Ancaster Community Services Annual Food Drive Set a Record

The Ancaster Community Services Annual Food Drive was held on Saturday Feb 21 and a total of $5000 in cash and 79,000 pounds of food was raised!

Our Soroptimist sisters were there with their shirts on and hands ready to help. Thank you to SNAP for including a picture of us!

Each aisle was divided into basic categories: vegetables, soup, dry pasta, canned pasta, pasta sauce, macaroni & cheese (aka KD), beans in sauce, fruit, juice, milk, toiletries, baby food, cookies & crackers (and desserts), cakes & pudding (and baking supplies), condiments, meats & fish. Never had any of us seen such a well organized, all-hands event!

“It is always a very humbling experience to see how a community can come together and give so generously so that the most disadvantaged in our midst can have food on their tables”, said Pauline – a member of SI-DAF and the Ancaster Lions Club.

According to a recent article, over the past five years, the cost of a monthly Nutritious Food Basket for a family of four (based on Canada’s Food Guide) has increased by 14.2%. According to the Hamilton Public Health Services report entitled ““The Cost of Basic Nutritious Food”, the average limited-income family has to choose “between eating well and paying the rent to survive.”

For more information about how you can get involved or make a donation to the Ancaster Community Services, call 905-648- 6675. Items currently in high demand include:

• pasta
• canned salmon and tuna
• stews
• soups
• and canned vegetables

Soroptimists Invest in Hamilton’s Youth

“At least 600 of Hamilton’s Youth are street-involved or homeless”, the 2005 Addressing the Needs of Street-Involved and Homeless Youth in Hamilton report states.  Wesley Youth Housing (WYH) is working to change this with a supportive transitional housing program specially designed to transform the lives of Hamilton’s street-involved and homeless youth. They are working to decrease homelessness by investing in the lives of at-risk youth, ages 16 to 21, and working to create individual well-being, independence and housing stability.

 Moved by a past guest speaker, Paul Johnson, Director of Wesley Urban Ministries, we have donated $1,500 to support their mission.

Pauline Hardcastle presents a cheque to Paul Johnson, Director of the Welsley Urban Ministries

The money will be used to support one year of Life Coach sessions, which cost approximately $100 to run each month. The youth work one-on-one or in group sessions towards life skills such as budgeting, grocery shopping, cooking and time management.

A snapshot of a pod interior (kitchen area)

The remainder of the funds will be used to assist with the turn over costs for a fully furnished, all female shared accommodation pod, located at the Main and Hess program facility. Each pod has a common kitchen and eating area, a living room and two bathrooms, plus a locking bedroom for each girl.

Youth are referred primarily by agencies; however self-referrals are accepted. If you would like to find out more about the program or how you can get involved, contact Wesley Urban Ministries at 905.527.4430, by email youth.housing@wesleyurbanministries.ca, or visiting their website at www.wesleyurbanministries.ca

Baby Showers

Thank you to the friends of SI-DAF who generously donated items to the Babyshowers group in Dundas who collect new and gently used baby and preschool items that are distributed through established community agencies in the Hamilton area. 

Articles were picked up yesterday at my home by a wonderful lady, Fran Checkly, known as Mrs. Checkly to me. She was my grade 12 History teacher, one of the best teachers I had. Apparently she is a rock to this group – no surprise!

Shirley E and Fran Checkly from Babyshowers

This donation accompanies a cheque for $1,200 towards new car seats, cribs and twin sized sheet sets. It was presented to Cathy Watts in early February by Linda, who found an article in the Spectator about Babyshowers last fall and submitted their name for consideration to the Programs of Service committee.

Babyshowers accepts donations of new and gently used clothing (newborn to size 6x), shoes, boots, bedding, diapers, formula, books, toys, cribs, stroller, highchairs and playpens. Babyshowers adheres to strict guidelines as set out by the Hazardous Products Act with respect to the safety of all donated items. Charitable receipts are provided for financial donations. Families are referred by established agencies only. For more information about how you can get involved, contact Cathy Watts at 905-627-5135 or info@babyshowers.ca.

