More than 300 families were able to find respite and care at Katie's Cottage this past year. The facility, located just east of Boundary Trails Health Centre (BTHC) between Morden and Winkler, recently held an open house in celebration of the respite home's second year of operation, providing support to families receiving care at the Boundary Trails Health Centre.

Ruth Reimer, Treasurer/spokesperson for Katie Cares, says after two years she's even more convinced the resource was desperately needed in the region.

Reimer says over the year one family stood out to her. "We had a family come in from the Rosenort area, tt was an emergency situation. The mom was very sick, so they didn't know what was to be. They stayed the night, so they were close, and they were fortunate to be close so they could be close when she passed away."

That's the goal of the cottage says, Reimer, creating an environment where families don't have to worry about how they can stay close to their loved ones. Reimer says it was the dream Kaitlyn wanted for the community.

Kaitlyn Reimer, Founder of Katie Cares, always imagined a respite home near to BTHC. After her passing the community rallied around the project which came to fruition in 2016.

Reimer notes anyone is welcome at the cottage, adding patients and family members who don't need a place to sleep for the night can also spend time at the cottage while they wait for treatments or appointments.

To keep the facility running, Reimer says it takes passion, love, organization, a leap of faith, volunteers, and community involvement. Though they have the summer off, she notes 50 volunteers give their time to the cottage helping clean, organize, and visit with those who need to talk.

It costs $350 to run the cottage per day, made possible by generous donations and backing from the community Reimer explains. One of their largest fundraisers is the Katie Cares fashion show, which takes place in late September.