“We truly believe that when we’re supporting one individual with their independence and their mobility,” says Dawna Morey, executive director of The Lending Cupboard. “We’re supporting a whole family or a whole support network of people.”
With a mission to enhance the quality of life by maintaining mobility, independence and dignity, The Lending Cupboard in Red Deer offers over 20,000 pieces of medical equipment to those in need.
They lend out approximately 1,300 pieces of medical equipment every month for extreme sports injuries, those recovering from illness or surgery, end of life care, and for all ages from children to senior citizens.
A caring and compassionate team with an army of devoted volunteers, The Lending Cupboard is a registered charity that receives support from a variety of service clubs and private donations.
On Monday, Jan. 27, The Lending Cupboard will be hosting their 2nd Annual Winter Luncheon at the Cambridge Red Deer Hotel & Conference Centre.
“This is by far our largest fundraising event,” Morey said. “We started it last year and we had Jann Arden and it was a huge success, a sold out crowd.”
To aid in this year’s philanthropic plight, The Lending Cupboard has another pretty big cheerleader on their team.
This year’s guest speaker will be none other than the Dragons’ Den’s Arlene Dickinson.
“As we started to explore who we wanted to have,” Morey said. “It’s important to us that there is a fit with what we do at the Lending Cupboard as well as a fit to what’s happening in our community. Central Alberta is well known for its entrepreneurship and we can’t think of anybody better to speak to that than Arlene Dickinson.”
A Canadian businesswoman, investor, author, and self-made multi-millionaire, Dickinson is also a passionate humanitarian. On tour for her new book, Reinvention: Changing Your Life, Your Career, Your Future, Dickinson is pausing to join The Lending Cupboard for the luncheon to help raise awareness for the charity.
“It’s an opportunity to raise some spirits and raise the awareness about what the Lending Cupboard does and the impact that we have on Central Alberta, on individuals, and on their families,” Morey said.
“It’s just a really nice day to come together for a worthy cause,” adds Lori Shatto, marketing director of The Lending Cupboard. “And get to see someone who really is going to bring some positivity and some life lessons and life skills. I think she’s just a great person.”
At a certain level of donation, says Morey, the sponsors will get to have a meet and greet with Dickinson.
“It’s a fabulous lunch,” Shatto said. “There’ll be a lovely meal served at the Cambridge and we’ll also have some wonderful draw prizes. It’s just a warm spirit inside that room.”
“There’s still some opportunity for corporations in Central Alberta to come on as sponsors to help us reach our goal,” Morey said. “I think when people are donating to the Lending Cupboard, they’re actually investing in it. They’re investing in the future of this organization.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 22 at noon.
