summer
2013
CSI: MEALS
ON WHEELS
War on germs: FREE sanitation course
Contents
CABM.NET
[email protected]
The Volunteer Food Services
Central Office is a program
of the Volunteer Bureau
of Montreal
Shining the Spotlight on a Dedicated Volunteer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 2
A Word from Marjorie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 3
It ain’t over ‘til its over  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 4
Résolidaire Meals on Wheels client feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 5
The VBM beyond the Atlantic Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 6
Welcome Kasia!  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 6
Day to Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 7
Does Meals on Wheels Exist in Singapore?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 8
Important reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 9
Visit to Château Ramezay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 9
The joy of volunteering! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 10
Why Santropol? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 11
Meals on Wheels with an Italian accent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 12
Shining the Spotlight
on a Dedicated Volunteer
By Ludivine Willo
intern at the VBM
[email protected]
At 96 years of age, Régina
Lapointe is an inspiration in
the world of volunteering. For
55 years, she has contributed to
various volunteering activities,
even more since she retired. In
Cowansville, where she currently
lives, she’s a well-known figure
amongst the residents thanks to
the six hours she still devotes to
the Meals on Wheels group every
week. Although she is a volunteer
today, she was the founder of the
organization and the President for
many years.
What’s her secret? Her motivation and her enthusiasm for helping
others. It’s also no surprise that she
Cover:
Nancy and Marjorie inspecting
the VBM kitchen.
Photo credits:
Ziad Bitar*: p. 7, p. 9
Elisabeth Daoust*: p. 12
Josiane Noiseux*: p. 2
Jean-Eudes Schürr*: p. 3
Singapore YMCA: p. 8
Food for Thought is published by
the Volunteer Food Services
Central Office for Meals on Wheels
and Lunch Club volunteers.
Mrs. Lapointe, aged 96, active volunteer at the Cowansville Meals on Wheels.
won a prize in the “Gens de cœur –
homage aux bénévoles” contest in
March. This contest urged people
to nominate remarkable volunteers from across Québec and a
jury selected ten finalists, including
Mrs. Lapointe. Each received $1000
to donate to the organization of
their choice. The public was invited
to choose an overall winner, who
would be awarded $20,000 for the
same purpose. The jury was won
over by Mrs. Lapointe’s obvious
and long-standing dedication as
a volunteer. n
Volunteer Food Services
Central Office
Layout: Axel Pérez de León*
2015 Drummond St., Suite 300
Montreal, Quebec H3G 1W7
Telephone: 514.842.3351
Fax: 514.842.8977
www.cabm.net
[email protected]
Coordination: Ludivine ­Willo
Collaborators: Jeff Boman*, Natali
Delarue, Nancy Dumais, Denis Durocher*,
Hon. Marisa Ferretti Barth, Ms. Lapointe*,
Ms. Loignon*, Marjorie Northrup,
Kasia Séguier and Ludivine Willo.
Translators: Paul Barrette*, Alicja
Buffa*, Alison Stevens, Linda
Tétreault* and Elinor Trepan*.
* Volunteers
The VBM is proud to announce that
Food for Thought is printed on 100%
recycled paper
Food for Thought | 2 | Summer 2013 A Word from Marjorie
Smiles are a key ingredient as Ascension MOW.
By Marjorie Nothrup
coordinatrice des services
alimentaires bénévoles
[email protected]
Hello, everyone! I enjoy
keeping in touch with you
through this newsletter, and I hope
you find some ‘food for thought’
when reading it!
We are very busy at the Central
Office : Nancy and I are enjoying
working with Ludivine, our intern
from the University of Bordeaux,
and all our great in-house volunteers. We are constantly on the
lookout for new ways to improve
volunteer recruitment and management – I had applied for a
provincial grant, which unfortunately, was not forthcoming, but
plan to try again through the federal New Horizons for seniors program. We have to keep adapting
our way of doing things, adding
new practices while keeping what
still works well. I urge you once
again to take advantage of our FREE
sanitation chat – it’s an hour well
spent and helps keep us on track
to ensure that our food is really
safe as well as tasty.
This is a CRUCIAL time for Meals
on Wheels – the new ‘Assuranceautonomie’ program is meant to
provide our clients with money
to purchase at-home services in
order to ensure that they can
remain in their homes as long as
they so desire, which is a laudable
endeavour. However, we need to
know more about the details and
fine print about HOW this will
happen – a “Livre blanc” from the
Ministry of Health and Social Services will appear soon explaining
all this. We have to react quickly
during the consultation period to
assure that we can respond quickly
to protect our clients. We will keep
you posted, meanwhile if you have
time, go to the go the government
website to check out the existing
details on the program, and please
let me know what you think!
