LJC. 1H E O A r v V I L L t D t r t V C R weunesuay /\p n i zo, zuui Photos by Peter C. McCusker A ccepting their V olunteer o f the Year aw ard from M ayor A nn M u lvale, are from left, M argaret C am pbell, a volunteer at SE N A C A Seniors D ay Program ; A m isha A graw al, a volunteer at O akville Trafalgar M em orial H ospital, and the O akville S en ior C entre A rts and C rafts G roup. A ccep ting the plaque on b eh alf o f the group are R osalind M adsen, third from right, and E lsie H ansen. Volunteers honoured for their dedication By Wilma Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS EDITOR A w om an w ho helps cognitively impaired seniors, a senior craft group, and a high school student, have been nam ed O akville's Volunteers o f the Year. T he aw ards w ent to M argaret Campbell, a volunteer at the SENACA Seniors D ay P rogram ; the O akville Seniors C entre A rts and C rafts Volunteers; and A m isha Agrawal, a day captain supervising youth volunteers at O akville Trafalgar M emorial Hospital. C am pbell volunteers three day a w eek at SENACA, a day program for frail cognitively im paired adults. The agency offers support, and an overnight respite service, for family caregivers. C am pbell, w ho w as "pleasantly shocked" to be chosen as the recipient of the Volunteer o f the Year award, has given more than 2,200 volunteer hours to SEN A CA since she got involved in February 1995 - and over 500 hours last year. "I got involved w ith SEN A C A through a friend," said Campbell. "She thought it would be good for me to get involved. That was five years ago, and I'm still there. I like it." Campbell helps clients on a one-toone basis, sells buttons on behalf of the agency the Oakville W aterfront Festival, and raffle tickets, plus she helps out at school work fairs where G rade 9 and 10 students can learn about volunteering opportunities with local agencies. "She is patient and compassionate w ith all the participants," said Councillor Ralph Robinson. "She assists with meals, programs and individual needs. "M argaret's volunteering does not end with the program and its partici pants. She also volunteers outside the program with prom otions and fundrais ing." In announcing her award, M ayor Ann M ulvale said her dedication to SEN A CA is outstanding. "It takes very special people, like M argaret w ho are com passionate, patient, and truly sincere to work with frail and elderly individuals. "M argaret has dedicated a trem en dous am ount o f time to the SENACA Seniors Day Program. Her smiling face and willingness to assist are invaluable to participants and staff alike." The mayor said it is difficult to put a price on the value o f volunteering, "but when you start to put a value on her 500 hours o f volunteer work, say at m ini mum wage, $10 or even $15 an hour, you begin to realize the value o f her con tribution." H elping the O akville Seniors Recreation Centre on Kerr Street pay for its share o f the cost o f a new parking lot is the goal o f its A rts and C rafts Volunteers, recipients o f the G roup Volunteer o f the Year award. The centre and the Town had agreed to split the cost, at $60,000 each, for the new park ing lot across the street. "W e're over halfw ay there," said Rosalind M adsen who accepted the award on behalf o f the group. "O ur group raises the majority o f the money, but w e're not the only ones. O ther groups at the centre are also raising money to pay for this parking lot. W e're in the middle o f our second year." Previously, m oney raised by his group was used to purchase automatic door openers for the centre. All o f the money raised by the Arts and Crafts Volunteers is used to enhance the cen tre's programs and facilities. This group o f betw een 40 and 45 w om en works year round preparing for the centre's major fundraiser, its annual Autumn Harvest Craft and Bake Sale. This year's sale will be held on Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. "Their crafts are labours o f love as the funds raised from the sales o f the crafts are used for the seniors' centre programs and activities," said M ulvale in presenting the award. "If you have ever been to the Autumn Harvest Craft and Bake Sale you know w hat wonderful crafts these volunteers create. They are creative, talented and dedicated. The Centre would not be w hat it is today had it not been for the efforts o f the A rts and C rafts Volunteers." The group has m et weekly for 25 years, producing hand-made items knitting, sewing, crocheting and ceram ics - and baking, for the annual sale. "Through their involvement in the craft group, friendships have been made and it is an afternoon the volunteers look forward to, contributing both their time and skills," said C ouncillor Kurt Franklin, a former Volunteer o f the Year recipient. "W hen members are no