Take a moment to breathe and step back from your day to-day struggles.
The Respite Cabin offers solace and support while you reflect on your life.
Receive support to develop the resilience skills you need to live well and move forward.
Discover how to reconnect and get support from family, friends and your community.
An elegant log cabin closely connected to nature
Recover from daily stresses and anxiety
Access professionals and
support programs
Reflect on relationships and life goals
Acknowledge struggles and formulate a plan to address them
Event space for individual or group education and therapy sessions
Farmers and First Responders experience an unprecedented amount of stress, and are at high risk for developing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts.
High exposure to trauma
First Responders are 90% more at risk for being exposed to a traumatic event
Extreme stress and anxiety
58% of Farmers and 88% of First Responders report feeling anxious and stressed
High suicide rate
25% of First Responders think about suicide, and Farmers are twice as likely to die by suicide than the general population
To everyone who knew him, Dalles seemed fine… he had a loving and beautiful wife, was fulfilling his dream to be a Farmer and volunteered his time as a First Responder. On the outside, everything appeared more than fine. But things were not fine…
Read the Full StoryTo enhance and support the mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of individuals primarily involved in the agricultural and First Responder communities who are struggling with forms of stress and anxiety.
The Three Oaks Respite Cabin will be a quiet place where individuals who are facing emotional and mental fatigue can seek solace. It will provide guests with accommodation, resources and support for mental wellness, including the necessary resilience and coping skills needed for living well in their personal and professional lives.
Having grown up in a farming family, I know first-hand how mental health in the agricultural sector and beyond has been neglected for far too long. This tragic story truly emphasizes just how close to home the pain is. The manner in which the Bergsma Family has chosen to honour the memory of Dalles is an inspirational helpline for struggling rural Canadians. I sincerely hope that anyone hurting, will take advantage of this Respite Cabin and find there is much to live for.”
“The project, to create a place of respite for
First Responders and their families, who are so frequently in need of refuge from the stresses
of their lives, either in solitude or with their peers is a worthwhile one. I believe that, if approved, it will put Dawn-Euphemia in the vanguard of those communities who are doing something to recognize the value of the service of our First Responders who, in our smaller communities, are mostly volunteers.”
“An inspiring charity that brings healing and hope for tomorrow in memory of a loved community First Responder”
“Farmers and First Responders across Ontario are in need of specific, culturally appropriate services that meet their unique needs. Three Oaks Respite Cabin will be an ideal spot to provide Farmers and First Responders with a brief break from the mental health injury they have experienced due to chronic stress. I highly recommend this project/ministry for those that want to partner with the Bergsma Family in order to provide a safe place to begin a journey of healing.”
“As a fire chief, I can provide countless hours of safety, first aid and training to my crew. However, mental health of our crew is something we don’t always know or understand enough to handle. There is no quick fix. That is why I believe it is critically important to not only our firefighters, but to others in the area, that we have access to something like Three Oaks Respite Cabin. It becomes a tool all of us can utilize to help our crews be better fire fighters and improve our own mental health.”
“The most important part in Farm Safety is a person’s well being especially their mental health. Sometimes to have a place to get away from the day-to-day struggles is very important for some people’s coping needs. The peace and tranquility at Three Oaks would be a great spot to have available for Lambton Farmers and residents to have access to for their emotional journey.”
With your very generous support we were able to complete the cabin build in just one year! The cabin is fully furnished and we are now ready to host our first guest. Thank YOU!
Nature Trails are being developed and will need to be maintained for our guests to enjoy. Mental wellness programming will also be offered to our guests during and after their stay at Three Oaks.
Ongoing funds will be needed to sustain the level of support that our guests need. Three Oaks will be looking to our communities for coordinated support for the first responder and farmer guests we hope to host. Supporting Three Oaks financially is a beautiful and effective way to say “thank you” to the people who work diligently to keep food on our tables and keep our communities safe.
Three Oaks Cabin is a registered Charitable Organization (742793409RR0001)
All cash donations will receive a tax receipt.