Have a GREAT summer, and I
hope to see you all soon! n
Food for Thought | 3 | Summer 2013 It ain’t over ‘til its over
Anne Lassance Kiss, a volunteer with a big smile.
By Anne Lassance Kiss
New Hope Volunteer
I believe this bit of homespun wisdom was expressed
by Yogi Berra. He was the skillful
and beloved pitcher for the New
York Yankees’ baseball team. The
game isn’t over until the last out.
The game keeps happening right
up to the end and so do our lives.
After the last child has left the
nest and/or other significant occurrences, eventually comes retirement,
where life goes on and new possibilities present themselves. Seniors have acquired years of experience and applied skills when dealing
with the crises encountered in the
various stages of life. So we can do
the same as we are swept into old
age – apprehensively, grousing, or
with gusto. Fortunately with most
of us “gusto” wins out. Life is too
interesting, friends and/or family still
need us as we need them. But now
we have time to pursue old interests and get involved with new ones.
I have found as a senior here in
Montreal that we are treated very
well. Community agencies like the
CLSC/CSSS, senior centres like New
Hope, adapted transport, and educational classes for seniors provide
opportunities on many fronts. Volunteers make most of these programs possible. Many seniors have
been volunteers most of their lives.
Others now find that they have
time to volunteer and gain great
satisfaction and enjoyment from
doing so.
At New Hope Senior Citizens’
Centre many of the members
are also volunteers. For example,
Audrey is a volunteer driver. However she is also artistically gifted
and conducts art classes at New
Hope. She also participates in a
community art group where she
shows, and sometimes sells, her
paintings. Audrey is also a quilter
and has brought her quilting skills
to a group at New Hope. She is also
a member of community group of
quilters where she has helped to
organize quilt shows and displayed
her own quilts. Audrey loves to play
bridge and is teaching a group at
New Hope. She currently serves on
Food for Thought | 4 | Summer 2013 the Board of Directors at New Hope
and edits and publishes the annual
newsletter “New Hope Newzzz.”
Eileen helps to welcome newcomers to New Hope, providing
gentle support. She assists in preparing the luncheon tables and
ensures that glasses and water are
available. She also assists in setting up the boutique and taking
care of sales. She is always available for assistance and information. Eileen is also very active in
her church’s outreach program, visiting shut-ins in their homes and/or
hospital.
Anne’s career was in nursing and
nursing education. Since retiring
she has been active in school committees and maternal and child
health advocacy. She co-founded
the Centre for Reproductive Loss
and co-authored “Grieving Reproductive Loss.” At New Hope she
advises when asked about health
issues and suggests referrals when
indicated. She also says grace at
New Hope lunches and provides
simple memorial services for
deceased members when asked.
Ann also leads a discussion group at
New Hope and contributes articles
where the main theme is “seniors”
to the annual newsletter.
Most seniors that we know lead
busy lives and are content. We
write letters to politicians and business moguls just to let them know
we are keeping an eye on them and
to point out abuses. We bask in the
joy of knowing children – grandchildren, nieces, nephews or those
of our friends. Dylan Thomas urged
his father “Do not go gentle into
that good night.” I hope we will
go out with a smile, having lived
a full and productive life here, and
looking forward to the hereafter. n
Résolidaire Meals on Wheels client feedback
Ms. Lapointe
Ms. Loignon
I’ve known about Résolidaire
for 15 years. I was transferred
there from the Plateau MontRoyal, where I was already
receiving Meals on Wheels. Louise
Ducharme from the CLSC put me
in touch with Résolidaire.
I live alone and find it difficult
to get 3 meals a day. On Fridays,
Résolidaire also sends me 5 frozen
meals, and my son buys me readymade meals if I need them. Once
in a while, I cook a good steak if
I am able.
I became a client of Résolidaire
15 years ago when I came to
play Bingo with my best friend
Lucille 15. I participated in various
activities: bean bag toss tournaments, sugaring-off parties and
Christmas celebrations, all of
which I remember fondly. My happiest memories of Résolidaire are
the warm welcome and the fun
environment.
I knew about Meals on Wheels
because I was a volunteer myself.
Afterwards, the service was
offered to me, and I agreed to
take it so that I would be sure to
have a good home-cooked meal.
Today, Meals on Wheels is a comfort to me when I don’t feel so
well. I have to undergo dialysis
3 nights a week, so the meal that
I get from Meals on Wheels lets
me rest and enables me to feel
safe and secure. I go out to run
my errands, prepare something to
eat and go to the shopping centre
once a week. Due to the state of
my health, I don’t go out much.
