When the celebration is over and the empty bottles and cans start to pile up, there’s an easy way to turn those empties into something meaningful for our community.

Through Return-It Express, the deposit refunds from your empty beverage containers can be donated directly to Chilliwack Hospice Society. It’s a simple way to give back while recycling something you were already going to return.

Every donation helps Chilliwack Hospice Society provide free grief and palliative care support, education, and compassionate programs and services for individuals and families throughout our community.

Recycle and give back

Supporters can use their personal Return-It Express account to make a one-time donation to Chilliwack Hospice Society or set up automatic donations so future beverage container refunds are donated to the Society.

That means the bottles and cans from Thanksgiving dinner, a holiday party, Christmas celebrations, or your everyday household recycling can continue making a difference long after the gathering is over.

Return-It App makes donations easy, to get started:

1. Log-in to your account through the Return-It App (found on Google Play Store or the iOS App store) or visit https://app.return-it.ca.

   Don’t have an account? Sign up for a free Return-It account at https://app.return-it.ca

2. Donate to our organization using the following link:

   https://app.return-it.ca/chilliwackhospicesociety

   You’ll have the option to set auto-donations or a one-time donation.

3. Return all your empty beverage containers to a Return-It Express location, every container counts!

Return your containers locally

There are two convenient Return-It Express locations in Chilliwack.

Chilliwack Bottle Depot is located at #2-45934 Trethewey Ave. Sardis Bottle Depot is now located at 305-7592 Vedder Rd.

Both locations accept Return-It Express drop-offs, making it easy to return your beverage containers without sorting them yourself. Regular hours are Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both locations are closed on statutory holidays, so please keep that in mind when planning your Thanksgiving weekend returns.

Once your containers have been counted and your Return-It Express account has been credited, your refund can support Chilliwack Hospice Society through your selected one-time or automatic donation.

It may only be a few cans after dinner or a few bags after a holiday gathering, but those refunds add up. When many people in our community choose to donate their returns, something as ordinary as recycling can become another way to care for neighbours who are grieving, dying, or living with a life-limiting illness.

So as you gather and celebrate this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season, keep Chilliwack Hospice Society in mind when it’s time to gather up the empties.

Recycle. Donate. Make every container count.

Chilliwack Hospice Society is a community-based organization that helps individuals and families dealing with dying and death through support, education, and programs that promote wellness and healthy grieving.

Joan Beldam (left) with Sue Knott, Executive Director, and Phoebe

We were honoured to be the recipient of a $1,000 Lead Well grant from Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union, in late 2023. This special donation was awarded through Envision’s Lead Well program in recognition of Joan Beldam’s outstanding volunteer contributions. Joan selected Chilliwack Hospice Society as the benefactor of the award, reflecting her active involvement with our organization and others including Soroptimist International of Chilliwack and Chilliwack & District Seniors Resources Society.

“Donations like this truly make a difference,” says Sue Knott, Executive Director of Chilliwack Hospice Society. “We rely on the generosity of community members and partners like Envision Financial to help fund our free programs and services. This support allows us to continue offering compassionate care to families in Chilliwack as they navigate end-of-life journeys and the grieving process.”

In 2023, First West Credit Union funded 73 Lead Well grants, empowering their employees to support non-profit and charitable organizations that serve the most vulnerable in our communities. The program encourages staff to share their skills and time to help local organizations flourish — something Joan Beldam exemplifies through her many hours of volunteerism.

To Joan and to Envision Financial, thank you. Your support helps us continue to walk alongside people in our community at some of life’s most difficult moments.

Chilliwack Hospice Society is a community-based organization that helps individuals and families dealing with dying and death through support, education, and programs that promote wellness and healthy grieving.