SVA - Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentrePlant sales resume Wed. Jan. 16, 2008 Valentine’s Day...

SVA40TH ANNIVERSARY1967 2007

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—December 2007,

Volume VIII-Issue 4December 2007

The Sunnybrook Volunteer Association’s 40th anniversary celebrations are drawing to a close. To commemorate this occasion, the Association has donated an Ivory Silk lilac tree to the hospital.

On Oct. 9, 2007 a large group gathered to take part in the ceremony. Marilyn Reddick, Vice President Human Resources, Leo Fernandes, Director Environmental Group, Amin Dhanani, Manager, Environmental Services, the Environmental Services team,

Attending the Oct. 9, 2007 tree planting are, L-R Front Row: Nancy Gyokeres, Sandra McBride, Marilyn Reddick, Phyllis Epp, Sheila Fitzgerald, Louise Dawson. L to R Back Row: Lou Fernandes, Heidi Coles, John Lang. (Photo by Bobsie Ebbs)

Mark Your CalendarFor 2008Spring Theatre Trip Shaw Festival –Niagara-on-the-Lake “Wonderful Town”Tues. April 29, 2008Watch for details!

Convenors Meeting:Thurs. March 6, 2008 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Room E115

Volunteer Refresher Orientations Sat. Feb. 2, 2008Thurs. March 6, 200810:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Room EG21Contact Volunteer Resources416-480-4129

Green Thumbs Sales Plant sales resume Wed. Jan. 16, 2008Valentine’s Day Baskets - Wed. Feb.13, 2008Greenhouse Winter HoursMon.- Fri. - 9:30 a.m. to noonCall first: 416-480-6100 ext. 2444

Lilac Tree Planting Marks Volunteer Association’s 40th Year

Volunteer Resources staff and the Board of the Sunnybrook Volunteer Association all attended the event, albeit in the rain.

“We hope this tree will bring years of pleasure to passers-by and represent the dedication and commitment of our volunteers,” said Sandra McBride, SVA President, who led the ceremonial planting. The tree resides in the flower bed adjacent to Lot 1, across from the Odette Cancer Centre.


A Message From...

Sandra McBride President, Sunnybrook Volunteer AssociationIt has been a very busy, productive fall. We have two new

members on the Board: Phyllis Epp, Gift Shop, joined in September as 1st Vice President to replace Linnette Jefford who resigned. John Lang, Haematology Clinic, Odette Cancer Centre, joined in October as 2nd Vice President to replace Ted Leishman who resigned. I certainly welcome them to the Board and appreciate the knowledge and skills they bring to their respective positions. John has also taken on the

role of Editor for The Sunnybrook Volunteer.

To wrap up the celebrations for our 40th anniversary, the SVA donated an Ivory Silk lilac tree to the hospital. The planting ceremony noted on the first page was a lovely way to cap off this anniversary. I have been very fortunate to have been President for this great year of celebration, and I thank all the volunteers who have contributed in so many ways and with so many years of service. May we all enjoy the anticipation of our 50th!

On behalf of those who attended the Recognition Luncheon, I want to thank Katherine Alexopoulos and her team for all their work in organizing the event. So many volunteers commented on how much they enjoyed meeting new fellow volunteers. It does concern me though, when I see that 31 of our members registered but did not show up, resulting in the hospital paying for food that was not consumed. However, the lunch was delicious and the weather couldn’t have been nicer.

The Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario annual convention was a great success with a variety of interesting sessions available. I want to give a special congratulation to our new Provincial Life Members, Joan Brown, Sally LeBlanc, Betty Newdick and Jackie Styles, all of whom exemplify the dedication and commitment of the volunteer who goes beyond the “norm”.

Once again I had the privilege of attending the Nov. 11 service in Warrior’s Hall where I laid a wreath donated by the SVA. This was a very moving service including, in particular, a poem on remembering written by a veteran in L Wing.

I want to wish you all a happy holiday season, good health and friendship for 2008, and a new surge of energy for the new year.

Veterans’ Families Appreciate Their “Shamus”By Bobsie EbbsHow much energy can you find in four feet 11 inches? Just wander into Warrior’s Hall one day and you will see the vibrations emanating from a tiny blue-smocked volunteer.

The volunteers who provide coffee, conversation and entertainment to the veterans and their families are probably the longest constant group at Sunnybrook. From the beginning at the Red Cross Lodge, to G Wing, to Warrior’s Hall in the Kilgour Wing, this has been a happy and gratifying service for both volunteers and veterans.