Résolidaire gives me a sense of
security; I can call upon them at
any time because I am sure that,
at Résolidaire, I will find an attentive ear and a resource who will
respond to my immediate needs.
Food for Thought | 5 | Summer 2013 The VBM beyond
the Atlantic Ocean
By Ludivine Willo
organization. After a phone interview with Marjorie, I decided to
intern at the VBM
take the plunge and head to Canada.
[email protected]
Upon my arrival, I met a motivated
team dedicated to helping me live
It’s with great enthusiasm a unique experience. They have
that I joined the VBM team invited me to explore all of the seron April 2. As part of my studies in vices and have given me an idea of
communications at the University the kind of work they do.
of Bordeaux, I needed to complete a
If there’s one thing I learned
4-month internship. When talking quickly, it’s the great value of volwith last year’s graduating class, unteering in this country. I also
I met Amanda Cousy. If her name discovered through this dynamic
sounds familiar, it’s because she team that being a volunteer isn’t
was also an intern at the VBM last just about giving, but also about
year, and she couldn’t stop singing receiving. I found this out when
the Bureau’s praises.
I helped the Carrefour de SaintCurious and intrigued, I looked Eusèbe with its Meals on Wheels
for more information about this program for the first time. We
delivered 30 meals that day to
people who were eager to open
their doors and talk to us. It was a
very pleasant morning, thanks to
the warm welcome from the people
who received the meals and the
friendship and kindness of Mariette,
who guided me throughout the
deliveries.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of
the VBM team for welcoming me
so cordially. n
Welcome Kasia!
By Kasia Séguier
Administrative Support VBM -VFS
[email protected]
A Montrealer for the last
four years, I joined the VBM
– VFS as an Administrative Support
in April of this year and I already
feel like an old hand.
Welcomed by a great team of
employees and volunteers, I want
to thank all of you for your help
and input. Special thanks to Natali,
who is off to Singapour for a year,
for her patience and know-how.
As part of my training, I especially
enjoyed my day with the Rameaux
d’olivier Meals on Wheels, delivering a hot meal to seniors with
limited mobility. In the company
of André, a long time volunteer, I
discovered an area of Montreal new
to me. André knows his neighbourhood very well, but even more, he
knows his clients and takes excellent care of them. He is very generous with his time and resources.
Thank you André for an enjoyable
and enlightening day. n
Food for Thought | 6 | Summer 2013 Day to Day
By Nancy Dumais
liaison officer Volunteer Food
Services, VBM
[email protected]
Were you to ask me what
is the favourite part of my
work, I would answer, without
hesitation, the telephone contact
I have with clients. Some of you
might think that these calls are
the same day after day, but the
opposite is true. As you know, in
Meals on Wheels, we do the same
things every day, but each brings
something different. For this edition of the newsletter, I thought I
would share with you just two of
the calls I’ve received since I began
my work here.
The first concerns someone I’ll
call Mrs. A. The volunteers who
deliver Meals on Wheels to Mrs.
A must call her on the telephone
intercom for her to open the door to
her building. She is c­ oncerned that
her telephone does not always
work as it should. She calls me frequently, worried that the volunteers were not able to reach her and
would leave without delivering her
meal. Each time, I listen patiently
and mention that it is not yet the
time when she usually receives her
delivery. Our calls often end when
her second line signals that, indeed,
her meal is arriving. No, I’m not
annoyed; in fact I hang up with a
Another day, another delivery.
smile on my face, happy that I was
able to reassure her.
Last fall, I received a call from
a lady we’ll call Mrs. B, for whom
I had had a referral from a CLSC,
because she was waiting for knee
replacement surgery. She was
exceedingly worried about the
operation because she had heard
so many horror stories. I was able
to reassure her by telling her that
my mother had the same operation
a few years ago. The surgery went
well, she made a good recovery and
she was soon able to walk without
assistance. Some three months after
that conversation, Mrs. B. called
me, after a major effort on her
part to find my number, which she
had misplaced, to thank me for my
encouragement. Her surgery went
well and she was so grateful for my
support. I thanked her for her call,
offered best wishes for the future
and hung up with a huge lump in
my throat.
I could tell dozens of such stories,
which is why I’m convinced that
the work we do has immediate and
positive repercussions for people
in need. We touch their lives and
they add so much to ours. n
Food for Thought | 7 | Summer 2013 Does Meals on Wheels Exist
in Singapore?
On every continent, MOW means service with a smile!
