Adam Prudhomme
Editor
VON Napanee put a bow on Community Support Services Month on Oct. 31 with an Expo at the Westdale Auditorium.
A handful of guest speakers and local agencies were on hand to highlight some of services available for seniors in the area.
“It’s about making awareness in the community for the general population about what community support services are,” said Cindy Weese, manager of VON Napanee. “Typically they’re providing a service that allows people to stay in their homes. Today for example we’ve got Alzheimer’s Society so they can support clients in home care with a loved one who can help provide better care for them using their services. We also have Allied Health Team (Rural Frontenac, L&A) here and the same thing, they have dietician services, they have respiratory services and a number of different services that allow clients to stay in their homes.”
Cake was also served at the event in recognition of VON’s five year anniversary of serving the Napanee community.
Though the expo was held on Halloween, there was no denying the presence of a Christmas tree in the corner of the auditorium.
The tree represented the launch of a new initiative for VON this year known as Christmas for Seniors, which they are hosting in partnership with the Napanee Rotary Club. Hanging on the tree’s branches are a tag listing a local senior and their request for a holiday gift.
Napanee Rotary past president Kathy McCaffrey with VON’s Cindy Weese show the Christmas for Seniors tree, a new initiative to brighten the holidays for local seniors. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
“It’s for seniors in the community that could use a little holiday cheer,” explained Weese. “They might not have any family or support. It’s mainly to purchase a toiletry of some sort and a small personalized gift. All the staff have come forward with people that could use that bag of cheer. It could be something like a pair of pyjamas, a book or a puzzle, somebody did a paint by numbers kit.”
The Rotary Club will be appearing at various holiday markets over the coming weeks with smaller versions of the tree. Anyone who picks a tag is asked to bring their unwrapped gift to the VON office at 12 Richmond Park Dr. by Dec. 11, which will then be distributed to local seniors.
To learn more about VON visit www.VON.ca or call 613-354-6668.