Community Care Establishes Bursary
It was a proud day for the volunteers at Community Care’s Thrift Shop. At the recent graduation of Prince Edward Collegiate Institute students, Marilyn Dean, one of the Thrift Shop volunteers was there to present a $500.00 bursary to a graduating student entering a gerontology program.
Retired teacher Marilyn Dean spends every Monday morning in the Thrift Shop with a “crew” of volunteers who sort through the boxes, clean up the storage room, rotate stock, and decorate the front window of the store. Every other day of the week she drives around The County on pick up missions to gather goods to be sold in the Thrift Shop.
“The staff of the Thrift Shop is entirely made up of volunteers” according to Debbie MacDonald Moynes, Executive Director. “Over 50 volunteers provide customer service, sort, clean, repair and price the goods. It’s entirely volunteer-run and last year we only closed half a day because there weren’t enough volunteers to open,” she said.
All of the funds raised at the Thrift Shop are used to support the programs for seniors that are offered by Community Care. This year the agency board of directors established the bursary, using money raised at the Thrift Shop, as a way of encouraging young people to seek a career working with seniors.
The first recipient of the award was Melissa Storring. Melissa will be attending Loyalist College this fall to take the registered practical nurse course. She hopes to go on to take a Bachelor of Science in Nursing one day and looks forward to working with seniors in a long-term care facility.
Prince Edward Community Care for Seniors has been supporting seniors to live independently at home since 1977. Services include Meals on Wheels, transportation to medical appointments, noon-time dinners for seniors, foot care, help with forms, rural route reassurance and telephone reassurance programs. The agency is partly funded by the Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care and supported by donations and community fundraising efforts.
Call or visit the Community Care office at The Armoury, 206 Main Street, Picton, 476-7493. Check out the website at www.communitycareforseniors.org More volunteers are always needed to deliver Meals on Wheels and to help with other services.