In life, Penticton resident Anne Reinders made numerous strides in the realm of mental wellness and supports in the community.

Now in death, she will continue to have a legacy at the soon-to-open Foundry Penticton, located inside the Youth Centre at 501 Main St.

Cayle Reinders, Anne’s son, is fundraising to have a high-visibility counselling room in the Foundry named after his late mother. He donated $10,000 and is enlisting the help of family and friends and those who knew Anne to help him reach the $20,000 goal required to sponsor a room.

Cayle said his mother was passionate about helping others all throughout her life. She died on Feb. 15, 2019, at the Moog & Friends Hospice following a lengthy illness.

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“She really put others before herself in a way. She always contributed in a positive way in the community,” said Cayle. “She was a really positive person and encourages other people to do good and believe in themselves. She said if you do that, eventually life will pay you back and it will continue on.”

Anne started her career as an occupational therapist at the Penticton Regional Hosptial and Westview Extended Care before pursuing additional schooling to become a counsellor. After earning her master’s degree from the University of Victoria, she started her own practice as a trauma counsellor with Life Force Counseling and Trauma Healing.

Anne also spent time working with the South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society (SOVAS), where she started the Men’s Counselling program, the only one of its kind in the Okanagan according to Amberlee Erdmann, YES Project coordinator and former colleague of Anne’s.

Cayle connected with Erdmann at his mother’s celebration of life and the idea to sponsor a room in her honour at the Youth Centre was quickly established. He said he had been planning to do something special to honour her legacy but was unsure of how to do that.

“I talked to my mom before she passed away and told her I was going to do something nice to remember her basically. She kind of thought that I was joking, and told her friends the same thing, because I like to joke around a lot,” said Cayle. “That’s originally what she did think. I mentioned it again another time and she was struck by it.

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“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I knew she liked helping people … then I thought maybe a room would be better in a centre that actually helps people in the community to achieve better.”

Cayle said this project has encouraged him to reach out to family members he had not connected with in years. He said Anne has three brothers that live in South America, the United States and the Netherlands.

“I donated the minimum $10,000 that’s required to get a room. Then I sent an email to her good friends and brothers encouraging them to kick in a little to get her out of the medical lab room into a higher room (sponsorship),” said Cayle. “So in a cheeky way, I mentioned that she was better than a basic room and that if anyone else was able to donate let’s see if we can get her out of the entry-level position into a higher room.”

So far, two rooms have been spoken for in the centre in terms of sponsorship, with the youth advisory committee securing the first sponsorship. Aaron McRann, executive director of the community foundation, said there are eight spots for sponsorship remaining and that they were holding off on promoting them during the donor matching program that recently ended.

In addition to the plaques that will go up, one in the room and one on the sponsorship wall, Cayle has provided his mother’s certificate of appreciation from the hospital for her years of service. He said he hopes it will help people understand who she was when they’re in her room.

“Over the last few years, I’ve come to appreciate my mom and what she did. I always understood it, but the more mature I get I realize how beneficial it was,” said Cayle. “And there are many other people in communities who do the same thing. But for me, it was my mom and I decided to do it. If I didn’t take the initiative to start it, it never would have happened.”

Those interested in contributing to the goal of naming a room after Anne Reinders can visit the Community Foundation’s website to make a donation. In the comments section when donating, specify that your donation is for this campaign.

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