The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 1

Volume IX Issue 3September 2008

By Sandra McBride

The Kay MacLellan Volunteer of the Year Award was presented for the first time this year at the June 2008 Annual General Meeting to winner Catherine Frampton. Kay’s son, Bruce and his wife Karen are the sponsors of this annual $100 award. Kay volunteered from 1990 to 2006 and worked on the gift cart, M1 Information Desk and the HELPP Lottery. She was also Member-at-Large on the board. Kay was always willing to help in any way and was very supportive of the SVA board.

Criteria for this award include:• 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.

Nominations were received from the membership and the Recognition and Awards Committee selected Catherine Frampton who best reflected the award’s criteria.

Catherine has been a volunteer since 1994. She is the convenor for the 25 volunteers in the Family Wait Centre of the Critical Care and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Units. In this role, she arranges schedules, orients volunteers and ensures shifts are covered. She also volunteers in the George Hees wing where she plays piano for the veterans.

Comments from some of the nominees include:

Catherine Frampton Receives Kay MacLellan Award

Catherine Frampton, left, receives the first annual Kay MacLellan Volunteer of the Year Award from Kay’s son, Bruce MacLellan, and SVA president Sandra McBride. Photo by Sunnybrook Media Source.

Annual Sunnybrook BBQ for StaffPhysicians and VolunteersTues. Sept 23, 3-6 pm

Emergency Dept MeetingsTues. Sept 23, 1:30 – 3:30 pm orWed. Sept 24, 6 – 8 pm

Green Thumbs Sales The Greenhouse will reopen for Sales

• She is always willing to listen to the volunteers’ needs and questions• Always supportive and provides a cheerful and positive example in communicating volunteers’ needs to staff and their wishes to us• Is modest about her role & accomplishments.

Mark Your Calendar!- Mon. Sept 22; Thanksgiving Baskets - Oct 10; Regular Hospital Sales Resume Oct 15; Christmas Baskets/Poinsettias - Dec 3, 4 & 5; Final Regular Hospital Sales - Dec 10

Christmas/Greeting Card SalesOct. 14, 17, 20 & 30; 11 am – 2 pm, E1 foyer, K Wing & OCC

Volunteer Recognition Luncheon Vaughan Estate, Wed. Oct 15

Book SalesThurs. Sept 25, Fri. Nov 21, E1 Foyer

CrCu Volunteer MeetingsWed. Oct 22, 10 am – noon orThurs. Oct 23, 6 – 8 pm

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 2

By Joan Willingham

He talks to me about C. S. Lewis and Jungian theory. This retired firefighter/philosopher ponders the connection between his choice of career and volunteering. He believes the impulse that makes a firefighter run into a building when everyone else is running out is the same as the one that brings him to Sunnybrook twice a week to help in the Nuclear Medicine department.

Why Sunnybrook I asked? Bill became familiar with the hospital through many visits here as a firefighter so it seemed a logical choice.

In the Nuclear Medicine department cardiac patients are assessed using stress tests and other procedures. The stress room is used three days a week. Bill volunteers two mornings a week and another volunteer takes the third day. His duties include greeting patients, making sure they have clean gowns and assisting them with the paperwork needed for their procedures.

“Everyone who comes here is afraid,” Bill observes. He finds satisfaction in alleviating some of their anxiety by explaining what goes on in the department and what will be expected of them. I am sure a good sense of humour is required in firefighting and Bill’s sense of humour combined with his empathy make him very valuable to the staff and patients in Nuclear Medicine. He admits that it can take a while to learn everything that is expected and that he felt confused initially but now happily engages

A Message from…Phyllis EppPresident, Sunnybrook Volunteer Association

Summer is almost gone and we are preparing for another term of volunteering. I hope for all of you whether you volunteered or had the summer to relax, that your time was filled with reunions, picnics, family events, new places and some restful time.

At the Annual General Meeting this year we welcomed two new Board members – Esther McKinnon as 2nd Vice

New Volunteer Brings Firefighter’s Philosophy to His Work

everyone with questions and observations about the miracle and circus that is life.

There is just one niggling dissatisfaction: his past training taught him to always check where the exits are in any place he enters and to note how traffic flows in a space. He thinks that it is possible to design a layout for the department that would make everything flow more smoothly for the benefit of patients and staff.

Once again I am left feeling how fortunate we are to attract so many intelligent and thoughtful people to Sunnybrook.

President and John McKinnon as a Member-at-Large, and said goodbye with thanks to Heidi Coles.

