Spring - Reena

A group of special volunteers
by Mohamed Lalji, Resource Manager
Society has long believed that people
with developmental disabilities are always
the recipients of aid. Sometimes, however,
they’re the givers of aid. A group of Reena
clients have successfully volunteered in
the community for many years. These
special volunteers perform a variety of
much-needed tasks for others within the
community, including spending time
with seniors and helping them with
grocery shopping, at the food bank and
at the Jewish Community Centre.
One of the longest-running volunteer
services Reena clients provide is Meals on
Wheels. Seven years ago, clients, together
with staff, began delivering meals to 10
seniors in their homes through the Villa
Colombo Centre. Our volunteers for the
Meals on Wheels for Seniors program are
special people. They offer their friendship,
time and skills to seniors who are
living alone and are unable to shop or
prepare a hot, nutritious meal for
themselves. Donald Tverdoch*,
Shireen Marcus, Michelle Ceresne
and George Rosenthal look forward to
meeting new people in the community
and helping those who need a hand
to get by.
“When we arrive at someone’s home,
the door is usually open and we receive a
warm welcome. The seniors enjoy
chatting with us, but we have to run,
knowing that the next person is waiting
for us. The seniors are excited to see our
faces. Sometimes we are the only people
they talk to that day. When one of us is
missing, they are sure to ask where we
are. Not to worry, we say, we’ll all be
back tomorrow.”
Reena clients also deliver hot and
cold meals twice a week to seniors in the
community through Community Home
Assistance to Seniors. Reena’s Meals on
Wheels program is a great success all
round. Our clients learn practical skills
and gain positive exposure in the
community. Through any weather
conditions, they consistently and cheerfully
carry out their volunteer work. They
take great pride in the jobs they perform.
In this, the International Year of the
Volunteer, we’re very proud — of the
program and of the clients who carry
it through.
* Since writing this article, we’re deeply
sorrowed by the sudden passing of Donald
Tverdoch, which occurred during the course of
the volunteer work that he so loved doing. He
was surrounded by his colleagues and a Reena
staff member. We will all miss him deeply and
we extend sincere condolences to his family.
Aging and Developmental Disabilities Symposium
Phase 2
by Sandy Stemp, Project Manager
Two years ago, Reena began to recognize
that many people with developmental
disabilities are aging. This positive change
in their life span, however, has exposed a
gap in support services between health care
and social services. Reena recognized this as
a major issue and began a community
development initiative.
A Symposium on Aging and Developmental
Disabilities, held by Reena in 1999,
brought together representatives of both
the aging and developmental disabilities
sectors from across the province. Following
the event, interested agencies came
together and created the Aging and
Developmental Disabilities Committee to
be facilitated by Reena. Health Canada has
4 • KOLREENA March 2001
provided limited funding for an enrichment
project to use the information learned at the
symposium. This project consists of seminars
offered in four regions of Ontario.
Reena looks after the project’s management
and community development and ensures
that the process and the outcomes are met.
One of the main outcomes of the
symposium was that local projects would
start as soon as possible. We’re happy to
hear that many initiatives have already
begun to look at the support of aging
people with developmental disabilities.
Congratulations to the local planning
committee that organized the first seminar.
It took place in Geneva Park in Orillia in
December 2000 and was chaired by the
District Health Council. The two-day
event, sponsored by Health Canada, the
Ministry of Community and Social Services,
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
and Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals
with Special Needs, was a great
success. This sponsorship is a clear indication
that people are motivated to form
partnerships and work together.
The second seminar was recently held in
London, Ont. The third seminar will be held
in Thunder Bay on Fri. Mar. 30, 2001, and
the South East Region seminar takes place
in Kingston at Queens University on Tue.
May 8, 2001. For more details or to attend
any of these workshops, please contact me
at (905) 889-2690 ext. 2043.