Boomers May 2021

Boomers May 2021

EYOND B oomers

B and

Celebrating the 55+ Community of Elgin County

May 2021 • Issue 22

Letter From the Editor

the pandemic. For this issue, we tour the new retirement residence, Royal Oak Retirement Senior Living. This issue’s crossword is Canadian Inventions-themed (and all the clues are there this month)! May is also themonthwe encourage thosewho can to consider the legacy they leave their community; we have stories from some amazing local not-for-profits whom you can help. I hope you enjoy this issue, and we look forward to sharing more stories with you in June! Why did I receive Boomers and Beyond delivered this month? In case you are wondering why you received the May issue of Boomers and Beyond delivered to your mailbox when you never have before. The answer is that Boomers and Beyond is normally available Free for pick-up at over 65 locations throughout Elgin each issue. However, due to the province wide lockdown many of those locations are closed, and we are all being encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. But the show must go on and this month if you can’t go pick-up the magazines we wanted to make sure we brought the magazines to you! If youhaveenjoyedBoomersandBeyond this issueplease make sure to support one of our many fine advertisers who are available to assist you, even during these trying times. Next month look for us at a location near you and pick up a copy to take home (pick up locations available on our website www.villagerpublications.com. Or if you enjoyed having it delivered to your home, look below for our subscription information.

I want to lead this issue off with hearty congratulations and a thank you to Southwest Public Health and to all the men and women who have been volunteering at the Memorial Arena helping your neighbours (and hopefully you) get vaccinated. Only together will we make it through this challenging time. May is here, hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about a new year! With May brings the opening of one of my favourite local destinations, The Horton Market. For the past four years or so, we have become regular fixtures at the market; we know most of the regular vendors and love getting to meet the new ones. For us, the market has always been about supporting and getting to know local businesses, growers, producers, and artists. For my wife, a perk was always a big cup of coffee and a hot spring roll or samosa. Once again, I am sure this year will be a little bit different than most, as we struggle to keep everyone safe. But one important factor will remain the same – The Horton Market will bring St. Thomas and Elgin a sense of community! This month, Boomers and Beyond is starting a new feature called Community Builders. The idea behind this on-going piece is to turn the spotlight on people in our community who have done some truly amazing things to help build and grow our community. This month we start off with a bang in a profile of Terry Carroll. As many of our loyal readers will know, Terry is a regular contributor to Boomers and Beyond, but he has been a pillar of this community for decades through the St Thomas Community Foundation, his newspaper, and through his volunteering. This month we are also bringing back our Volunteer of the Month feature, a favourite which was put on hold during

Boomers and Beyond May 2021 Cover Waterfalls at the Memorial Garden in Pinafore Park, St. Thomas. Photo by Geoff Rae

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Page 2 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • May 2021

Stepping Out for Love by Bruce Wray, Communications Manager, Alzheimer Society, London and Middlesex It was 1968 and they met at a high school dance. She was 15and had gone to the dance with a friend -there was a live band playing. He was an older guy (by a year!) and better, he was in the band. Tony saw her and was smitten. Sue was good looking, smart and best of all, she seemed attracted to him too. They got along from that very first day. Six years later they were married. Life went on happily as it does for two people meant to be together. Through the decades and the many anniversaries they and their family celebrated together, neither Sue nor Tony would have had any idea it would end the way it did. Sue was diagnosed with dementia in 2014 and soon after, Tony retired from his teaching position at Fanshawe College to look after her. She was an amazing woman who worked so hard at being a wife and mother who always, always, put family first. Now, as he prepared to walk alongside her on the dementia ‘journey’, he was determined to dedicate himself to her as she had to him and their family for all those years. They registered as clients at the Alzheimer Society. Tony signed them up for everything; dementia education courses, individual and family counselling, support groups, social recreation programs and specialized care partner courses. All of it provided a vital lifeline of knowledge, support, and reassurance. As Sue’s dementia entered the later stages, where it is common for the care partner to experience increasing pressure, Tony was grateful for the Society. Their team supported him as he continued navigating the complexities of the healthcare system and the long-term care options available. Then … COVID. The virtual programming offered by the Alzheimer Society was beyond what Sue had capacity for. Their family rallied around them as best they could, but the pandemic does not make it easy on anyone, particularly those living with dementia. Her condition worsened and Sue was admitted to hospital. The isolation of the pandemic was only intensified after that. In December, Susan Paul passed away at 67 years of age. Since 2015, ‘Susan and Tony’s Team’ have participated in the Walk for Alzheimer’s, a fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society. This May, Tony and friends will each be taking 13,000 steps in honour of Sue and in support of the 13,000 people currently

living with dementia in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford. The walk was always a point of pride for Sue. She loved giving back to the community that supported her, and it made her feel loved – every donation to the team was a gift of love to her. This May, you too can be stepping out for love. Walk 13,000 steps for those living with dementia in our area. Register at walkforalzheimers.ca.