This June, seven of our SVA colleagues were honoured at the Ontario Volunteer Awards. This event demonstrated the strong face of volunteering in our community. In August the Students Awards dinner was held to recognize the contribution of the youth volunteers to Sunnybrook. Twenty-four students applied for the SVA bursaries and the Jack Hemmings Award. The Recognition and Awards Committee had a challenging time selecting the winners.

September will have us back to routine, and I look forward to seeing you all at the fall barbecue.

Phyllis Epp

First year volunteer, Bill Parker, finds his career experiences as a firefighter have valuable application as a volunteer. Photo by Lena Koh.

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 3

A Message from…Katherine AlexopolousDirector, Volunteer Resources

Welcome back to those of you who have been off during the summer. Thank you to those who continued to volunteer through July and August.

Volunteer Resources has had a busy few months. Again this year the summer program was a success. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Carol Banks and Misha Moitri (our summer student coordinator) close to 300 students volunteered in a wide variety of areas, helping to ensure services continued or providing additional support to departments.

As noted in our Volunteer Resource Bulletin, sent out in August, we are making some changes to our School-Year Student program this year with a focus on quality, not quantity. Our goal is to ensure that students are having a positive experience and are involved in meaningful roles. Another change is that volunteers from the following two services: Gift Shop and Book/Magazine Carts, now report to Beth Singleton, and not Carol Banks.

Under the leadership of Sally Lewis, Manager, Volunteer

President and John McKinnon as a Member-at-Large, and said goodbye with thanks to Heidi Coles.

This June, seven of our SVA colleagues were honoured at the Ontario Volunteer Awards. This event demonstrated the strong face of volunteering in our community. In August the Students Awards dinner was held to recognize the contribution of the youth volunteers to Sunnybrook. Twenty-four students applied for the SVA bursaries and the Jack Hemmings Award. The Recognition and Awards Committee had a challenging time selecting the winners.

September will have us back to routine, and I look forward to seeing you all at the fall barbecue.

Resources, Aging & Veterans Care, we have also had notable activity amongst the volunteers at the Holland Orthopaedic and Arthritic Centre (Wellesley St. site). Both a tea and a general meeting were held for this group of volunteers in June.

A Gift Shop inventory has also been conducted. Although small in numbers, this group is to be commended for their long service and dedication to volunteering at the Holland Centre. We also have some volunteer opportunities at this site, particularly in their Gift Shop; should you know of anyone who may be interested in helping out, please have them contact Sally at 416-480-6100, ext. 2140.

Our Volunteer Recognition Luncheon is coming up on Oct. 15. We look forward to seeing many of you there.

Refresher orientations will continue as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure volunteers work as safely as possible; those of you due to participate this year, or who were due last year but were not able to attend, will receive a letter in October.

Volunteer recruitment continues and the fall tends to be a very busy time for this. If you know of interested individuals please have them call Volunteer Resources and Jennifer will be happy to invite them to an upcoming information session.

We look forward to another busy year!

By Phyllis Epp

This year on Jan. 16th at the Arcadian Court, six adult volunteers and one youth volunteer were presented with Ontario Volunteer Awards. Those honoured were Cindy Hands-Bonnet and Bobsie Ebbs – 5 years, Sam Smyth and Barbara Hunt –15 years, Shirley Herron and Lorna Yufe – 25 years, and Sonya David – youth award.

In addition – three volunteers from the Holland Orthopaedic & Arthritic Centre, located on Wellesley St. received Ontario Awards. They are Louise Grosschalk – 30 years, Rita Sammon – 25 years and Mary Forsyth – 30 years. (Unfortunately we do not have a photograph of these award winners).

The Ontario Volunteer Awards are given by the Ontario Government to volunteers celebrating landmark years of service recorded in five-year increments. Congratulations to these our volunteer colleagues.

Ontario Volunteer Awards Presented

Katherine Alexopoulos

Sunnybrook volunteers receiving 2008 Ontario Volunteer Awards include L-R - Bobsie Ebbs, Lorna Yufe, student recipient Sonya David, Shirley Herron, Sam Smyth, Cindy Hards-Bonnett and Barbara Hunt. Photo by Phyllis Epp.

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 4

By Joan Willingham

In recognition of Stan and Daphne Tully’s generous gift to Sunnybrook of their oil paintings of McLean House and the Vaughan Estate, we thought that volunteers would be interested in some background about these two wonderful properties that make up “The Estates of Sunnybrook”.

