聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Registered Sunrise Health Region volunteers who work in the Kamsack area were honoured during a reception in the Kamsack nursing home April 28.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 About 50 persons attended the afternoon reception which included words of appreciation from Sunrise staff members, entertainment and refreshments under a banner saying: 鈥淰olunteers are the roots of strong communities.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The program began with a welcome to 鈥渢he dedicated hearts of the Sunrise Health Region that are gathered here today鈥� from Karen Rubletz, the recreation co-ordinator at the nursing home.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t makes us feel good that we have a day designated to recognize the significance of your contributions,鈥� Rubletz said. 鈥淒espite the many different kinds of people and personalities that come to our home, we still share a common thread that binds us together like roots that grow into a mutual goal of bettering our community, our facility and lives of our residents.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淰olunteers are inspired people who look for an opportunity to be involved in something that interests them and feel a passion for. And if that doesn鈥檛 exist, they have initiative to try and create it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗opefully, your contributions are an enjoyable experience with opportunity to laugh and feel satisfaction,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e all benefit from positive energy seen in the faces of those you have helped in various ways.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Rubletz said that she and fellow activity staff members Patty Witzko and Marianne Francis, were honoured to host the event.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭oday is our chance to honour and thank you for all you have done for us,鈥� said Marion Matechuk, the nursing manager and assistant health services manager. 鈥淥n behalf of the Kamsack Hospital and Nursing Home staff, clients and residents, a special thanks for all you do for us.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e may not always thank you or acknowledge your contributions on a day-to-day basis, so this is why we are here this afternoon,鈥� Matechuk said. 鈥淲e wish to recognize your time, effort, commitment and dedication to our facility.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Matechuk acknowledged the auxiliaries to the hospital and nursing home 鈥渨ho provide continued support and work very hard at providing the funding that enhances the quality care environment for our residents and clients of this community and surrounding areas.鈥�
聽She mentioned the church groups and clergy 鈥渨ho assist in the spiritual needs and care,鈥� the various entertainment groups who 鈥渁dd music, songs, laughter, and enjoyment to our days,鈥� and all the individual volunteers who assist our recreation staff in providing the one-on-one attention to our residents.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hese activities brighten their days and enhance their well-小蓝视频,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is clear that some of the greatest contributions are made by volunteers who choose to go beyond what is expected and instead give what is needed, therefore providing a positive impact on many people in many ways.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Suzette Szumutku of Yorkton, the director of volunteer resources admitted to having used the Internet to seek out information on the importance of those roots and relayed the comparison of roots of a plant to volunteers. She also read a short essay by humourist Erma Bombeck which dealt with volunteers but did not utilize Bombeck鈥檚 usual humour.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to talk and think about volunteers and communities; so easy to take them for granted,鈥� Szumutku said. 鈥淲e can see and hear all kinds of stories about volunteerism and the difference they make in their communities, but they鈥檝e always been there. We鈥檝e never been without.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧erhaps it wasn鈥檛 as formalized, maybe it wasn鈥檛 even called volunteerism, but it鈥檚 always been there,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he very word was initially a military word, a 鈥榲olunteer鈥� military. But that led to mothers and grandmothers who knitted socks and mitts and packed care packages. There were threshing gangs and barn raisings, and the word 鈥榲olunteer鈥� took on a whole new meaning.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭oday, it鈥檚 the minor hockey parents who run canteens and raffles, the church groups that welcome immigrants, the Kindergarten parent who takes his or her rotation, and yes, it鈥檚 baby rockers and smiling hosts at doors and meals-on-wheels deliveries.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 also groups like Doctors Without Borders overseas and the Red Cross at disasters throughout the world, many of whom have been (at risk) and will continue to risk their lives as they strive to build those strong communities.
鈥淓rma Bombeck painted a picture of a community, just like this one, without those roots, and I realized I can鈥檛 even imagine it. I suspect it鈥檚 pretty difficult for anyone else to imagine it either.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a joke that says: 鈥楾he best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes, and with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig.鈥�
鈥淏ut that鈥檚 not the kind of strong communities we鈥檙e talking about here. Volunteers aren鈥檛 standing there, telling someone else what to do or how to do it. They put on the straw hats and old clothes, grab their tools and get to work.
鈥淵ou do indeed create incredibly strong communities,鈥� Szumutku said. 鈥淎nd you鈥檝e created one in our health region where you make a vibrant difference.
鈥淭his is our chance to say 鈥榯hank you鈥� for that.
鈥淰olunteers are our assurance of a 鈥榙ecent civilization.鈥� I can only hope and pray that we will provide you with enough positive 鈥榓tmospheric conditions鈥� to allow you to continue to grow and spread, and to give off a few 鈥榥ew shoots.鈥�
鈥淣ever stop doing little things for others,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.鈥�
The afternoon included the recitation of poems, the singing of a song by Colleen Kazakoff of Kamsack, a few jokes, a couple games, a draw for prizes and a buffet of hors d鈥檕euvres, tea, coffee and juice.
Rubletz thanked Francis for the decorations which included table decorations and a tree with roots and leaves that displayed the names of volunteers.
It was said that on May 18, an amount from each litre of fuel sold at the Co-op C-store in Kamsack will be donated to the nursing home鈥檚 project of constructing a new patio, and an invitation was extended for everyone to attend the nursing home tea, bake sale and raffle on June 4.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thankful to be living in a community which keeps the elderly high up on its priority list,鈥� Rubletz said.
