LIFE Bed and breakfast offers rest for the journey
Have
you ever wanted to get away from it all? To just sit and soak up the peace and quiet around you? I know I have. It’s called a vacation but for many people, actually going away to the cottage or a trip isn’t possible.
Now for people with disabilities who can’t travel but badly need a change of scenery, caregivers who need a break, people with medical problems that mean they have to stay close to hospital or those receiving treatment for cancer or other illnesses, there is a place to go.
It’s called Haven of Hope Farm Bed and Breakfast.
It’s on Ninth St. Louth in St. Catharines, hidden down a long driveway on 12 acres of rolling hills that back onto Rockway Vineyards and Golf Course.
Most proprietors of B&Bs don’t actively ask that people with problems come to them. But Daphne and Dave Bakker do
With a background in social services, Daphne, 49, and Dave, 51, who was and you might say still is in agriculture, these empty-nesters are perfect to run what you could call a compassionate-care bed and breakfast retreat.
“My mother, Anne Groen, coped with rheumatoid arthritis for 43 years. I never knew her without it,” Daphne said.
“She had many operations over 18 years. My father put wheels on a chair for her and we bombed all over the house on it.”
The accessible bed-andbreakfast three-room suite offers a bedroom with a queen bed and an ensuite bathroom that features a large, glasswalled roll-in shower.
The Fireside Room is a perfect place to read beside the gas fireplace, play a board game or watch TV. There is also a pullout queen bed in this room so the suite can sleep up to four people.
The Sitting Room has large leather chairs, a fireplace, fridge, microwave, coffee maker and table and chairs. The only things it doesn’t have are a sink and oven. You are supposed to be there to de- stress and heal — remember?
Daphne does the dishes, and there are plenty of places in the immediate area to get takeout or go out for dinner.
There’s even a stacked washer and dryer so you can wash whatever you must while there.
The only real concern I noted was that the bathroom vanity isn’t accessible to a person using a wheelchair and that, I’m promised, will be remedied shortly.
Beds are made for you, fresh towels supplied daily, small amenities taken care of and the fridge kept full of healthy snacks. The piece de resistance: a home-cooked, farm-style breakfast whipped up by chef Daphne, with eggs, bacon, waffles, syrup, you name it — the breakfast menu changes daily.
The little red barn a short distance from the house is home to a flock of Suffolk sheep. They and many chickens are protected from foxes and coyotes by two regal white alpacas.
“The animals are part of the package,” Daphne said, and so, it seems, is compassion by the boatload.
“We’ve had guests coping with chemotherapy at the new hospital’s cancer centre who don’t want to drive home, people with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, ALS, and people grieving the loss of a loved one.”
To be clear, you have to be self-sufficient. This is not a nursing home.
“When it comes to interacting with our guests, we gauge each person individually. Some guests want to talk, share, cry and laugh with us as hosts. Others need to be alone to be able to recharge. I ask them what their preference is. I am fortunate that our guests have been really honest and upfront on what they want.
“The vision and effort in the building of Haven of Hope Farm B&B was like an Extreme Home Makeover project and wouldn’t have been possible without the help of so many professionals and committed people within our community.” And the motivation behind it all?
“God has given us this amazing opportunity to reach out to individuals who are in need of this type of retreat where they can ‘Rest for the journey.’
“We feel incredibly blessed to be able to give back to our community.”
For photos and more, go to havenofhopefarm.ca.