By Natali Delarue
administrative support for
VBM-VFS
[email protected]
A family project that will
take me away from Volunteer
Food Services for a year has led me
to research the existence of Meals on
Wheels in Singapore. In the middle of
summer, I will be traveling with my
family to the famous city-state whose
5 million inhabitants live on an
island about the size of the island of
Montreal...
I discovered Meals on Wheels in
Singapore on the YWCA’s website.
It’s a program offered to people
with dimished autononmy, much
as it is here, but it’s also offered
to children in poor families. It’s a
free service for children who are
referred to the program by schools
and for the elderly who are referred
by seniors’ centers. In their central kitchen, the YWCA prepares
between 100 and 150 meals every
day, which are home delivered
while they’re hot.
Started in 1997, this project
depends on the generosity of
donors and the desire of its volunteers to make a difference in the
lives of these vulnerable people.
The goal of the program is to
expand its delivery service to
cover the entire island and for
their “Hungry No More” slogan
to become a reality.
I’ll make sure to keep you
updated throughout my year in
Asia. Of course, I intend to give my
time to this cause that is so dear
to my heart, and I’ll try to send a
few photos to share my experience
with you… n
Food for Thought | 8 | Summer 2013 Important reminder
FREE one hour training on food sanitation
By Marjorie Northrup
Coordinator, Volunteer Food
Services, VBM
[email protected]
The meals we prepare
are destined to a very fra-
gile clientele; it is incumbent on
us, therefore, to be very vigilant
as to the safety and cleanliness
of the kitchen, and, by extension,
of those who work there. Even if
some of you have taken the 2-day
program offered by l’Institut de
l’hôtellerie, it is wise to remind ALL
THOSE who work in the kitchen of
certain basic principles. On this
topic, I can now visit your group
to give this short training module
to all workers and volunteers
There is no fooling around when it comes to cleanliness at Brossard Meals on Wheels.
involved in food preparation and
delivery.
Presented humourously, and in
an interactive fashion, the module
helps to make sure that the meals
you prepare are safe and free of
contamination. The groups who
have already taken this training
appreciated the fact that they were
able to learn together in a friendly
atmosphere, and seemed eager
to put their new techniques into
practice! Please call me if you are
interested. n
Visit to Château Ramezay
By Ludivine Willo
the site for the first time or to
revisit it. Divided into several
intern at the VBM
groups (French – and [email protected]
speaking), they enjoyed a tour of
many of the Château’s rooms. The
On Friday, April 19, guides, dressed in costume and vol­volunteers met at Château unteers themselves, shared their
Ramezay to celebrate National Vol- knowledge while entertaining the
unteer Week. The VBM wanted to guests. Thank you to everyone who
thank the members of various attended! n
Meals on Wheels programs by
giving them the opportunity to
visit the Château. Forty-five volunteers attended, either to discover
A volunteer guide in period costume.
Food for Thought | 9 | Summer 2013 The joy of volunteering!
Introduction
by Nancy Dumais
Liaison Officer, Volunteer Food
Services
The following article was written
by Denis Durocher, who has
been a long-time Meals on
Wheels volunteer at C.A.D.R.E.Échange de services de LaSalle.
Denis volunteers 5 days a week,
and he freely gives his time. He
coordinates the smooth running of
Meals on Wheels services, delivers
meals, handles transportation,
provides medical support,
participates in some activities
organized for seniors, etc. Denis is
always available; he is one of those
volunteers that every organization
dreams of having! We would like
to thank him warmly for his
generosity, devotion, contagious
good mood and his incomparable
sense of humour.
Denis’ generosity is also expressed in his smile.
by Denis Durocher
“I am sick, afraid of falling and no
longer have the strength to prepare
my meals,” Mrs. Comtois told us.
“Could you take off the plastic
When you deliver Meals wrap on the plates because my
on Wheels for years, it’s hands hurt so much; I have no more
­p ossible that sometimes deliv- strength and cannot even lift my
ering these meals becomes rou- dish. I have to have an operation
tine. You prepare lists, routes and soon,” Mrs. Brunet told us.
menus; you get groceries; you
“With an arm in a cast, I have
arrange drivers and runners; you a lot of problems serving myself
distribute meals and already start using my left hand, and I cannot
to plan next week’s menu. Why is even cut my food or prepare my
there so much involved? Do these meals,” Mrs. Anctil told us.
meals really help our clients? Some
Other people suffer from memory
brief comments show us that Meals loss and are eating bread and jam
on Wheels is beneficial.
when we bring the meal, and they
Volunteer at C.A.D.R.E.-Échange
de services de LaSalle
tell us that they have enough food
to manage on their own.
