“Creating Space” for seniors at Tyndale

Hillary Havens

September, 2010

Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre has served Little Burgundy since 1927.

Its 300 volunteers help provide a range of services, including a new project for seniors called Creating Space to Take Our Place.

Under the guidance of Irmeli Vastamaa and Sarah Lusthaus, Creating Space to Take our Place invites people to volunteer at Tyndale as tutors, workshop facilitators, fundraisers, baby cuddlers and to help in a host of other roles.

Volunteers preparing a pancake breakfast for the summer camp

“It’s a great opportunity for people to get out, have fun, share their skills, and give back to the community,” Lusthaus says.

Creating Space offers a number of activities and workshops on such themes as exercise, legal rights, safety and finance. It offers discussion groups on living alone, style and memory improvement. A number of outings have been scheduled, including shopping trips for necessities, picnics and lunches downtown.

Anglican priest Jim McDermott of St. Mark’s Church in Saint-Laurent co-ordinates some programs, revealing: “My goal was to get my parishioners to look outside the four walls of the parish and connect with the community.” One of those, Rosalin Stewart, speaks enthusiastically of her interactions with children and how she tries to “get them to open up and have a conversation. You can learn a lot from them.”

Tyndale St-Georges is at 870 Richmond Square. For more information about the program, please contact Irmeli Vastamaa and Sarah Lusthaus at 514-931-6265, x 31.