Hilda Harris has been pouring coffee for the veterans and their visitors for 14 years, since her husband, Eric, became a resident at K Wing. She was no stranger to Sunnybrook; she came with the Legion to deliver Christmas presents. After the quiet hospital life she experienced as a volunteer at Baycrest, she remembers her surprise at the noise of drums and bagpipes as the Legion volunteers marched from room to room with their packages.

Hilda Harris has been serving veterans and their families with coffee, conversation and entertainment for 14 years. (Photo by Bobsie Ebbs)

see Shamus page 3

Sandra McBride

A Message From...

Katherine AlexopoulosDirector, Volunteer ResourcesFirst, I would like to apologize for the error in the list of “First Anniversary” volunteers that appeared in the last issue of the newsletter (September 2007). There were a number of volunteers who were mistakenly listed and have actually been volunteering for much longer. We regret this error.

In October, many volunteers attended the Annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at the Vaughan Estate. We hope that those who attended thoroughly enjoyed it and that we will see more volunteers next year. A number of people who responded positively did not actually show up at the luncheon—in future, we really would appreciate being notified if people cannot attend.

You may have noticed that construction continues to have an impact on our campus, including temporary road closures and the M Wing expansion. The expansion of Emergency is on time and we expect that Emergency will relocate to the new section early in the new year. This will allow the existing Emerg to undergo renovation and construction. Expected date of completion of the entire Emerg expansion is spring/summer 2009.

In October, meetings were held for Green Thumbs volunteers. At that time it was communicated to volunteers that, for health and safety reasons, dogs would no longer be able to accompany volunteers to the greenhouse, or to any volunteer activity, with the exception of our Pet Therapy program. We know that this is a change for some volunteers. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in complying with this policy.

Sharen Werk, convenor of Green Thumbs has stepped down from this role. A special thank you goes to Sharen for her enthusiasm and hard work as convenor over the past four years; welcome to Marilyn Okada who is the new Green Thumbs convenor.

We held one refresher orientation for volunteers in early December and there are three more dates in the new year. If you received a letter regarding attending a refresher session and have not yet signed up, we strongly encourage you to do so. Participation in refresher orientations will be an ongoing requirement every five years in order to ensure volunteers are current with respect to policies and practices.

With the upcoming holiday season, various departments and services may be closed or have modified hours. Please check with your respective coordinator and/or the staff with whom you work for details regarding when volunteers are expected.

On behalf of the entire Volunteer Resources team: Carol, Sally, Beth, Kathy and Carolina, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best for a healthy and happy new year. Thank you for another great year of volunteering!


Katherine Alexopoulos

Around this time, the Jewish Chapel was being created. The rabbi appreciated the time and energy Hilda could offer and appointed her Shamus, the only female with this title in North America. The English word for Shamus is Sexton, but after several rambunctious veterans covered up the last three letters on her name tag, Hilda changed her badge to “Shamus”.

In this role, Hilda organizes getting veterans to services, arranging Passover meals and other celebrations for the residents and their families, working with the catering department and drawing floor plans. She helps deliver presents and food to Jewish residents on special days and posts signs and notices of special events around the hospital.

The twinkle in Hilda’s eye gets brighter as she says, “One of the nicest things I do, my favourite, is doing treats for the wives.” It began 14 years ago as 13 women sat in the garden discussing their lives: husbands living in residence, going home to an empty house after almost daily visits to Sunnybrook.

“Let’s have a Bar-B-Q! My son works in a restaurant and can cook for us,” said one woman. And, so it began. That first get together was such a success, with grilled salmon, shish-kabobs and wine, that other wives wanted to get involved as well. Veterans’ Affairs helped to subsidize the events. Eventually widows, who had been part of the veterans’ wives group, were invited to continue their fellowship and this year, for the first time, resident female veterans are being invited to the Christmas luncheon in Harrison Hall.

Excursions have become part of the special occasions for this dedicated group. Last year, 50 women went to Orillia for a boat trip. This year, they enjoyed a posh High Tea in Oshawa at the McLachlan Estate complete with cake, cookies and sandwiches, all organized by the indefatigable Hilda.

Shamus from page 2


By John LangHonor Nivin has a unique new assignment that many volunteers would love to experience. She is one of approximately 10 volunteers in the Odette Cancer Centre coaching patients on their use of a recently developed patient information system based on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). The tool captures input on how patients are feeling as an aid in communication with their doctors. This hands-on work with patients, helping them to use technology to improve their healthcare, is an interesting new dimension for volunteering.