longer able to attend the group due to illness or frailty, craft materials are dropped off at their homes - at their request - so that they are able to continue contributing," he said. "We also make dolls for the Third world, and hats for new bom babies at Oakville Trafalgar M em orial Hospital," added Madsen St. Ignatius o f Loyola O A C student A m isha Agrawal assists, as a day cap tain, in planning and organizing orienta tions for new volunteers at Oakville Trafalgar M emorial Hospital. In addi tion, she leads tour groups through the hospital "A m isha's enthusiasm extends beyond her regular volunteer duties as dem onstrated by her personal involve ment in many hospital events," said Franklin. She assists w ith the O TM H Sum m ertim e Fundraiser, V alentine's Day Bake Sale and the Christmas Candy Cane Reindeer Fundraiser. "Her eagerness and zest for life is contagious and her boundless energy m akes her an asset to the hospital envi ronm ent," he said. A m isha is also a m em ber o f the T ow n's Youth V olunteer A dvisory Council, helping w ith program improve m ents, fundraising activities and social events. She also volunteered with the Take Back the Night Walk, sponsored by the Halton Rape Crisis Centre, and is a local leader for the Endometriosis Association o f Oakville. The 20-year-old student was diag nosed with this chronically painful dis ease o f the uterus, causing infertility, five years ago. Hence she started a local support group. To date, the group has held two meetings, and she attended a conference in M ilwaukee last February. `T h ree years ago I started volunteer ing at the hospital because I'm interest ed in a career in the medical profession," said Amisha, who will be attending the University o f Guelph. "I would like to be a child life specialist at a m ajor hos pital." In announcing her as the Youth Volunteer o f the Year, M ulvale said "her enthusiasm and com m itm ent is evident in her various volunteering activities. "A t the hospital, she is an extraordi nary m otivator for the patients and an excellent role model for other youth. She enhances the hospital's services to ensure a high quality o f patient care." The awards were presented at a Town H all reception fo r volunteers on M onday night as part o f N ational Volunteer Week, April 22 to 28. 00th Anniversary Our Spring Inventory Clearance is on now. Now is the time to buy. Sale ends April 3 0 th . |KERRf I C A D IL L A C I I PO W T1A C I 1 B U tC K L t d | 410 SOUTH SERVICE RD. W. (JU ST W E ST O F DORVAL) 905-845-1681 ITT CADILLAC cffifc PONTIAC BU1CK INC. HAM. Q 1 .W . TO R .- S. S E R V IC ER D . . 3 * KERR ! N y Oakville m a zo a s p /ifjy Fun run for VAVP PURCHASE FINANCING FOR UP TO 36 MONTHS' QU3 rJ 2001 Mazda Protege LX C A S H P U R C H A S E FR O M O R L E A S E FR O M * 2 1 9 / *MONTH^ 3 /a m 1 6 , 7 5 0 * O a k v ille m a z o a 1291 SPEERS ROAD Norlh sidebeJy«en 3rd Line& 4lh Line HWY. #5 lllhere Good Seruice is R Fact. Not Ju st 0 Promise! i s i 1 SPEERS R D . w w w .oakvillem azda.com 905 - 827-4242 T he V ictim A ssistance V olunteer P rogram o f the B urlington O PP is holding its second annual A ngels 'N M otion Fun Run on M ay 5. The event will be held at the Burlington O PP detach m ent, 1160 N orth Shore B lvd. E ., beside Joseph B rant H ospital. Participants can choose betw een five and 10 kilom etre routes. The 10 kilom etre route begins at 8 a.m. T he five-kilom etre par ticipants leave 15 minutes later. Participation is lim ited to 75 people. Last y ear's event raised $6,000 from the 75 partici pants in the walk/run. Entry fee is $50 or a m in im um o f $50 in pledges. Participants will run eastbound along L akeshore Road and back to the detach m ent for a com plim entary pancake and fruit breakfast w ith celebrity chefs. (Guests will be asked to pay $5 for breakfast.) Prizes, to be aw arded at 10 a.m., will go to the first participant to cross the finish line, and to the top three pledge collectors. T he V ictim A ssistance Volunteer Program (VAVP) is a n o n -p ro fit charitable organization w hich is cur rently not funded. The annu al A n g els' N M otion fundraiser allows the pro gram , for training v o lu n teers, to rem ain fin an cial viable. T hese volunteers assist the O PP by providing im m e diate short-term crisis inter vention for individuals trau m atized by fatalities or seri ous personal injuries due to m otor vehicle collisions. VAVP w orks closely with local h o sp itals and oth er related com m unity agencies to provide an efficient, com prehensive service. C ontact betw een the O PP and the VAVP is through a co m m u n ity p artnership betw een the detachm ent and Rogers AT&T, in place since the program 's inception six years ago. F or in fo rm atio n , call 905-681-2591. Pre-registra tions will be accepted until Friday, April 27.