Community Care celebrates 35 years of services for seniors

The value of quality of life in the golden years was celebrated at the 35th anniversary party for the Community Care for Seniors organization Friday, at the Regent Theatre.
More than 500 volunteers help Prince Edward County seniors live independently at home through a variety of programs and services. Mayor Peter Mertens brought greetings from the County and congratulations for 35 years of service to the community through a strong volunteer corp. He told the audience of compelling arguments made at council last week by residents of H.J. McFarland nursing home on the importance of their front yard as their connection to the community and to the world.
“Community Care for Seniors volunteers play that same role in the contact they have with seniors – be it through community care, or be it through meals on wheels, or services they have home like having your feet done, or visitations, or picking them up and taking them places. That is their connection to the community, and their connection to the world. When we have the ability and the opportunity to have our seniors stay at home and enjoy quality of life that is like no other, then that is a service that is well worth putting the effort into.”

Prince Edward Hastings MP Daryl Kramp echoed the value of volunteer contributions.
“At the end of the day we know there are folks all over our county here who are laying their heads down in bed at night in their own homes, confident that the next day will bring a day of joy, a day of pleasure and certainly a day of friendship, knowing full well there would be the cheerful arrival of a volunteer to help around house or with delicious meals on wheels, or just a friendly visit to say hello.”

Kramp applauded current volunteers and encouraged other to become volunteers. “It’s well known that Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers and the Titanic was built by professionals,” he joked.

And the laughs continued by the bellyful as comedian Deborah Kimmett shared her unique blend of wit and wisdom in a dynamic and inspirational ‘come on people’ just ‘say yes to life’ pep talk. Click here to put pep in your own writing, spice up your next staff or board meeting, or sign up for Kimmett’s Schmooze-letter.

The celebration was also to include the unveiling of three new videos that explain services at Community Care for Seniors. Technical difficulties prevailed and just one video was able to be shown, but the new ones and last year’s videos are always available on the Community Care for Seniors website (and below).

“We do need your support,” confirmed executive director Debbie MacDonald Moynes. “There’s more and more seniors in Prince Edward County – people here getting older and retirees moving here – so we need your support to continue to provide services. We need more volunteers and more resources.

“The caring of our volunteers isn’t run by technology. Deborah Kimmett said you have to grow with it, walk though it and certainly lots of laughter and lots of good perspective enables a person or organization to keep going for a very long time.”