ESAS is an interactive tool, developed originally in Alberta, and being implemented across Ontario by Cancer Care Ontario, an umbrella organization that coordinates delivery of the province’s cancer services. The ESAS system asks patients to rate the severity of nine key symptoms (pain, tiredness, nausea, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, appetite, well-being and shortness of breath) based on their current state. The rating scale for each symptom is from 0 (no symptom) to 10 (worst possible). The data patients input is compiled into a report for their doctors and nurses to aid in diagnostics and in follow-up to new medications and treatments.

Honor was trained on the system by a team of software developers who came to Toronto to help her group of volunteers get started when the system was introduced in May 2007. Since then, Honor and her fellow volunteers have contributed to improvements in the system by feeding back insights from patient experiences to help with system upgrades (e.g., simplifying originally assigned passwords). These upgrades have helped to promote patients’ understanding of and comfort level with the system.

Volunteers, Patients Work Together to Measure Symptoms

A breast cancer survivor herself, Honor is well suited for this assignment in another way. As a retired ESL teacher, she is accustomed to working with people whose original language is not English—a frequent occurrence at the Odette Centre lung clinic. Having travelled extensively and gained an understanding of several languages, Honor is able to help patients who struggle with English in their interaction with the ESAS screens. The system has backup documentation for 22 languages, but Honor notes, “I could use 40 languages!”

She also finds the personal interaction she has with patients helps to settle those who may be anxious or even upset when they arrive at the clinic. In many cases, the few moments she has with patients or their families, recording how they are feeling, goes a long way towards making their clinic experience more comfortable.

Use of the system is expected to continue to broaden, and it is likely many more volunteers will have a chance to work with the system’s unique patient-support features. Asked if she would recommend an ESAS assignment to other volunteers, Honor responds, “If a volunteer can handle multi-tasking and a high volume of work, then absolutely!” It has obviously worked out marvellously for her.

The annual welcome back luncheon for volunteers was held on Sept. 14 at the Blythwood Room patio outside H Wing, where everyone enjoyed a pleasant fall BBQ in this delightful sunlit setting.

SVA Fall BBQ a Huge Success

Honor Niven helps patients input to the Odette Cancer Centre’s new symptom assessment system. (Photo by John Lang)

(Photos by Bobsie Ebbs )

Peer Support Volunteer Ruth Manegold and SVA board member Pyar Dossal.


Sunnybrook President and CEO, Dr. Barry McLellan.

Above: Odette Cancer Centre volunteers L - R: Mort Finkelstein, Olga Dankowich, Florence Valensky, Phyllis LaFerie and Bob Herd.

Sunnybrook Foundation CEO Kevin Goldthorp,

Photos by Dale Roddick

2007 Volunteer Recognition Luncheon Enjoyed by All

A room full of staff and volunteers enjoyed the Annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon held at the Vaughan Estate in October.

Staff and management at the podium are L to R - SVA Office Administrator; Sheila Young, Volunteer Resources staff, Beth Singleton, Sally Lewis, Carolina Chui, Kathy Kwan, and Carol Banks, Sunnybrook VP Human Resources, Marilyn Reddick, and Sunnybrook President and CEO, Dr. Barry McLellan.


Student Conference a ValuableExperience for Young VolunteersBy Carol BanksThe Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario held its Student Volunteer Convention Nov. 3-4 at the Fairmont Royal York hotel. I had the privilege of taking Sonya David and Stephanie Yang, two students from our Student Volunteer Committee, to this educational and fun convention.

The conference is an opportunity for student volunteers and coordinators from across Ontario to network and share ideas for their own programs. About 75 students attended. Everyone agreed we learned a great deal about volunteering and the management of student volunteer programs. Sonya and Stephanie were also able to meet with healthcare professionals to discuss career opportunities.

As an added bonus, at the closing banquet, one of our other student volunteers, Vinidhra Vaitheeswaran, received a $1,000 student bursary awarded by the HAAO. Vinidhra

By Sandra McBride and Phyllis EppThe Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario (HAAO) held its annual convention on Nov. 3-7, 2007 at the Metro Convention Centre. The event is organized in two sections, a Student Volunteer Program and an Adult Volunteer Program. Representatives of the SVA were also able to attend the Plenary Session of the Ontario Hospital Association’s annual convention which runs concurrently in the same venue.

The theme of this year’s Adult Volunteer Program was “Adapt To Attract” with an interesting mix of sessions covering such diverse topics as ageing, mental health, mentoring, retailing, records management and recruitment. This convention is open to any active volunteer who wishes

to attend, so interested volunteers should contact an SVA Board member if they would like to attend the convention next year.