In the 1920s many wealthy Toronto businessmen were buying land just north of the business centre and building large houses with landscaped gardens for their families. McLean House and Vaughan Estate were two such family dwellings.

James Stanley McLean was born in Durham County in 1876 and educated at the University of Toronto. In 1901 he worked as a clerk in the Harris Abattoir. After a series of acquisitions and mergers overseen by McLean, Canada Packers Limited was created in 1927. McLean was elected president and remained so until his retirement in 1954.

In 1928 he purchased 50 acres of land on the east side of Bayview Ave. and hired architect Eric Arthur of George

MacLean House and Vaughan Estate -Highlights of the Sunnybrook Campus

Moorhouse and King Associates to design “Bayview”, a Georgian style house, for himself, his wife and three children. The house was built of fieldstone, had Palladian windows, a grand staircase and spacious rooms with high ceilings. The main entrance was flanked by Corinthian columns

while the dining room was paneled in mahogany and walnut. Landscape architect Gordon Culham was hired to design the gardens which were maintained by four gardeners. There was also a full-time staff member to arrange flowers throughout the house.

J. S. McLean died in 1954. His widow Edith Flavelle McLean stayed in the house until her death in 1967 at which time the University of Toronto took over the estate. The Donwoods Institute was located there temporarily and later the house was used for office space.

In the process of converting the McLean House into a clinical facility beautiful archways were blocked over, fire doors were fitted and EXIT signs affixed over lovely paneled doors. Over time the house suffered from neglect and deteriorated.

The Vaughan Estate belonged to John James Vaughan, one of five sons born to Robert Vaughan, a retired police

Daphne Tully presented four watercolours to the hospital and the SVA depicting McLean House, above, and the Vaughan Estate, below left, in both spring and winter. The spring paintings are depicted here.

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 5

officer who started a successful contracting business in Toronto. John James worked initially for the railway but had a flair for business and finance which he studied in his spare time. He joined the T. Eaton Company in 1903 as a clerk and became a close friend and business advisor to John Craig Eaton. At 25 he became secretary and at 35 was made a director of the company. After the sudden death of John Craig Eaton in 1922, a cousin, R. Y. Eaton became “holding” president. He relied heavily on Vaughan’s keen business acumen and loyalty in running the company. In 1933 Vaughan became vice-president.

In 1931 Vaughan purchased 31 acres of land on Bayview Ave. and commissioned Burden and Gouinlock Architects to design an Elizabethan

By Sandra McBride

Oh, to be so creative! Daphne Tully, a volunteer with Fine Arts, took her paint brush and did four wonderful paintings of McLean House and Vaughan Estate, showing the properties in both winter and spring.

If you have been to the Gift Shop, you have probably seen the greeting cards and scratch pads showing the spring scenes of these two estates. We have had great success with this fund raiser and are planning to launch the winter scenes in time for Christmas cards.

Daphne graciously donated two of the paintings to the hospital and two to the SVA. She presented a pair to Marilyn Reddick for Dr. Barry McLellan, CEO and a pair to Sandra McBride for the SVA at the Annual General Meeting, May 9, 2008.

Dr. McLellan said that the paintings

Tully Paintings Donated to Hospital & SVA

are hanging in his office and have been admired by many of his visitors. The SVA plans to hang its paintings in the lounge. Drop by and have a look at

this magnificent work.

Thank you, Daphne for your incredible artistic talent and generous gifts!

Daphne Tully presents her paintings of McLean House and the Vaughan Estate to Sunnybrook vice president, Marilyn Reddick at the SVA’s 2008 annual meeting. Photo by Sunnybrook Media Source.

style manor house. The house stood on the crest of a hill and was approached by a long winding drive. Known as “Donningvale”, it was built of grey stone with ivy-covered gables at both ends, and a gabled front entrance.

The interior was designed with huge fireplaces, intricate cornice mouldings, carved plaster ceilings and beautiful leaded glass casement windows. Gordon Culham who designed the gardens at Bayview also landscaped the grounds at Donningvale. There were walkouts onto tiered patios, elegantly planted gardens and stone pathways.

J. J. Vaughan was one of the founders of the Toronto Art Gallery and Maple Leaf Gardens. He was president of the United Welfare Chest in 1944

and remained an active supporter of Toronto’s charitable institutions.

After his death in 1966 Donningvale was acquired by the Sunnybrook Medical Centre to provide land for future expansion and remained unused for many years.