Shirley E

Volunteer for the Ancaster Community Food Drive

The Ancaster Community Food Drive will be held on Saturday Feb. 21. 

Volunteers are needed to canvass the community and sort donations at St. John’s Anglican Church (view map »). On Saturday Feb. 14, volunteers will deliver flyers to announce the food drive.

Organizers need 300 volunteers to canvass door to door or help unload cars. On Monday Feb. 23, trucks will be loaded to take the donations to seven major food servicing agencies in the Hamilton area.

Volunteers are needed from 8:30 am until noon. To register as a volunteer call Ancaster Community Services at 905-648- 6675.

SIDAF and the Ancaster Lions donate to McMaster Children’s Hospital

A very heartwarming presentation by SIDAF and Ancaster Lions Club was made Tuesday evening to Fiona Campbell of the Technology Access Clinic, McMaster Children’s Hospital.

The money donated is to assist with the outright purchase of speech generating software for a lady named Jennifer in Hamilton who is unable to speak due to a rare, degenerative condition called Central Nervous System Vasculitus; Jen has lost her ability to speak and she also uses a wheelchair, as she can no longer walk. This software is her only means of communication with the outside world and in particular with her daughter who is also challenged with developmental delay.

Fiona made a wonderful presentation, which included a short video of the lady who now has the software to keep instead of it just being leased annually. In the video it shows Jennifer typing out a message of thanks to us all and in turn her computer then spoke the words for her.

The lease on this expensive equipment expires in February, but the Provincial Government (Ministry of Health) offers an 89% subsidy on its renewal through a program called the Assisted Devices Program (ADP). That leaves a one-year lease renewal is $573.31, or alternatively the equipment could be purchased for $1,368.93. Jennifer cannot provide this money herself, because she is unable to work, and her husband is her full-time caregiver.

The Ancaster Lions Club and Soroptimist International of Dundas-Ancaster-Flamborough shared the cost of the purchase price.

Friends for Success

Most people take it for granted that they will have a job, a home and food on their plates … but times are changing. The pressure to find a job can be an overwhelming task when the underlying stress is putting food on the table and keeping a roof over your head.

The YWCA Friends for Success program aims to break the cycle by helping women who find themselves facing difficult life circumstances gain the self-confidence to enter or re-enter the workforce.

If you have business-appropriate attire clothing, accessories (handbags, shoes, belts, etc.) and coats, to donate, please contact us.

Update on the Walk for Memories

The Manulife Walk for Memories is the largest fundraising event of the Alzheimer Societies in Ontario. In 56 Ontario communities, the Manulife Walk for Memories raises money to fund local programs and services for 166,000 people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, and their families.

The ladies of SI-DAF gathered by the Old Navy entrance at Limeridge Mall, Hamilton ON for a photo opp with Mayor Fred and local MP, David Sweet. the Mistress of Ceremonies was Connie Smith (from CHTV) and MPP Sophia Aggelonitis shared a touching story of her Grandmother.

Walk for Memories with MP David Sweet and Mayor Fred Eisenberger

With the rhythm of swing playing close by, thanks to the Peter Banting Swingtet, we did laps around the lower floor of the mall. There were 4 activity stations with memory tests … they were much harder than we expected. It’s funny how you associate cows with milk but they actually drink water!

As of Sunday our group had raised over $1,600 but the deadline for submission of donations isn’t until the end of February. If you would like to make a donation, there’s a list of our walker’s webpages with links to donate online.

This is our snazzy banner

Thanks to everyone who participated but especially to those who sponsored us!!

Walk for Memories 2009

This is a reminder to those who may want to participate in the “Walk for Memories”  for Alzheimer Awareness month.  There will be 2 locations for the walk, Limeridge Mall and Burlington Mall, January 18th starting at 9 a.m. 

We have always had a wonderful representation from S.I. DAF and I would be honoured to have you walk with me.  If you can not walk on that day, would you consider sponsoring one of us in the walk? 

