver Coastal Health’s Director for the Sunshine Coast, Marie Duperreault, was delighted to see the signs installed across the road from Sechelt Hospital two weeks ago. “This is such great news and welcome support for hospital staff and will make parking easier for patients, staff and visitors alike when accessing our hospital, as well as our mental health and substance use services,” said Duperreault. Staff members who do not need to access their vehicles throughout the business day will be encouraged to park off-site to free up spaces in the
Sechelt Hospital parking lot that was designed in the late 1960s.
Connecting donors with opportunities to make a difference is part of the driving mandate of Sechelt Hospital Foundation. “When community members come together to help one another, good things can happen quickly. We are thrilled to welcome our new neighbours, and we are humbled by both the gift, and the team effort to help all visitors to our community hospital,” said Jane Macdonald, executive director of Sechelt Hospital Foundation.
