Aitcheson speaks on her work at the Stratford Mission Depot

Jean Aitcheson from the Stratford Mission Depot stands with Braemar Women’s Institute president Anya Donaldson, centre and Anglican Church Women, Christ Church president Barbara Bruce – along with donations from the community. It took more than one car to transport the donations back to the depot and lots of work for the Tuesday crew of volunteers to sort and organize.

By: Laura Green

Stratford's Jean Aitcheson, a retired Canadian nurse, founder and leader of the Stratford Mission Depot, was a guest speaker at the Reaching Ontario Sharing Education (ROSE) program, co-hosted by Braemar Women’s Institute and the Anglican Church Women, Christ Church. Aitcheson was also appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023.

The event was held on Sept. 3 at 2 p.m. at Christ Church, Huntingford.

Aitcheson’s story of the Stratford Mission Depot's beginnings intertwines with her 55-year nursing career and her membership in Rotary International. The first seeds were planted in 1995 when Aitcheson and her local mission group were preparing to embark on a medical trip to Guatemala.

Aitcheson was told by the mission doctor that there were no medical supplies or equipment in the area that they were travelling to, so they would need to bring whatever they could with them. Pleas were sent out to community groups and off they flew with packed bags and suitcases.

Stratford Mission Depot outgrew many storage areas and now their newest home is at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, using the Sunday school rooms.

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, equipment and other items on their wish list and prepare them for travel with locals to some of the poorest regions in the world.

In total, Aitcheson estimates Stratford Mission Depot works with groups and individuals from as many as 16 different organizations and service clubs.

“All of those supplies have already healed our citizens and now they don’t need them anymore,” Aitcheson said. “That’s what we 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.”

Everything from warm blanket and socks or other humanitarian supplies are accepted and then shipped worldwide to areas in need.

The mission depot is open at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“It’s probably only a small, little, tiny bit of care, but it’s what these people need to survive.”

Aitcheson can be reached at 519-276-1975 to answer your inquiries.