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A look at agencies working with Oakville United Way Oakville Crisis Centre will now be identified with a new logo and the name Distress Centre Oakville. Currently in its 20th year, the agency receives over 10,000 calls annually. The Canadian Mental Health Association is runâ€" ning two programs, "You Are Not Alone," inforâ€" mation and support to partners whose spouses or exâ€" spouses are suffering from mental health or addicâ€" tion on There is March 23rd, 30th and April 6th),and a Suicide Intervention Workshop designed for members of any support service in the community, a twoâ€"day workshop on April 21st and 22nd. Contact Kenzie Hunt at 845â€"5044. The Halton Multicultural Council Inc. is now a member W us m on on o on on en is ns ns s m m s an ie us Way. The council is dedicated to enabling every individual, regardless of racial/ethnic oriâ€" gin to participate as full and active members of this community through fostering mutual respect and understanding of one another. March 24th â€" Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic, at Towne Chevâ€"Olds, 1:30 to 8 p.m. April 28th â€" Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic, at Towne Chevâ€"Olds, 1:30 to 8 p.m. May 28th â€" Oakville‘s fourth annual Fun Fit Challenge will take place on the grounds of Appleby College. June 24th to 26th â€" The 1994 Oakville Waterfront Festival will ts se e m omm e oi o o m w mc ms e ons snn oo m c c e m o im es on t on n o o im ie m me s a me t es eb e c t es a upâ€"coming even o uns un on m m ae o us s ts t we » . take place. i July 27th â€" United Way of U Oakville‘s _ Annual _ Golf se m se w m n in Tournament will take place at Wyldewood Golf and Country Club in Hornby. This year‘s celebrity host will be Ron MacLean of Molson‘s Hockey Night in Canada. 4s n os e w n w it the way to help the most . . . Oakville is a great place to live, and we must all :work at building and strengthening the community. w United Way is committed to improving the quality of ® life for people in Oakville by raising and investing money in services and programs that help meet the human care needs. St. Lawrence Cement is proud of its association and support for United Way of Oakville. KE B 4 m n ue un ue Stewart B. Smith General Manager agency of the Oakville United . / . THE OAKVILLE BEAVER UnitEdway of oakville * Reaches Out... m mm â€"= _ uy M Y G CNIB rehabilitation helped senior By NORMA HLINA Special to the Beaver We all know what it is like to spend an evening alone while the rest of the family is out, and may even relish the prospect of such solitude and peace. When we turn down the lights, turn off the television, and notice the silence of our surroundings, however, loneliness may overcome us. Imagine growing old. You feel thankful that your chilâ€" dren are leading independent lives, but when sickness or death overtakes your mate, you suddenly experience that ‘alone feeling every evening. For one Oakville woman, loneliness took on an added dimension. As Iene (not her real name) sat watching television and knitting a sweater for her grandson one evening, she suddenly became weary. She lay down her knitting, turned off the television, and went to bed. When Iene awoke the next morning, her world looked very fuzzy. She rubbed her eyes, but the fuzziness remained. Later that day, she saw her doctor and was referred to an ophthalmologist. The diagnosis was macuâ€" lar degeneration, an eye disease which affects mainly the senior population and is the leading cause of visual impairment in Canada. There is no known cure for macula degeneration. The only comfort IHene‘s doctor could give her was that she would not completely lose her vision to this disease, but would retain enough peripheral sight to get around. She was referred to The Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) for help with adjusting to her vision loss. Two months later, if you peeked in the window of Ilene‘s home, you would see her knitting again; this time with larger needles color contrasted to her wool. She would be contentedly listening to the latest edition of Maclean‘s magazine, tape recorded in the CNIB Library for the Blind studio. Rehabilitation teaching lessons had taught Ilene how to thread a needle and identify the coins in her change purse. Ilene is only one of the more than 2,000 people in the Halton and Peel regions who the local CNIB district cenâ€" tre serves. Because the CNIB is a United Way member agency, your donation to the United Way and CNIB helps provide services to people like her. Norma Hlina is a CNIB Rehabilitation Teacher. Citizens‘ Review Panels instrumental in deciding where United Way funds go Have you ever wondered who decides how the money which United Way raises is used? The United Way is a volunteerâ€"based organization and this is true especially when it comes to