Stratford’s Jean Aitcheson, founder and leader of the Stratford Mission Depot, has been appointed as a member of the Order of Canada for her leadership of global humanitarian medical missions, and for her long-standing devotion to helping those in need.
When Stratford’s Jean Aitcheson first received an email informing her she would be appointed as a member of the Order of Canada, she was almost positive it was a scam.
“It said I should respond within two days on a very important matter,” said Aitcheson, who leads the Stratford Mission Depot, an organization that collects donations of used medical supplies and equipment and arranges for delivery to people in need around the world through groups , organizations and individuals planning mission trips.
“So I called Stratford police and read it to them. They said it was a scam. I called (Perth-Wellington MP) John Nater’s office and they said it was a scam.”
Ultimately, after borrowing an untraceable phone from a fellow Stratford Rotary member – and with two others standing by to take notes so they could file a report with Stratford police if needed – Aitcheson called the number listed in the email.
“This lady answered the phone and I said, ‘It’s Jean.’ She said, ‘Jean Aitcheson, I have been waiting for your phone call,’ and it went from there.”
While Aitcheson had to keep the news quiet until the office of the Governor General of Canada officially released its list of 99 new appointments Thursday, she told the Beacon Herald receiving such an honor was beyond her wildest dreams.
“It’s absolutely amazing. In your wildest dreams, you never could ever think that. That (kind of honor) belongs to rocket scientists and, apparently, Sydney Crosby,” said Aitcheson, referring to the hockey superstar’s appointment as an officer of the Order of Canada.
“Delighted to see Jean Aitcheson of Stratford appointed as a member of the Order of Canada!” Nater tweeted after calling Aitcheson personally Thursday morning to congratulate her. “Jean truly embodies the motto of the order, ‘They desire a better country.’ Congratulations, Jean and thank you for all you do!”
The first seeds of what would eventually grow into the Stratford Mission Depot were planted in 1995 when Aitcheson and her local mission group were preparing to begin on a medical trip to Guatemala. As Aitcheson tells it, the mission doctor told the group there were no medical supplies or equipment in the area they were traveling to so they would need to bring whatever they could with them.
“We had to scramble to amass basically a small emergency room’s (worth of) supplies,” Aitcheson said. “Then the next year, we decided to collect all year round and it went from there. It started in my bedroom upstairs and then we were at Stratford (General) Hospital for 10 years; we were at the Oak Street Center for 10 years … and that building was sold. We were at (a warehouse) on Jarvis Street for three years; we were in the old Heinbuck Funeral Home for a year; and now we are in an amazing space upstairs in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.”
Without any kind of funding, or even status as a registered charity, the Stratford Mission Depot relies entirely on donated space and the support of a team of roughly a dozen dedicated volunteers to take in, sort, process, package and label donations of second- hand medical supplies and equipment, and prepare them for travel with locals to some of the poorest regions in the world.
“The volunteers are everything,” Aitcheson said. “I share this honor – and it’s a huge honor – with all of the people who give us those supplies, with the people who move them around, who drop them off and take them wherever, with the volunteers who process them all, and with the organizations like Rotary, like the Ukrainian Canadian Medical Association of Ontario, the Warehouse of Hope in St. Catharines and Friends to Cuba.
“Without all of those organizations and all of those people, what we do here is of no use unless it gets to where it’s needed. So I share this honor with them.”
This year, with the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Aitcheson says she and her team of volunteers have worked harder than ever to send critical medical supplies and equipment to those fleeing violence and those fighting in Ukraine.
“We’ve never handled not only the amount of the supplies, but the quality of supplies that we’ve sent this year to Ukraine. But we not only send to Ukraine. We send a lot of stuff to Cuba … South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, El Salvador, you name it. … We know our supplies probably reach about 26 different countries around the world, and now that includes Ukraine,” Aitcheson said.
In total, Aitcheson estimates Stratford Mission Depot works with groups and individuals from as many as 16 different organizations and services clubs. This year alone, the Mission Depot team collected, sorted and sent off roughly a dozen 16-foot truck loads of medical supplies and equipment from its 2,000-square-foot storage space at St. Andrew’s church.
And that need for donations of medical supplies and equipment doesn’t end.
“All of those supplies have already healed our citizens and now they don’t need them anymore. That’s what we need. We need people’s medical supplies and stuff that they have at home that they no longer need – their walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, air casts, their medications, either personal or over the counter. All manner of medical supplies is what we need to fill our space.
“It’s probably only a small, little, tiny bit of care, but it’s what these people need to survive.”
Those who have medical supplies or equipment they would like to donate to Stratford Mission Depot can call Aitcheson at 519-276-1975 to arrange a drop off or visit St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Tuesdays from 9 am to 12 pm
Since its creation in 1967, the Order of Canada has honored more than 7,600 Canadians whose service has shaped our society, whose innovations have ignited our imaginations, and whose compassion has united our communities, the Governor General’s office stated in a release.
“What a beautiful way to end the year, honoring Order of Canada appointees and learning about the depth and range of their accomplishments,” Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said in the press release. “Celebrated trailblazers in their respective fields, they are inspiring, educating and mentoring future generations, creating a foundation of excellence in our country that is respected throughout the world.
“Their commitment to the betterment of Canada fills me with pride and hope for the future. Alianaigusuqatigiivassi. Congratulations.”
Aitcheson and all appointees will be invited to an investiture ceremony at a later date to receive their insignia.