Downsview Services for Seniors will be kicking off our 39th year in operation with a Free Community Barbeque, to be held following DSS’ 2013 Annual General Meeting at the Northwood Community Centre.

The family- friendly community event will take place following the AGM on the evening of Thursday, June 20th, just in time to celebrate the arrival of warm summertime temperatures. The Free Community Barbeque will feature classic BBQ fare, carnival- style games, face painting, and many more activities that promise to be fun for the whole family.

The Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 20^th at 15 Clubhouse Crt. (Northwood Community Centre) from 5: 30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. The Free Community Barbeque will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Contact Julie at (416) 398-0258 x278 for additional information.

Downsview Services for Seniors has expanded our Assisted Living Program for high- risk older adults, and the residents of 2195 Jane St. will benefit from the support that is now available to them. To celebrate the launch of the new program, DSS will host an honorary Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on the morning of Friday, June 7^th.

The services offered under the Assisted Living program include care coordination, security checks, homemaking and personal support.  Additionally, DSS provides services that support prevention and health promotion such as monitoring of medical condition, medication management, wellness classes, assisted grocery shopping trips, foot care and educational workshops.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Friday, June 7^th at 2195 Jane St. (at the corner of Jane and Wilson) from 9a.m. – 11:00 a.m. You can reach the Assisted Living office at (647) 748-9155.

Date:

Location: 347 Rumsey Road (Toronto Rehab)  Outdoor Walking track—Free parking

Time of Event: 11:30 am – 2 pm

Cost: Free

Each participant will be asked to predict how long it will take to walk the track.  The person with the closest guess will be the winner!!

(No watches or cell phones allowed)

Please RSVP with:

Anna Durante, HLC Program Coordinator

416-398-0258 ext 310

adurante@downsviewservices.com

*In the case of  bad weather the  walking event will be moved to the indoor walking track.

Volunteers were presented with Certificates of Appreciation, awarded by Susan Doyle in recognition of their contributions to DSS programs. Special recognition was given to both long- standing volunteers and to those who contributed the  most hours for the year of 2012, and to community agencies who have devoted staff volunteer hours in a partnership with DSS.

As a not- for – profit agency, Downsview Services for Seniors would not be able to fulfill our mission in our  community without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. It is impossible to overstate the import of the role our volunteers play in our agency, and our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon is but a small thank you that we offer in hopes of recognizing their hard work.

Though Volunteer Appreciation Week lasts only seven days, every day that the doors of DSS remain open to serve our community we are thankful for the volunteers that make our work possible.

The DSS team was happy to greet new faces in the crowd, and an impressive turn- out reflected DSS’ broad reach in the community. Among our guests was the hon. Monte Kwinter, MP York Centre, to whom we were honoured to present a special award.

Guests were introduced to DSS’ mission with a presentation led by Susan Doyle, Executive Director. An appearance by a few of DSS’ long- time clients lent poignancy to the presentation, as individuals touched by DSS’ work stood to speak for themselves of the immeasurable impact DSS programs have had on their lives.

The Wine and Cheese Event offered the wider community a chance to come to know Downsview Services for Seniors’ work in our community, and was surely a step towards forging connections that will last into the future.

The evening was made possible by our generous community partners,  who collectively provided everything from gorgeous floral arrangements to an impressive spread of wine and cheese.  The event space was elevated by hand-crafted stainless steel furniture designs that were provided to us for the evening by HP Stainless Inc., the evening’s naming rights sponsor.

Spring 2013 Newsletter

Over the years, we’ve seen a steady climb of runners and walkers and we are looking for even more participants to join us this year. We have an ambitious fundraising goal this year with proceeds going towards innovative programs and services.  For more information on the race or to be a part of the team, please visit the Toronto Challenge website or speak to the co-leads for this event; Bridgette Lewis 416.398.0258 ext. 262 or Alana Kozlowski ext. 410.

To donate securely online in support of our participants, please click on the Donate Now button on the top right of the screen. Thank you!

Click on the link to view Avis Favaro’s segment on CTV National News.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=888963&playlistId=1.1204687&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1

DSS is governed by a 13-person volunteer Board of Directors elected at the Annual General Membership Meeting (AGM). DSS’ Annual General Membership Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, 2013 in North York, Ontario.  There will be 4 vacancies on the Board of Directors.  This is a call for nominations to fill these vacancies at the AGM.

This year the Nominations Committee is particularly interested in candidates from fundraising, health sector, non-profit, quality & risk, and marketing expertise while also having previous board experience and a passion for seniors and our community.

Individuals who are nominated and agree to stand for membership election to the DSS Board will be making a commitment to a three-year term. They will agree to attend monthly two- to three-hour Board meetings and to contribute an additional two to three hours a month to committee work.

Interested individuals may submit their candidacy or nominate others to the DSS Board by submiting a cover letter and resume by Friday, April 12, 2013.

Downsview Services for Seniors

497 Wilson Avenue

North York, ON M3H 1V1

cshea@downsviewservices.com