The Salem Home Foundation and the Ladies’ Auxiliary hosted their annual Spring Fundraiser BBQ Wednesday, May 28th to raise funds to improve Salem Park. Karin Oliveira, CEO of Salem Home and executive director of the Salem Foundation, notes that the fundraiser would not only pay for the concrete sidewalk of the park, but also other features for the residents of Salem Home and the community to use. “We like to see the community coming out.” Oliveira shared. “...just people enjoying the food, the music, the company, being together, having fun.”
Showing up and making a difference
“We like to see the community coming out, not just to support Salem, but also to engage with the residents here,” Oliveira said about the event. Successful fundraisers like these make a “huge difference for the residents of Salem Home”, says Henry Enns, chairperson of the Salem Foundation. “We have lots of confidence to organize these things because we already have the experience from the community that they contribute”.
For Andrew Animalla, a dietary aide in the kitchen at Salem Home, the day was not like a regular workday: “It's not too often we have live music... I’m already having fun helping out here, but yeah, I’m just going with the flow”. The menu, prepared by the Salem kitchen, featured sausage burgers, hot dogs, with beans and cookies made in-house.
'It’s not just today, but every day'
The community has played a key role in improving Salem Home for its residents by showing up to fundraisers like these. A crokinole tournament hosted by the Ladies’ Auxiliary earlier this year paid for the benches and other features of Salem Park, with this BBQ fundraiser going towards the accessible concrete sidewalk.
“...we are very, very blessed for the support that we get from the community every day.” Oliveria said. “It’s not just today, but every day.”