Wheelchair, cancer treatment,
problems with memory, difficulty
getting around, risk of falling, lack
of energy, physical and mental
problems, loneliness, boredom, lack
of motivation… This is what we
see when we deliver our meals. For
us, it is gratifying to know that we
can provide a little help with our
meals, and that encourages us to
continue. n
Food for Thought | 10 | Summer 2013 Why Santropol?
By Jeff Boman
Meals on Wheels’s client
March 23rd of this year
will mark 17 years since my
diagnosis of MS. Before that, I was
a singer, dancer and a cartoonist.
I can do none of those things now,
but I was a writer for longer. All of
these are forms of communication,
and writing can be a two-way one;
the others not. It’s not the end of
the world.
I don’t sit around feeling sorry
for myself. As a result, I work parttime at a day centre, and still get
published by several companies.
This year I intend to self-publish
on the Amazon Kindle platform too.
This article is neither meant as
a pity party nor as chest-thumping
however. The intention is to talk
about my Meals on Wheels service
of choice.
You may have heard the saying,
“Give me the strength to accept
what I can’t change.” Well, not
being able to change my inability
to cook for myself is one of those
things. My right arm doesn’t
work well, and I’d prefer to eat
my supper, not dodge it as it flies
around me!
It’s been about 15 years since
I’ve used this service, and in that
time I’ve tried a bunch of them.
A few I changed because I got
bored with their offerings, and
they also have gardens at McGill
University.
They also often have parties, as
well as holiday events, like their
annual Cabane à Sucre. I’ve been
to most of them for many years,
to the point that some of the staff
are upset when I can’t attend. I’m
practically a piece of furniture for
them now!
Santropol Roulant has been chosen
Every year we (the clients) get a
by Jeff Boman as the best Meals on Wheels.
calendar from Santropol with the
one closed when their lease ended meal schedule of the year. Photos
(Chez mes Amis in NDG. I wilI grace each month. I’ve appeared
always miss them). One I passed in several, and I was the basis for
on because they did no meal sub- a character on the cover in 2006.
Santropol Roulant has been my
stitutions. I don’t eat fish or pork,
so I’d go hungry when they were service of choice for many years,
served. Plus, that food would go to and the staff sees me as a big part
waste. Someone else could benefit of it as well. I will most likely stay
from it instead.
with this one. n
The one that I’ve been with for
most of those years is Santropol
Roulant. They deliver suppers
5 days a week (I get 2 meals for
the night before, so I’m always covered), and they make a different
meal every day. They do meal substitutions too.
Every year they drop their least
popular meals and try new ones.
They already offer a different meal
every day, so you won’t get bored.
The meals also have a lot of vegetables; I’ve been crazy about those
since I was very young, so I’m not
complaining!
They grow many of their vegetables in their rooftop garden, and
Food for Thought | 11 | Summer 2013 Meals on Wheels with an Italian accent
25th Anniversary of the Meals on Wheels Lunchtime Express
Hon. Marisa Ferretti Barth on visit to the Consul General of Italy Francesco Paolo Venier.
By Marco Coniglione
Communications agent, CRAIC
Since it was founded, the
Conseil Régional des
P­ ersonnes Âgées Italo-Canadiennes
(CRAIC) has encompassed 83 Golden
Age clubs and working committees.
For over 38 years, we have contributed to the well-being of seniors in
the Montreal area, especially those
in the Italian-speaking community.
The CRAIC currently has over
13,000 members, 75% of whom
are Italian-speakers living in the
Greater Montreal area.
Thanks to its team of volunteers,
the organization has developed a
wide range of services and activities,
most of which have spread to the
entire Montreal community.
Since the beginning, we have
started 30 programs and services
with the goal of improving the
quality of life for seniors, contributing to their physical and intellectual independence and meeting
their needs.
In this spirit, the CRAIC is proud
to announce the 25th anniversary of
its Meals on Wheels service, better
known as the Lunchtime Express.
Founded by Senator Marisa Ferretti Barth in 1988, this service
offers subscribers full traditional
Italian meals every week, thanks
to the exceptional work of its
volunteers.
Every Friday, from 11:30 AM to
2:30 PM, a team of CRAIC volunteers delivers to seniors with diminished autonomy a tray containing
a plate of pasta, a main dish with
a side of vegetables, a bread roll, a
slice of cake, and a fruit. Traditional
meals are delivered for Christmas
and Easter.
The CRAIC would like to thank
everyone who contributed in the
past 25 years and supported this
service by allowing us to meet the
needs of our seniors. n
Food for Thought | 12 | Summer 2013