By Ken Hirter
Did you know that the month of June is Seniors Month? It is a celebration of family and friends coming together on June the 11th to celebrate our seniors everywhere.
This year’s event for the Senior Diners Club at the Welcome Inn was where we all gathered on the beautiful grounds of Compass Community Health Centre. It was to kick off Senior Month and to the Summer Season as well.
Ruth Kaulback, Senior Coordinator opened this year’s celebration. “I am so happy for Compass & Welcome Inn seniors to be able to gather today. l helped to coordinate the seniors group at Welcome Inn with Christine Sorbara Community Development Worker from Compass to bring our seniors together. Thank you to Compass Health Centre for hosting and to all l the volunteers from Compass, Cycling Without Age, St Matthew’s House, Welcome Inn and our kitchen crew who made this day possible. We have a tradition at the Welcome Inn that each week before we eat, we take a moment to be grateful for something and it seems appropriate that we take time to express our gratitude to each of you. Thank you for all the ways you have shaped our communities and neighborhoods. For all that you contribute to our lives. For your experiences that give you a depth of wisdom that we all need. You are now our “history keepers”. You hold our stories, individually and collectively. We are grateful to you for sharing all of that with us. As we share our moments together, we know that some may be full of joy, surprises and laughter and others may involve grief or pain. Whatever the moments are, we want to thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for showing up. Walking this journey together makes life richer and more beautiful when we are in it together.
Longtime Seniors Diner Club member and former North Ender of the Year for 2019, Megs (Margaret) Smith was welcomed back after a yearlong absence.
We enjoyed a delicious “ole” fashion barbeque with hamburgers, potato salad with all the trimmings topped off with ice cream sandwiches.
Local singer Paula French entertained u with contemporary pop and rock tunes from the 1960’s & 1970’s that had everyone clapping along and even dancing on the lawn! Even the kids at the Bennetto School were dancing to ABBA along with the seniors on their lunch break, bridging the generation gap and bringing communities together. It was priceless.
Throughout the day l sat and talked with 4 vibrant and delightful seniors and for them to share their favorite fondest summer memories with me.
“It has to be the wonderful bike rides with Cycling without Age come rain or come shine. Going from Wood Street to the beautiful Bay Front Park and back again.”
Miss P.
“Living in Stoney Creek and riding my bike with my siblings up Centennial parkway to King St. East where St Joe’s Hospital is now. To pick cherries in Stoney Creek with the family and the Amusement park on Burlington Beach Rd near Environment Canada. Precious Memories! ” Rosemary Baptista
“Living in Grimsby and going swimming in Lake Ontario the Sunshine and my friends, no school and we had fun.”
Trish Pritchard
“Getting back to the days of summer past was performing at St. Joe’s Hospital Auditorium with my C.O.P.D. group and TAB (Take a Breath) singers.”
Linda Skelhorne
I want to take a moment to welcome the new Executive Director for Welcome Inn, Kristina Santone, former board member and secretary with the North End Breezes. Kristina is thrilled to have started her new role as of June 03 2024.
Of course that means we need to say goodbye and thank you to Jamie (James) Vandenberg former Executive Director and treasurer with the North End Breezes. Although he and his wife Meg will be relocating to the East Coast this summer, he will continue working remotely with the Welcome Inn during this transition period. We wish you all the joy life has to offer.
Cherished memories of laughter, reunions and new friend are made during these celebrations. I would like to thank all those who took part in celebrating our community and our seniors.
If you are interested in joining the Welcome Inn Community Centre Seniors Diner Club, or being part of their Community Visitation Program, please contact Ruth Kaulback @ (905) 525-5821 or visit their Website @ info@welcomeinn.ca
The North End Breezes will be taking a summer break in August but will be returning in September with walkabouts at their North Ender of the Year Awards and Volunteer Celebration at the first annual North End Reunion.
Till then, take care of you and those around you.