The highlight of this year’s convention was the gala banquet at which 98 volunteers from across the province were inducted as Provincial Life Members by the HAAO.

Four of the SVA’s members received their pins and certificates: Joan Brown and Betty Newdick were the founding members of the Association in 1967 and were the original lingerie buyers for the gift shop; Sally LeBlanc has served in a variety of assignments for the past 38 years and filled many roles on the Board, including President of the Association; Jackie Styles started with the Canadian Cancer Society in 1985 and was chair of the Society’s Executive Committee as well as a founding member of its Art Committee whose paintings hang in the hallways of the Odette Cancer Centre.

If you know a volunteer who might deserve recognition as a Provincial Life Member in the HAAO, please contact Sandra McBride, chair of the Sunnybrook Volunteer Association’s Recognition & Awards Committee. Criteria for the HAAO’s “Longstanding Service” designation include a minimum of 20 years service, exceptional commitment, and reliable, exemplary service. Criteria for the HAAO’s “Leadership Service” designation include a minimum of 10 years service with six years in a leadership position, ability to work with a wide range of people, and a record of mentoring and encouraging others.

had been nominated by Volunteer Resources for the award and was one of three chosen in the province to receive a bursary. Her family also attended the banquet.

We all felt the conference helped us both personally and professionally. The students plan to apply much of what they learned to their own volunteering and career planning. Needless to say, we had a great time!

Provincial Life Members Honoured at HAAO Annual Convention

Sunnybrook student volunteers, Sonya David, Vinidhra Vaitheeswaran and Stephanie Yang, at the HAAO Student Volunteer Convention (Photo by Carol Banks)

Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario 2007 Provincial Life member designees, L-R: Betty Newdick, Jackie Styles, Joan Brown and Sally LeBlanc. (Photo by Sandra McBride)


There was an announcement in the September, 2007 issue of The Sunnybrook Volunteer regarding the upcoming Kay MacLellan Volunteer of the Year Award given by her son, Bruce MacLellan and his wife Karen in memory of Kay.

The Recognition & Awards Committee is seeking nominations. The nominee should be an active volunteer who meets the following criteria developed by Kay’s son to reflect characteristics of his mother:• Supportive of fellow volunteers and the Association• Interested in the well-being of patients, staff and the

Sunnybrook community• Brings a positive attitude to life and work • Committed to the volunteer role• Always acts as a team player • Displays modesty in accepting and carrying out tasks

Think about all the volunteers you know, either through your work or through shared experiences, who might be eligible for this award. Complete and submit the following form by March 14, 2008 to: Sandra McBride, Chair, Recognition & Awards Committee, Room E-116.

Nominations Sought for Kay MacLellan Volunteer of the Year Award

KAY MACLELLAN VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINATIONNominee’s Name:________________________________ Area of Service: __________________________________Examples to support the above criteria:

Finding a Way to Say “Thank You”By Joan WillinghamIke Goodfellow has recently completed his first year of volunteering as a wheelchair escort in the veterans’ wing at Sunnybrook. Experiences of new volunteers are of great interest to the SVA, so we spoke to him there to get his early impressions.

In 2004 Ike and his wife Georgia went to France for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. What they saw and heard while visiting monuments and attending commemoration services affected them profoundly. They returned to Canada believing, in Ike’s words, “we owe these men for what they did for us.” In the following year Ike retired and he and Georgia became volunteers in K and L Wings, as a way of saying thank you.

Ike believes he gets more back from volunteering than he gives. For example, he is supposed to walk for health reasons. He does not normally like walking and yet he happily walks miles during his shifts at Sunnybrook. He works one or two days a week and is also a “spare” who can be called upon to do a shift at the last minute.

In K and L Wings volunteers work a three-hour shift per week. Service is provided Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. There are usually four or five people per

shift so, while waiting for an assignment, volunteers chat and get to know each other. Ike says there is good camaraderie among the volunteers. The women who volunteer in this area are often the wives of veterans.

Asked if there were any surprises when he began volunteering, Ike says no; he did not have any preconceived idea of what to expect, and so

far really likes everything about his job. History is one of Ike’s hobbies, so he enjoys listening to the veterans’ stories as he wheels them to and from their appointments or to the recreational events in Warrior’s Hall. On the door of each veteran’s room is a picture taken when he or she enlisted. Ike was surprised by how much these affected him. They are a reminder that these veterans were once young men and women with partners back home and sometimes even young families.

Ike believes more people should come to visit the residents of K and L Wings. He thinks if they did they would also want to say thank you to these brave men.

