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Compassionate Communities Toolkit

Living in a community that cares for others makes us cope better with our health challenges, keeps us

connected, and helps us find meaning in life. Compassionate Communities benefit us all.

What is a Compassionate Community?

Watch video

The Compassionate Community Toolkit.

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We can help!

A Movement that’s Global….and Growing

At its most basic, the idea of people helping people is global. In Canada, the compassionate community movement, a model of the public health approach to palliative care, has already garnered considerable support on a regional, provincial, and national level, establishing the country as a leader of the movement.

Recognizing the power of local organizations’ connections to their communities, BC Centre for Palliative Care launched the Seed Grant Program in Spring 2016. In addition to seed funding, the program provides training, tools and coaching for community-based organizations to help them start building on compassionate community ideas.

To date, over 100 compassionate community initiatives across the province have been sponsored and supported by BC Centre for Palliative Care, with fully half being in rural and remote areas of BC. The movement in BC continues to grow.

The Compassionate Community Toolkit

The toolkit is designed to guide community organizations and groups that are interested in building

a caring, supportive network for people affected by serious illness, end of life, caregiving, and grieving.

The Compassionate Communities Toolkit was co-developed by BC Centre for Palliative Care and

Kalein Hospice Centre with inputs from compassionate community champions from across British Columbia.

1. What is a Compassionate Community?

A promotional material designed to raise public awareness and inspire citizens to participate in initiatives aiming to make their local communities more compassionate.

Download here.

2. Compassionate Community Ideal

A simple tool developed to inform, inspire and assist community groups in identifying the five features of an ideal compassionate community.

Download here.

3. Compassionate Community Index

The index is a survey that can be used by a community group to assess the level of readiness in their community to become a compassionate community. The survey results help identify strengths and areas that need further work.. The index can also be used to evaluate new initiatives as they grow.

Download Index here. Handbook coming soon.

4. Handbook for the Compassionate Community Index

A guide designed to help the facilitator of a community group to administer the Compassionate Community Index

Download handbook here.

5. Compassionate Community Action Guide

The Action Guide suggests a variety of activities and project ideas to consider for building upon the community’s level of readiness and commitment in each of the five features of an ideal Compassionate Community. The Action Guide is recommended after using the Compassionate Community Index to assess the readiness of a local community to become a more Compassionate Community.

Download here.