Homebound Service - Greater Sudbury Public Library

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Feature: Words. Ideas. Inspiration.Making a difference,one book at a timeA number of years ago, journalist MitchAlbom wrote his best selling bookentitled, “Tuesdays with Morrie.” Inthis book, Albom recounts his visits tohis former Sociology professor MorrieSchwartz who is dying of Lou Gherig’sDisease. The author spends everyTuesday visiting with his professor andduring the process he discovers he islearning some of life’s lessons. Thedichotomy of the story is that Albomthinks that Morrie is giving him the giftof his memories and life wisdom, butthe real gift may be from Albom whoprovides Morrie with the gift of his time.This non-fiction narrative profiles twopeople who both gave the gift of timeand made a difference in each other’slives. One of the givers is a healthyindividual who commits time from his lifeto weekly visits at the bedside of a sickindividual. The second gift is from theailing person who provides his wisdomand insight.There is a free program offered throughthe Greater Sudbury Public LibraryCheck it out! Winter 2013by Michelle FexEveryone talks about making a difference, or wantingto make a difference, but going that extra mile to makea difference in someone’s life can sometimes seemunattainable. To make a difference is a commitment;it is a giving up of something very personal. It mightbe money, material objects, or time. Money is easy;cut a cheque and your commitment to change is over.Giving your time is harder. It requires the act of doing,interacting and sacrifice of a precious commodity thatcannot be replaced. There is no ability to buy moretime. Yet that is what volunteers do. Their commitmentto making a change is a debit in their own time capsule.that delivers a service very similar tothe narrative of this story. Making adifference in someone’s life does notnecessarily require a big investment intime. The Homebound Service supplieslibrary materials to people who areunable to physically visit a library. LibraryBE THE CHANGETHAT YOUWISH TO SEEIN THE WORLD.- Mahatma Gandhivolunteers visit homebound residentsonce a month to deliver and pick uplibrary materials. Careful effort is takenby library staff to select books andmaterials according to the preferences ofthe homebound residents. Hundreds ofbooks are delivered monthly to personsof all ages and circumstances. Audiobooks, large and regular print books,paperbacks, magazines, DVDs, CDs areall available in different languages. Thebest part of this service is that becausethe library coordinates the distributionthere are no late fees.The service is powered by volunteers.Together, 62 dedicated personsvolunteer nearly 200 hours a month tomake sure these homebound patronsreceive their library materials. On thesurface it sounds like a simple transaction,but once you dig deeper, you willfind that beyond the exchange of thebooks there is a more important socialexchange happening. One homeboundvolunteer sum s their commitment to theprogram by stating that, “Sharing the joyof reading and sharing my time, is likegiving a gift.Both clients and volunteers are from allwalks of life and at first may have verylittle in common other than their sharedpassion for reading. Beyond books, thisprogram establishes relationships andconnects people who have a sharedpassion for books. Patti Walton is theProgram Coordinator of HomeboundServices. Walton shares the story of howa client who was very sick sent her a cardsaying how much she appreciated theservice, and what a difference it made inher life. The client pointed out to Waltonthat the volunteer would do more thanjust drop off a book, they would stay andhave a small visit with her and discussthe books. Every month for two years allthrough the woman’s illness this volunteercontinued to visit and give of her time.Sadly, shortly after sending the card theclient passed away leaving behind manygood memories and a sense of loss forboth Walton and the volunteer. MoreGreater Sudbury Public Library
than just clients and volunteers, some ofthese people become invested in eachother’s lives. There are stories of clientsand volunteers exchanging gifts, gettingto know each other’s families and evenattending the funerals. One volunteerdelivered books to the same client for14 years.There is another story of onewoman who lost her vision.She shared with Waltonhow the delivery of theaudio books impacted herlife. Travelling to Torontoregularly, she found thedrive very long but nowthat she is enrolled in thehomebound program shereceives her audio booksand listens to them whileshe travels. She said thatthe trip does not seem aslong, because she pops in anaudiobook, and “it takes herto a whole different place”.Other comments from volunteers are,“I’m in good health and it feels goodto bring someone a little joy. “ Mostof the volunteers are themselves libraryusers and they receive just as much outof the experience. One patron called tosay that they have no family in the areaand they look forward every month toseeing the volunteer. Every day in smallways this is how these people make adifference in each other’s lives. If youwant to learn more about this service,for either a loved one, or if you areinterested in being a volunteer contactthe library for more information.More about the Homebound ServiceThe Homebound service is a free and convenient service that supplies library materialsto people who are unable to come into the library. This service is available for all agesand is free. Library volunteers visit homebound residents once a month to deliver orpick up library materials. This service is available to persons of all ages confined athome, hospital or other institution.New clients are always welcome. If you know of a loved one who might benefitfrom this service, let us know. Visit us online or stop by your local library for moreinformation. Volunteers are currently needed throughout the Greater Sudbury area.SOME INSPIRING BOOKS AVAILABLEIN THE LIBRARY SYSTEMRace Against Time by Stephen LewisIn audacious prose, alive with anecdotes ranging from maddeningto hilarious to heartbreaking, Lewis shows why and how theinternational community is falling desperately short of these goals.He probes the appalling gap between vision and current reality, buthe also offers bracingly attainable solutions.(Review by Amazon.ca)Life of Pi by Yann MartelSerious novels about young boys being drawn closer to Godwhile trapped on lifeboats with dangerous wild animals oughtto be impossible. Life of Pi, Yann Martel’s second novel, provesthey’re not. Its plot stretches the limits of credibility into new andexciting shapes, and the fact that Martel has made his materialsinto an enchanting story is almost unbelievable.(Review by Amazon.ca)The Art of Happiness in a Troubled Worldby the Dalai Lama and Howard C. CutlerA sequel to the best-selling The Universe in a Single Atom drawson the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Tibetan leader’s insights to revealhow Buddhist traditions may alleviate twenty-first-century problems,sharing stories, meditations, and conversations to identify culturalsources of unhappiness.OTHER TITLES AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY…Wild: From Lost to Found on thePacific Crest Trail by Cheryl StrayedTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeKite Runner by Khaled HosseiniForks over Knives: The Plant-Based Wayto Health edited by Gene StoneInterpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa LahiriGreater Sudbury Public LibraryWords. Ideas. Inspiration. Get Connected.
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Homebound Service - Greater Sudbury Public Library

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