 At Misericordia, volunteers are at the heart of the care and compassion that defines our Health Centre. Their generosity, kindness, and dedication touches the lives of patients, residents, families, and staff every day. During National Volunteer Week, we celebrate not only the incredible impact volunteers make, but also the importance of supporting them in meaningful ways. Each year, thanks to the tremendous generosity of our donors, Misericordia Health Centre Foundation is able to support initiatives that enhance the volunteer experience. From providing snacks and helping offset transportation costs, to funding new uniforms, these efforts are designed to ensure volunteers feel comfortable, valued, and ready to focus on what matters most – making a difference for all those who walk through Misericordia’s doors. This year, that support also included funding secure lockers in the Volunteer Services offices – one of the many ways we aim to create a positive and welcoming environment for those who give so much of their time. “Having secure lockers allows volunteers to safely store their valuables and focus on the reason they’re here – helping others,” says the Volunteer Services team. “It also sends an important message that they are valued, that we care about them, and that we want them to have a positive and stress-free experience while volunteering at MHC.” When we support our volunteers, we strengthen the spirit of compassion that makes Misericordia Health Centre such a special place. Thank you for making this possible.
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 The Misericordia School of Nursing didn’t just train nurses — it built lifelong friendships. The Class of 1961B is a beautiful example of that enduring bond.
More than 60 years later, 20 classmates remain closely connected. Together, they have celebrated milestones, supported one another through life’s challenges, and remembered dear friends who are no longer with them. Wanting to honour those classmates in a meaningful way, the group came together to give back to the place that first brought them together. In memory of their friends and classmates who are no longer with them, they made a generous gift to the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation — a tribute to the place that shaped their careers and their lives. The MHC Foundation team had the pleasure of meeting Eve-Anne, the class spokesperson, who spoke proudly of her classmates and their unwavering support for one another. When she called each member to share the idea of making a donation, she said “100% said yes — so here we are!” While she visited the office to make the donation, she also shared a handwritten letter that encapsulated the spirit of their group. “We are all 85 & 90 years old! Great group & very close. We had an excellent 3 hard years of training & we all survived!!” That same spirit of resilience and closeness continues to define them today. Their gift is more than a donation. It is a celebration of friendship, a remembrance of those who have passed, and a powerful example of what it means to remain connected — even six decades later. On behalf of the entire MHC community, we thank the Class of 1961B Nurses for choosing to make this meaningful tribute.  As we welcome 2026 and all the new opportunities it brings, I want to pause for a moment to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your incredible past support of Misericordia Health Centre (MHC). Your generosity truly continues to make a meaningful difference in supporting MHC as it delivers unique and highly specialized care to Manitobans. Because of you, we are helping to build a healthier future for our community. Thank you.
As we look ahead, the needs of MHC’s patients, residents, and their families remain as important as ever. We are inspired by the opportunities before us and energized by what we can accomplish together. I’m excited to highlight just a few ways we can come together this year to make lasting and positive impacts at MHC. Please mark your calendars – the Misericordia Golf Classic is teed up for June 11 at Breezy Bend Country Club, InVision is set for October 14 at RBC Convention Centre, and Angel Squad will kick off once again on Giving Tuesday, December 1 – right here at MHC! Beyond that, we are excited to be welcoming the New Year with a feel-good opportunity for our incredible community to help fill the halls of MHC with love, gratitude, and messages that matter. From now until February 14, you can send the love and share the care! When you send a heart or a flower, you’re doing more than celebrating Valentine’s Day — you’re supporting compassionate care and the incredible teams who care for patients every day. Click here for more information. Together, we are changing lives today, while helping to shape a healthier future for tomorrow. We are grateful to have you alongside us on this journey and look forward to sharing meaningful updates on the powerful impact of your generosity in the year ahead. Thank you for being such an essential part of our mission. Wishing you a happy, healthy, and successful 2026! Kris  Lisa Stiver was on her way to work the first time she saw the angels.