Ike Goodfellow gets more back as a volunteer than he gives. (Photo by Joan Willingham)

SVA Board Meeting Highlights


By Nancy Gyokeres, SecretaryThese highlights are from the Sept. 11 and Oct. 9, 2007 meetings of the Board of the Sunnybrook Volunteer Association:

• Phyllis Epp was appointed 1st Vice President of the SVA at the September Board meeting and John Lang, 2nd Vice President at the October meeting. The appointments addressed the resignations of Linnette Jefford and Ted Leishman. One Member-at-Large is being sought following the resignation of Sharon McNeill.

• 88 volunteers attended the SVA-sponsored BBQ on Sept. 14. • The President reported that on June 27 the Ontario Volunteer Awards

Ceremony honoured SVA volunteers Dan Christante, Ann Grant and Angela Williams (all 15 years), June Jennings and Denise Boudreau (both 20 years), Yoli Cira (30 years) and student Chelios Vuong.

• On Aug. 23 recipients of three Student Volunteer Awards of $1,000 each were Evelyn Cheung, Steve Kang and Vinidhra Vaitheeswaran. Ahalya Balachandran won the Jack Hemmings Award.

• John Lang and Bobsie Ebbs have joined the Newsletter Committee.• Past President Heidi Coles will chair the Archive Committee which

includes Audrey Wilson and Linda Diener. Additional committee members are being sought. The Committee will develop a method of going through stored boxes and will draft policy and procedures.

• Repairs have been made in the Beauty Salon. • The Board chose an Ivory Silk Lilac tree to mark the SVA’s 40th

Anniversary. The planting ceremony was held on Oct. 9 beside Lot #1 at the Blythwood entrance.

• The Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario Convention was held Nov. 3 to 7. SVA sponsored participation of two students, Carol Banks of Volunteer Resources, and volunteers Sandra McBride, John Lang and Phyllis Epp. Volunteers Joan Brown, Sally Leblanc, Betty Newdick and Jackie Styles attended the banquet and were named Provincial Life Members of the HAAO.

• Christmas cards produced for the first time by the SVA were scheduled to be sold in E Wing Nov. 19 and 22 and in the Gift Shop.

• The SVA annual general meeting will be held June 9, at the hospital. • Volunteer Resources reported that last summer’s program went very

well with close to 300 students participating. The Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at the Vaughan Estate was held on October 17. Volunteer Resources has new colour letter-size posters available for recruiting volunteers. Volunteers who feel they can distribute a poster or two to appropriate locations are encouraged to contact Volunteer Resources.

Welcome New Volunteers!Maria Albert-Caplan, Baharak Sadeghian, Donald Graham, Elizabeth Graham, My-Linh Hang, Chaitasi Intwala, Elizabeth Weigand, Odette Cancer Centre;Barbara Ballard, Helga Martin, Connie Pratt, Bonnie Smith, M Wing Wheelchair;Jayne Biggs, Matthew Ormos, Kelvin Wan, Emergency; Raluca Croitoru, CCU Waiting Room;Shelley Dubros, Dialysis;Elena Gorjan, Hong Pan, Ultrasound; Deina Ibrahum, Specimen Collection;Peter Kozakiewicz, K Wing Wheelchair;Nancy Lyons, Creative Arts;Claire St. Arnaud, Mammography;Pierrette Wells, Gift Shop

George Hain, Heartpals & Office SupportKathleen Meiklejohn, K Wing Creative ArtsTheodore Zissis,K Wing Creative Arts

Sophie Brown Sam NisenboimJulie Charles Thomas NordenLouise Dawson Anjali RamsewakLilian Griffin Mary RoyPeter Griffiths Alec ShipmanJudith Huggins-Chan Elizabeth Keddie Jane SimpsonMargaret Keene Gwyneth SutherlandJohn Lang Stephanie ThomasStacey McIndless Natalie WhyteLeonard Melamed Jeffrey Zeidenberg

In MemoriamOur thoughts go out to friends and family

First Anniversary Volunteers

(for September, October, November)

NEXT NEWSLETTERMarch, 2008

The Newsletter Committee welcomes input from members interested in joining Board Committees, helping out at SVA events, researching and/or writing articles for the newsletter, or taking photographs. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us at: [email protected]

© Sunnybrook Volunteer Association 2007

Newsletter CommitteeJohn Lang, Editor; Sandra McBride, ex-officio;

Bobsie Ebbs, Mary Ann Lee, Joan Willingham, membersDesign: Lorraine Hunter Printing: Sunnybrook Print Shop

mailto:[email protected]

SVA - Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentrePlant sales resume Wed. Jan. 16, 2008 Valentine’s Day...

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