Cancer doesn’t take a day off. Guests at Sorrentino’s Compassion House know this fact all too well. Already faced with a fight against cancer, the last few weeks have only introduced a new opponent with new health risks: COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us directly and deeply but for our guests, the impact has been significant” said Michelle Okere, CEO of Compassion House Foundation. “The world has become one big health risk at a time when their health is already threatened.”

“Cancer forges forward, even in times of crisis.”

Operated by Compassion House Foundation, Sorrentino’s Compassion House is a haven for women who must travel to Edmonton to receive cancer treatment. Guests come from across western Canada to find hope and healing at the House, including Teresa Grezel from Grande Prairie.

“Here, I feel like part of a new family and community,” said Grezel, one of 189 guests from Grande Prairie who’ve stayed at the House since 2002.

When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, the world shifted and slowed in many ways. Events and gatherings were cancelled, businesses closed, and people by the masses retreated indoors to self-isolate, all to help prevent the spread of the virus.

For Grezel, her reality changed, but her cancer journey continued.

“It’s terrifying, not being able to go anywhere,” she said. “The people here become your support system and lifelong friends.”

In response, the Foundation made a public call for donations to #HelptheHouse. The community responded in a big way, replenishing its inventory of paper products, cleaning supplies, and communal food items in the interim to ensure the House remains a haven for all.

“We’re so grateful for all of the support we’ve received during this difficult time,” said Okere. “COVID-19 has jeopardized many traditional forms of fundraising, leaving non-profit organizations like us uniquely vulnerable. We need the community now more than ever.”

To continue supporting women on their cancer journey, the Foundation is seeking monetary donations of any amount to be used towards its greatest area of need, now and moving forward as the effects of COVID-19 are felt into the future.

“If it wasn’t for the other guests and staff, this would be a much more difficult time,” said Grezel. For more information, or to donate, visit their website at compassionhouse.org/donatenow.