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • May 2021 Page 3

Volunteer of the Month Sponsored By Royal Oak Senior Living

Volunteering issobeneficial, not only to themanyorganizations whose lifeblood is their volunteers, but also for the community who benefits as a whole. However, May’s Volunteer of the Month, Michele (with one L) Horton believes it is often the volunteers themselves who see the greatest benefit. Michele was nominated as our VOM by the YWCA with whom she has been volunteering for over a decade, but Michele is an appreciated volunteer with many local groups. Michele has now been retired for 10 years. “I was with Bell Canada for 32 years and they were really good about giving back to the community,” she says. “Bell Canada took part in so many community walks and runs as well as with their corporate challenge. I was involvedwith theYWCAevenwhen I was working full time. I did some volunteer tutoring in their literacy programs and I have done different volunteer jobs with the YWCA over the years. We used to do Christmas wrapping at the mall, where people would donate generously, and the profits went to the YWCA. Marla (Champion, Executive Director of the YWCA) asked me if I would be interested in helping at their volunteer store in Port Stanley, and so that is how I got involved with Connections. I have been volunteering there for several years now; I am sort of their senior volunteer and so I help with training new volunteers, with inventory, etc. This opened the door to many of their other programs, such as their Women’s Days, and the fashion show. It was also through the YW that I got involved with the Elgin Gleaners.” Michele was shown at a young age the value in volunteering. “The idea of giving back is how I was raised. My mom volunteered at the Dearness Home years ago and as a kid, I noticed my mom going to work there without getting paid. It just rubbed off on me. I think there is a need to do things for others; you can go and help make life better for people. For me it has always been pleasant; I have control over my time, I can pick the shifts I want to work, etc. I admire people who do some tough jobs like the Nameless in St. Thomas; they are out at night and helping people who are struggling. Or people who volunteer on crisis lines. That is one of the

best parts of volunteering; you can always find a spot that is good for you, that answers your needs and works for you practically. If you want to work with people, there is Meals on Wheels or VON Visiting. If you want to work alone, there are lots of places that will give you opportunity to work at your own pace and then just give you more work when you’re done.” One of Michele’s favourite volunteer gigs has given her a new friend. “I volunteer for the VON, as well with their volunteer visiting program, for the past 2.5 years. I am visiting a woman in our community who is in her mid 80s and widowed, who doesn’t drive anymore. Now we are great friends. Even if we weren’t good friends, it is not a lot of work; we just sit down and chat. Since we have become friends, we will go for a drive (pre covid), sometimes to run errands for her and sometimes just to visit.” Whether she is volunteering with the YWCA, VON, Elgin Gleaners, Port Stanley Festival Theatre, or helping new Canadian families settle into their new homes, Michele is enriching her community. She has even found a new way of giving back. “The Kettle Creek Conservation Authority participates in the North American grassroots programme of citizens measuring precipitation. It’s called CoCoRaHS (Community Collaboration Rain, Hail and Snow) net- work. They provided me with a rain gauge which I set up in my backyard. It takes only five minutes a day to take an observation of precipitation in the gauge and report it on the free app. This gives scientists an ever-clearer picture of where and how much precipitation falls throughout our communities. And I get to call myself a ‘citizen scientist’!”

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Page 4 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • May 2021