Barb McCoy, Alzheimer’s Society

Sandy Gray, Weeks of Waterdown 

Shirley McCoy, Lucky Day Nursery

Brooke & Steve Lascos

Margaret Kovacs  

For the newer members, you may not know that my Mother has had Alzheimer Disease for the past 25 years.  It has been a difficult journey for all of our family.  I am sure all of you know someone who has been affected by this disease and we can only hope that in time we will find a cure.

You can register at www.walkformemories.ca, call 905-529-7030 for a pledge form, or sponsor a registrant (see the links above).  I have booked us as a Team under Soroptimist Dundas/Ancaster /Flamborough for the Limeridge Mall Walk.  You can register under the team and still collect individual pledges. Thank you for all of your kind support in this area. 

Barb, SI-DAF President

Giving Back at Christmas

It is funny how everything seems to come together at Christmas time!

Newest SI DAF member, Cheri DeMenna was telling a friend Jane about her joining Soroptimist International. It turns out that her friend had a ‘conflicted’ background and she appreciates the work SI and similar organizations do.  Jane, who wanted to ‘give back’, asked Cheri if she would be able to help her by distributing some Avon product gift bags to women who may otherwise not have a gift on Christmas morning.  So Cheri emailed Sandy about where we could direct these.  Sandy first directed Cheri to Drummond House, a local women’s transitional home in Waterdown.  Executive Director Debbie Tigchelaar gratefully accepted 5 of these for their residents and also gave Cheri a tour of the facility. 

The ladies of SI-DAF visit Interval House for a tour

The other place Sandy suggested was Interval House, a crisis shelter for abused women & their children, that serves our communities.  Just so happens that Sandy was needing to visit Clare Freeman, the executive director, with a donation of her own so they decided a visit & tour of that facility was in order.  They were joined by SI DAF member Lynda Switzer who just so happened to have a large number of ‘Franklin the Turtle’  children’s books that needed to be enjoyed by young readers. Clare treated us to a full tour of the facility along with some short informative video’s and we returned the favour by donating $500.00 in cash, 15 gift bags, large number of Franklin books and a number of stuffed animals!

President’s Appeal

Soroptimist Appeal Restores Dignity to Women with Obstetric Fistula

Each year on December 10th (United Nations’ Human Rights Day), the Soroptimist International president asks all Soroptimists worldwide to contribute to a project that helps women living in extreme poverty. In 2007 almost £135,000 was raised to help fund the Desta Mender village in partnership with Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund for women with obstetric fistula.

This year’s appeal by Margaret Lobo, Restoring Dignity – Securing a Future, will extend the support provided last year to Ethiopian women suffering from this debilitating condition. 

Obstetric fistula occurs as a result of several days of obstructed labor without timely medical intervention, a Caesarean section. The constant pressure of the baby’s head in the birth canal causes a fistula (hole) to form between the bladder and the vagina, and/or between the rectum and the vagina. The baby usually dies and the mother is left with urine and waste leaking from her body.

“Sadly, in Ethiopia, an obstetric fistula can be worse than death,” said Leigh Wintz, executive director of Soroptimist International of the Americas in Philadelphia. “The smell of constantly leaking body fluids results in young women, many of them girls, being rejected and outcast by their community. They are doomed to a life of shame and isolation. This is why our December 10th Appeal is so critical in helping women with this condition.”

An estimated 8,000 to 9,000 women in Ethiopia suffer with obstetric fistula each year and don’t have the money for fistula repair via surgery or the access to medical care that most women in developed nations have. At least 93 percent of fistulas can be repaired, but three percent are so badly damaged in childbirth, they cannot be healed.

Funds from the December 10th Appeal will help women who cannot be fully cured by providing ongoing medical care at the Desta Mender Village of the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In addition, the self-help rural village provides skills and vocational training to the women, encourages their independence and helps improve their morale and self-esteem. Find out more about the hospital and the positive outcomes these women are experiencing »