Community Visitors Newsletter Friends For Older People SEP 2019 Hello Volunteers & Friends Welcome to our Spring CVS newsletter! Hello everyone, Spring is here, with beautiful sunny days, one of the reasons we live in regional Victoria. We are excited to announce that CVS has a new program coordinator Liezel Jonker. Liezel has a strong background in communication and marketing. So over the next few months Liezel’s focus will be on raising community awareness of the CVS program, with the aim of recruiting new volunteers. Please contact us if you would like to meet Liezel when she is in town, or if you would like our new brochure sent to a community group or a personal contact you think will be interested in joining CVS. Thank you for your participation in the CVS Survey. Feedback has indicated that you, our volunteers, are happy with your involvement in the program. However, we can improve our service delivery by providing you with greater support and communication. In response, we are working on improving our phone contact, and Liezel will get out and will make regular visits across Hume and the aged care facilities. Our newsletter has had a facelift, and we are continuing to work on providing you with relevant and interesting topics. The Community Visitors Scheme: 1800 682 710 Email: [email protected] The majority of you said that you would like to read stories from other volunteers, whether it is about what you do with your resident, or the friendships you share. Please let us know if you would like Jess, The Centre’s Communication and Events Coordinator, to write and capture a story you have to share. We are only a phone call away, and welcome any input so we can improve our service delivery to benefit you all. Christmas is almost here. The CVS team is already planning ahead for an early celebration in November. This year we have selected central locations to hold our Christmas functions. The greater the attendance the greater the fun, so please note on your calendars the date and location nearest you. Thank you for your ongoing support of CVS Being a community Visitor can be a tough gig at times, I Anita know. You perform a role that can sometimes be challenging to say the least. For this, we at CVS are very grateful and the people you visit are very fortunate. Thirteen years ago, my own mother had a significant stroke and was moved into a nursing home in Bendigo. My Mum had lost complete mobility in her right side, her ability to speak. Despite this, she hadn’t lost her determination and somehow managed to navigate herself around the nursing home in her wheelchair. Like a lot of Australian families, my sister and I lived a few hours away in Melbourne. My first born was barely one month old, and although sad at the time, I am grateful to have been on maternity leave. This meant I had time to visit regularly, helping to reduce Mum’s isolation and loneliness. During the in-between times, we were forever thankful to the staff and service providers who could be there when we were not. How valuable a community visitor would have been?! A regular friendly face can touch the lives of many, and not just the person you visit. Over the following 18 months I got to know many of Mum’s inmates, and my baby daughter brought smiles to the faces of residents and staff. I understand how it takes a strong and caring individual to brave the sometimes enclosed and stuffy surrounds, and see past the frailness of others, to connect with and see the real person inside. A task that even family and friends can find challenging. Your ability to do this makes a valuable difference to their day and lives. For this we are grateful. My name is Liezel and I have just recently joined the Community Programs team in the role of Program Meet Coordinator. Liezel! My background before joining The Centre was quite varied with experience working in pharmaceutical sales, advertising, marketing and customer service. This role is incredibly exciting. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to get out into our community, to get to know the different community members and to learn more about this incredible region we live in. I love to be able to make a difference, and this role provides an incredible opportunity to reach out to those in the community in need, and make an impact. I look forward to developing connections, creating new opportunities and adding value to the varied organisations and partnerships of the CVS and Volunteer Skillsbank programs. Home for me is the family farm in Milawa, in Victoria's North East, where calving season has just arrived and is particularly exciting but also quite hectic. My role is very official sounding: Volunteering Programs - Program Administrator, but what it really involves keeping Shari in touch with you, our lovely volunteer visitors and completing the general admin of the CVS program! Being able to get feedback on the difference you’re all making (from visitors or facility/home care staff) is my favourite part of the role. I have recently bought a new house, my first house! It’s fairly old and needs a bit of work done so that’s taking quite a bit of my time. The week I moved in I also adopted 3 cats from Albury Cat Rescue. The cats are very shy/grumpy and won’t let me pat them, but I knew that they’d take a long time to adjust when I chose them. they had all been at the Rescue since they were kittens and they’re now 3yo, 5yo and 9yo, so I thought they deserved the chance to have their own home. We have had a great year so far and I really look forward to catching up with you at our Christmas Luncheons! The Victorian Seniors Festival 6 – 20 October 2019 The festival encourages seniors from across the region to come together and participate in a number of events including indoor and outdoor activities, come and try’s and concerts. Local community and sporting groups put on various free or low-cost activities to encourage our seniors to get out, get active and socialise. Seniors Festival preparation in is full swing in Wangaratta with the rural city securing 70’s superstar, Colleen Hewett, for the annual free country concert. Hewett was one of the most successful and popular female artists of the 1970s and regularly performs in clubs around Australia. The concert, held at the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, is a sell-out each year and is a highlight for many festival-goers. The Alpine Shire has secured Lady Beetle, a show rediscovering The Beetles' immortal catalogue. The show even invites audience members to join in during the big numbers. For further information on what is happening during the Seniors Festival in your region, head to: https://www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/festivalsandawards Let's Celebrate 2019! We invite you to celebrate this past year with us by attending one of our Christmas luncheons being held this November. All CVS volunteers are invited to attend and are welcomed to bring a plus one to join in on the festivities! Our Christmas Celebrations will be held: Monday 11th Nov at 12pm Cafe 3641 at 56 Mai n St, Strathmerton Thursday 14th Nov at 12pm The Wangaratta RSL at 2 T empleton St, Wangaratta Friday 15th N ov at 12pm Giddy Goat Cafe at 6606 Maroondah Hwy, Yarck Thursday 21s t November Royal Hotel at 26 E mily St, Seymour Friday 22nd N ov at 12pm Feathertop Winery at 6619 Great Alpine Rd, Porepu nkah To RSVP, please email us at [email protected] or call (03) 57210200 and request the CVS team. RSVPs close on the 18th of October. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of RSVP VS team We hope to see you! T h e C I feel lonely. What can I do? This Month in the CVS Kitchen: Pastry Pinwheels This month we are loving Pastry pinwheels. Not only are they absolutely delicious and incredibly simple to create, they are also a guaranteed crowd pleaser at any party or afternoon tea they’re served at! Lay a sheet of thawed puff pastry onto a chopping board. Add your ingredients to your pastry, the options here are endless! Some of our favourite combinations are: Ham, Pizza Sauce, Cheese, Cream Cheese Cheese and Vegemite Bazil Pesto and Cheese Bacon, Onion and Cheese Sweet Chilli Sauce and Cheese Nutella & Banana Pineapple and Brown Sugar sprinkled with Icing Sugar Once you have added your ingredients, roll your pastry up tightly Slice your roll into 12 even slices and place on a baking tray lined with paper. Bake until golden brown and cooked through. You can even bake these ahead of time and freeze them for a later date! Images via: https://bit.ly/2WlSbGD Did you give this recipe a go? What fillings did you decide on? Do you have a favourite recipe you would love to share? We would love to see some photos of your creations to share Send your photos, recipes and cooking tips through to [email protected] to feature in our next edition! Residents currently awaiting volunteers Please spread the word about our residents currently awaiting volunteers. 1. Benalla - Women in her early 70's. Previous nurse and Salvation army officer still living at home but is socially isolated due to her health, limited mobility and anxiety.