decisions relating to the disposition of dollars raised in the community to support agencies which deliver the much needed services. These decisions are made by volunteers who are carefully recruited to represent a broad cross section of the community through the Citizens‘ Review proâ€" cess. ' In conjunction with the United Way Agency Relations committee and Board Members, a total of 24 people serving on five Citizens‘ Review Panels will direct the disposition of over $1 million raised during the 1993 United Way campaign. It is a tall order to ensure that services remain releâ€" vant in these changing times. The current economic climate, combined with reductions in government spending, has resulted in increased pressure on Proud to support the United Way of Oakville _and their 34 human care services. ST.LAWRENCE suicoinc ror the rutuare i CEMENT Friends for life When Robin (not her real name) moved to the Halto Region from the Prairies, her world was shattered. Robin left behind the comfort of expansive playing fields, her belove pets, and one of her parents. At the tender age of six, she w experiencing a very trying period in her life. Today, Robin, 8, and her partner Lori Martin, 18, exemâ€" plify all that Karen Clyde is striving to achieve as program manger of Youth Aiding Youth (YAY). Paired together since the fall of 1991, their relationship is standing the test of time. Funded in part by the United Way of Oakville and sponâ€" sored by the Children‘s Assessment and Treatment Centre (CATC) in Burlington, YAY sees volunteers aged 16 to 20 paired on a oneâ€"toâ€"one basis with children aged 6 to 12. The teens act as special friends to their partners, providing leadâ€" ership and guidance. Children who participate in the YAY program often face difficulty in their lives such as limited opportunities to socialize, shyness, stress, and lack of social skills. Having a) YAY partner assists in increasing selfâ€"esteem and enriching| social competence and is a preventative measure toward future social problems. As the only staff member of YAY, Clyde relies heavily _ upon volunteers such as Lori for her program‘s success. Shel stresses the importance of commitment and dedication i teens who decide to volunteer with YAY. ‘"The children they are working with do not need anothef disappointment in their lives, so it is very important that the match is reliable and dependable," Clyde said. She expects a minimum commitment of one year fro her volunteers, who must undergo a training course before being accepted to the program. The teens are paired wit children displaying similar personality traits to ensure com patibility and success within the match. Lori provides Robin with opportunities that the young girl might not otherwise have, and acts as a positive rold model in all respects. The two meet for a few hours eve; Saturday morning, and often attend gatherings and recreation events organized by Clyde for her YAY pairs. Lori has taught Robin how to feel good about herself and others, and stresses the importance of being a good friend Together, the two discuss any problems that arise and wor towards a resolution. What do the two of.them do on their Saturday morning together? Everything from painting rocks and playing mini golf, to walking Lori‘s dog, feeding the birds in a nearb park, and sharing conversation. Baking is also high o Robin‘s list of fun things to do. Lori views her involvement with Youth Aiding Youth as rewarding experience that has afforded her personal growt and maturity. Working with Robin has allowed her to exa ine how other people go through life and has taught her t respect and appreciate the differences between individual Lori hopes to teach one day, and sees her work with Yout! Aiding Youth as a valuable steppingâ€"stone towards achievin this goal. Lori‘s family has a strong history of volunteering and ha instilled in her the importance of giving something back the community in which she lives. What better way to d this than by providing a young child with a brighter outloo on life? Human Care agencies to provide improved servicd to a growing number of clients. The challenge undertaken by Citizens‘ Revie Panel members is to ensure that available money used in the most effective way and to make certa United Way donors get real value for their charitab dollars. The Citizens‘ Review Panel members take the/ responsibilities very and the community Oakville is very fortunate to have the following pe ple volunteer their time and talents to this ve important part of the funding process in 1994. Tom Hierlihy, Greg Duffy, Pat McEwen, Pauli Robertson, Dee Webber, Cathie Sacco, Irene Jaco Fran Richardson, Ken Robertson, Annette Arnol John Parish, Vic Darling, David Davidson, Edi Kon, Russell Scott, Gordon Stewart, Bill Berle Jenny Gould, Jose Burguete, John Lloyd, Rola Beaulne, Liz Behrens, Nancy Blue, and Brud Massey.