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • October 2020 Page 5

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Getting involved is good for the soul by Whitney South Synonymous with organizations and not-for-profits in St. Thomas and beyond, there are few who don’t know the name Terry Carroll. Currently holding the position of Executive Director for the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation, Terry has been a fixture in the community since moving to the area close to 30 years ago. “When I first came here, I had never had so many strangers say hello to me on the street,” he recalls with a laugh. “And you know, even though we have grown a lot, it still happens. That’s just the kind of city it is. St. Thomas is a pretty fascinating place.” Carroll first moved to town in 1993 to take over publishing duties at the St. Thomas Times Journal. A job as CEO of the Elgin St. Thomas United Way soon followed, igniting the spark on a career steeped in community outreach. In the seven years that followed, Terry would oversee numerous successful fundraising campaigns, brought about thanks to a diligent and dedicated band of staff and volunteers. And it was that time with the United Way that really brought the dedication of the St. Thomas and area community to light. “It was really about people who made it all happen -- staff, volunteers and workplaces that were working so hard to raise those much-needed funds,” Terry explains. “We were successful in getting one of those first campaigns to a million bucks, which was kind of our goal at that time. It was a great feeling.” In 2005, Carroll became owner and General Manager of the St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News, as well as Elgin This Month Magazine, which he ran until selling the publications to Metroland Media in 2012. A much-loved community newspaper, the Weekly News was distributed free to over 30,500 homes, farms, apartments and businesses, with

a policy of telling important local stories, while Elgin This Month boasted a reputation as a higher-end magazine with lively general interest columnists.

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Page 6 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • May 2021

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

“Our slogan at the Weekly News was advertising that works, stories that matter, people who care. So, we tried to run our organization on those three short statements,” says Terry. “There’s a lot of community building and benefit to having a community newspaper. It was important for us to stick to those ideas.” Meanwhile, in addition to keeping things rolling in local journalism, Terry could also be found in his role as a trustee with the Kettle Creek Environmental Trust, as well as diligently working on a series of award-nominated short stories and crime novels. Never one to rest on his laurels, in 2013, Terry moved on to his current role with the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation, helping people give back to the charities and communities they care about, in a way that is simple, convenient and lasting. Dedicated to building andmanaging endowed funds, and awarding grants from the interest on those funds to support local charities, the organization’s focus is on improving the community, the places where we all live, work, and play. Through it all, Carroll says he continues to find parallels and similarities in each of the organizations he has been

a part of over the years — they’re all about devotion, development, and helping to improve the place we all call home. And he encourages others to lend a helping hand whenever possible. “The reason a person should get involved, primarily,” he says, “Is because it’s good for your soul — it’s good for people to help other people. There are so many benefits; you’ll get to know more people and have experiences you never thought you would have. There’s no better way to stay connected than becoming involved in your community. And it doesn’t get any better than that.”

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Saint Thomas Cemetery Company Owns and operates St. Thomas Cemetery and South Park Cemetery

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • May 2021 Page 7

What is the Elgin– St. Thomas Community Foundation? Elgin–St.ThomasCommunityFounda- tion (ESCF) is a locally run, independent, public charitable foun- dation created by and for the people of this area. What do you do? We help donors make their giving dreams come true. Donated dollars are allocated to

How does my charity apply for a grant from the Foun- dation? Our application process is online at escf.ca. Click on Grants or Scholarships. WhataresomeadvantagesofgivingtoESCF? Sometimesdonors know exactly what they want to support. We can help with that. Other times, donors are looking to support their local community without havinganything specific inmind.We candefinitely helpwith that too. Your money is pooled with other gifts to grow for the long term. And of course there are tax benefits for you. How does the Foundation make good granting decisions? Great-EST Needs Fund granting decisions are guided by the work of the Aylmer Elgin St. Thomas Community Safety and Well Being Plan. Am I relinquishing control of my money once I make a gift to ESCF? When you make a gift to ESCF you are entrusting us to steward your money on your behalf. After issuing tax receipts, we cannot return money to donors. However, if you start a Donor Advised Fund, you get many of the advantages of a private foundation with almost no hassle or paperwork How do I contact the Foundation or make a donation? See the ad below on this page. cannot return money to donors. However, if you start a Donor Advised Fund, it’s like having a private foundation, but with almost no hassle or annual paperwork. How do I make a donation to the Foundation? See the ad below on this page.

Elgin – St. Thomas Community Foundation Board Chair Scott Willoughby.

Funds that grant to charitable purposes like social services, culture, health, education, animal welfare and environment. The broadest purposes are achieved through the Great-EST Needs Fund where grants are made to charities, based on the local community’s greatest needs! Can I or my family start a Fund? Yes! If you have a general idea of what you would like to achieve, we can work with you, your lawyer and your financial advisors to establish a Fund, either while you are living or in your will, or both! Who is eligible for a grant? Charitable organizations serving theElgin - St. Thomas communityareeligible toapply forGreat- EST Needs Fund grants. Donor Advised Funds may choose to grant locally or to any Canadian charitable organization.

NEEDSFund DONATE TODAY to the

Minimum $500, recognized as a Founding Donor;

Granting from the Fund is supported by local >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16

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