Ascending the escalator in an officer tower at the corner of Portage and Main, Stiver encountered them — volunteers sporting sparkling halos, fuzzy wings and billowing gowns, inviting her to make a donation to the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation. “It was just really inspiring to see them,” Stiver said. “You don’t see angels very often.” Little did she know then that a few years later, she would get wings of her own. Every year, the Angel Squad descends on the Maryland Bridge for several days to solicit donations for the foundation. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the squad showed up downtown, too. Stiver volunteered with the angels for the first time 10 years ago after joining the foundation’s board of directors. She’s been a part of the Angel Squad ever since, and she’ll be there Tuesday morning as the group kicks off its 30th annual campaign. “I find it very uplifting,” Stiver said. “It makes people feel like there’s hope.” It’s the start of the holiday season, the 52-year-old adds, and this year’s kickoff coincides with Giving Tuesday — an annual event held the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving and the Black Friday and Cyber Monday buying frenzy that follow — that encourages people to make charitable donations. “It starts your giving day off really remembering how important it is to give to the community, and it brings people together who want to support Misericordia,” Stiver said of the Angel Squad. If Tuesday is anything like previous years, Stiver will be at the hospital by 6 a.m. so that she can help ask rush-hour commuters for drive-by donations. Sometime after the sun comes up, she’ll head to work. “Throughout the year people will come up to me and talk to me about it and ask me about it, and that’s what’s really wonderful because it’s obviously something that strikes a chord with them,” Stiver said. The Misericordia Health Centre Foundation is aiming to raise $60,000 during this month’s Angel Squad campaign. The money will support pediatric dental and ophthalmology patients at the hospital. All donations made until Dec. 31, up to $30,000, will be matched by sponsors. “I do think celebrating our 30th anniversary is a big deal,” said Kris Erickson, the foundation’s president and CEO. The name, location and purpose of the initiative has remained the same over three decades, she said. “The only thing that changes is it keeps growing in size — more donations and more volunteers. The essence of the Angel Squad has never changed and is never going to change. We’re really proud of that.” The initiative is more than a fundraiser, Erickson said. “It’s really about holiday spirit and it’s rooted in the MHC’s mission, so really what that means is it’s about community and impact.” It’s a mission that Stiver believes in, which is why, after nine years on the foundation’s board of directors, she joined the hospital’s board a year ago. Stiver said her parents taught her and her sister that it was important to be involved in the community, something that was reaffirmed by the law firm she joined more than 25 years ago. “I have been told that I’m over-committed to volunteer roles,” said Stivers, who has served with a variety of organizations in the arts, sports and health-care sectors. “But I try not to do more than four at once. That’s usually my max.” Article originally published by The Winnipeg Free Press on December 1, 2025.  At MHC Foundation, our team of professionals and community leaders is passionately committed to inspiring, enabling, and celebrating community support for Misericordia Health Centre.
We are delighted to introduce Michael Penman as our Board Chair! Michael joined Payworks in 2016 as Vice President of Finance, later serving as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Today, he is President of Payworks, bringing with him extensive expertise in finance, leadership, and community engagement. We are excited to welcome his vision and guidance as we continue building a strong philanthropic community to invest in the future of care at Misericordia Health Centre. What inspired you to get involved with MHC Foundation? “I had previously served on boards as a way to use my experiences to support organizations. After stepping back for a few years due to family commitments with my young children—who are now five and seven—I was eager to get involved again. Former board member and friend, Brian Taillieu, played a big role in encouraging me to join, sharing the important work MHC Foundation does for the community as the primary eye care provider in the region.” Looking ahead, what do you hope the MHC Foundation’s support will achieve for health care at Misericordia Health Centre? “My hope is that we continue fundraising to ensure the best tools and services are available to our community—whether in long-term care, eye care, or sleep disorders. I want us to raise the funds needed to be cutting-edge, reduce wait times, and improve recovery.” At MHC Foundation, we are honoured to partner with and empower a community of donors and supporters who help drive health care transformation on a scale that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. We look forward to working with Michael and the entire Board as we embark on another year of impact together. You can get to know Michael further on Payworks’ “The Works” blog! |
