WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1986, PAGE 23 VON needs v'olunteer.s to visit clients For the patient retur- ning to, an empty home after a stay in hospital, convalescence can be a long and ionely process. With the Vie- torian Order of Nurses Friendly Visitor Family Support Program, however, convalescence can be the beginning of an important and highly valued friendship. The program, now five years old, matches volunteers with VON clients Who share similar interests for weekly ,get-togethers over the course of a The Charter Officers of the new Brooklin District Lions Club were elected on Feb. 6, to serve until the end of the coming Lions' year on June 30, 1987. Ail mem- bers of the new club were presented with their Charter pins by Past District Governor, Herb Visser of Whitby Lions Club and Past District Governor Gerry Albert of Sudbury. Albert is the represen- tative of Lions Inter- national for ail of Eastern Canada and parts of the North- Eastern United States. David Brennan is the Charter President, Brian Wright is Secretary and Don FROM PG. 4 Letter: I flrmly believe it is la the public's best interest, for us al[to support the physician's freedom, to act as hislher own ad- vocate and as an ad- vocate of good heaith care. I hope many readers aiso feel this way and that they will let their views be known to their Member of Parliament, Minister of Health, -Premier and anyone else who is in- voived in determining the outcome of this issue. Yours truly, Norah Conneil FROM PG. 14 Heart wil ha able to cover 90 percent of thse town hafore month end. "I just hope thse people whose doors are knocked on appreciate that their neiglsbours have volunteered their time to get out and can- vasa for the heart fund and that they will respond wlth donations. This li'a disease that ef- fects everyone in the community," said Mr. Gartshore. If you've got some colour film you're planning to have procesaed, save it for this Friday and pay a visit to, Jimnmy D'a. The shop is located at 211 Brock St. S. next to the Fire Hall there's lots of free parking on the aouth aide of the building. protracted recovery period. The visits need be no more than an hour and a haîf a week, ac- cording to volunteer co- ordinator Karen Thom- pson, but they form an. important link in the healing process. "The basic idea behind the program ils that the volunteers and patients form a meaningfui friendshlp that grows with tirne so that the patient looks forward to the volun- teer's visits. They ht'rome vo'v "lose ac- Morey was Treasurer. P.D.G. Gerry gave an infor talk on the Lior national family included a lide1 tation. Lions national famiiy ii Lions club (mer tually," said Mrs. Thompson iast week. Patient referrals, corne into Mrs. Thom- pson's office from VON nurses working in the field and are normally convalescents, yowig or old, who are isolated, lonely or depressed. In some cases, the volun- teer visitors may just be providing relief for care givers, or they mnight be a husband and wife who corne by once a week for a round of bridge with an isoIated couple. There are currently eiected seves. He observed, among other things, that Lions have in the jAlbert past few years rmative established 44 medical is Inter- centres in Ontario which presen- Inter- .ncludes ýi 19 and over), Lionesa clubs (women 19 and over) and Leo clubs consisting of boys and girls up to 18 years of age. The Lions' overail motto la "We serve hatter together". Aihart's talk expressed the sense of joy, satisfaction and per- sonal growth derived by ail service clubs from helping their com- munities and those less fortunate than them- some 60 volunteer visitors working in southern Durham Region and Mrs. Thom- pson said they would like to expand the prograni into the outlying areas to the north and into Pickering. In Whitby, Mrs. Thornpson has five referrals waiting to be matched with volun- teers. Volunteers and patient referrals are screend by Mrs. Thom- pson for similar , in- terests and the only common criteria for yplunteers is a desire to share some of their tume with a person less for- tunate them them- selves. Every effort is made to match volun- teers with patients who live near by. "It takes some time to make a match because no match is better than a poor one. And we ask our volunteer anlilcants protect the client, said Mrs. Thonipson. Once they have been matched with a patient, volunteers are in regular contact with Mrs. Thonipson and the visiting nurse who is responsible for the physical care of the patient. In this way, the volunteers and nursing staff form a team and the volunteers can assiat the VON in its regular reassessment of the patient's1 needs. That regular 'contact also helps Mrs. Thom- paon assess the ex- periences of the volun- teer because the growth of the volunteer is just as important.as that of the patient. Ail volunteers go through a one evening orientation session before they meet with their match and there is a regular program of in- service education, ad- ded the programn co- Although there is a need for volunteers of ail ages, Mrs. Thomn- pson said they especiallv need 'men volunteers. If you think You might enjoy making a new friend, please cali 571-3151 or 1-800-263- 7970. WHITBY OPTICAL ls NOW OPEN 105 Coiborne St. W. Whitby 666-3797 alone, along with a niyriad of other facilities and personal service endeavours. Residents of Brookiin and surrounding çom- munities are invited to a further meeting at the Brooklin Community Centre on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. For information on Lions club membership cali Dave Brennan at 6554144, Ian Robb at 668-0607 or Brian Wright at 655-3193. Ladies in- terested in Whtby Lioneas should cal Eleanor Stevenson at 668-5231. Extra billing M.D., C.C.F.P. Picton, Ontario. EDITOR'S NOTE: We agrme whoie hear- tediy and have been saylng the same thlng for about ten years, oniy we've heen talklng about rent controls. Alil the arguements are the saine. The 'oniy dif- ference Is landiords can't pick up their buildings and move to greener pastures. We're sympathetic to the doc- tors' cause as we are the landiords', and we hope that our readers wlil ex- press their feelings on both travesties when they write or caii the appropriate people. We don't believe seiected indivîduais shouid be arbitrarlly chosen by the government to reach la their own pockets and provîde prîvate weifare assistance, If people -need t. reach in their need assistance that shouid be a function of government and the cost carried by ail tax- payera, flot luit a seiec- payera, flot just a select few individuals. SMALL CAR CENTRE 830 EUCLI D ST., WH ITBY 866-2323 LUBE, OIL, FILTER AND CHECK-UP S1599 0 POINT CHECK-UP *COOLANT *WIPER BLADES *HOSES *LIGHTS FAN BELTS *BATTERY -TIRES *EXHAUST #SHOCKS *FRONT ENDS -FREE BRAI<E INSPECTION MOST CARS AND SMALL TRUCKS FURMU~tEST PII'D Refinishing & Custom Upholstery ANTIQUES BOUGNI & SOLD Open 7Days a Week Furniture 41.3 Dundee St. E. Whitbey Ont. 668-5481 New Brooklin Lions now recruiting