In 1982 the Junior League of Toronto and the Interior Designers of Ontario renovated McLean House and opened it to the public as a designers’ showcase home. In 1991 six designers donated their time and skill to renovate and revitalize the Vaughan Estate. This included a 10,000 square foot addition. Today, both properties are used by Sunnybrook and the public for private social and corporate events. Proceeds from these events help fund medical research at the hospital.

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 6

By Mary Ann Lee

Former teacher, Joanne Reinhart-Gunn, uses skills from that work experience when she fills the role of Greeter in the Main Lobby on Tuesday afternoons.

Joanne has been a greeter for the last five years and she “loves” every minute of her time there.

She finds that the patience she developed as a teacher helps in this situation. She was used to giving clear directions to the children she taught and that stands her in good stead. The Greeter fields all kinds of questions and the volume of questions is very unpredictable. Questions range from “Where is the pharmacy?”, “Where is the change machine?”, “The ATM”, “The elevators” to “How do I get to…?” The more difficult questions are “Where is my husband?” and “Have you seen my wife?” And then there are questions like “Where can I buy cigarettes?”

The people asking the questions are often under stress so they may not be organized about what they are asking. It sometimes takes several tries for Joanne to explain the answers so that the person understands the directions. In these cases, she always says “If you are not able to find X, just come back and I’ll go along with you.” No one has ever come back. The statement just gives the person confidence to start following the directions.

Joanne reports that people often stop on their way out of the hospital to say “Thank you, your directions were great.”

Her most difficult questioner is one who does not have English language skills. This situation is getting more frequent as Toronto becomes more multicultural.

She is also asked for directions to outside locations such as Yorkdale. In the case where a person is taking the subway, Joanne always gives the easiest direction to take the bus to the subway and then take the subway south past Union and then continue on that subway north to Yorkdale.

Joanne seems to be a natural “helper” and she likes that role. She finds patience helps calm anxious people and staying cheerful is invaluable. She tries to provide a stress-free experience by using her reassurance and confidence.

Spending two months as a patient in Sunnybrook established a “connection” for Joanne, who refers to

Sunnybrook as “my hospital.” After two more months at a rehab hospital and more recovery time, Joanne set out to figure out how she could contribute. She identified her skills, which in her words were “I was disabled, but I could talk”.

She approached Volunteer Resources at Sunnybrook and after a time was placed in her Tuesday afternoon greeter position. She uses Wheel Trans for transportation to her Tuesday assignments. She uses her wheelchair to move to her assignment and for seating at the Greeter’s desk.

As an M Wing volunteer and as a person in a wheelchair with limited mobility, Joanne has offered suggestions from her experiences to Beth Singleton of Volunteer Resources on ways to enhance accessibility. Beth is also a member of the hospital’s Accessibility Committee. One example of Joanne’s input was the suggestion to install one lower soap dispenser in the washroom so that a person in a wheelchair can get clean hands without getting soap running down her forearm as she reaches up above to depress the soap dispenser.

There is much diversity among the volunteers at Sunnybrook and Joanne Reinhart-Gunn is a good example of that diversity. She and we celebrate that.

Experienced Volunteer Brings Guidance for All

Joanne Reinhart-Gunn enjoys helping people find their way around the Sunnybrook campus and beyond. Photo by Lena Koh.

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 7

By Mary Cowan & Sandra McBride

Every year, the SVA gives up to three $200.00 awards to the Toronto District School Board co-op students who have exceeded the norm and demonstrated personal growth and increased confidence over their term at Sunnybrook. Placements for this experience vary from clinical areas, to the Maintenance Department. The Recognition & Awards Committee reviewed 18 applications for these awards. This is the greatest number submitted over the years and acknowledgement goes to Dinah Rosen, Co-op Coordinator for her commitment.

Supervisors, guests and students

attended the reception held in McLaughlin Auditorium on June 3. We were entertained by a wonderful slide show depicting the students in action. As well, there were posters around the room showing the students at work.

The SVA recipients included Joshua Austen, Alex Herbert and Joseph Yu.

Joshua attends Grade 12 at Cedarbrae High School. His goal for co-op was to learn more about the painting trade and workplace policy and procedures through his placement in the painting department of Maintenance.

Alex Herbert attends Grade 11 at Leaside High School. She hoped that her co-op experience would allow

Co-op Student Awards

Presented

By Phyllis Epp

On Aug. 21 the Student Awards dinner was held. Four SVA Bursaries were awarded. (Due to the high caliber of applicants, one of the bursaries was divided in two.)

Presentations were made to: Marie Yan, who is enrolled at McMaster in the Health Sciences Program, Maryanne Siu, who will attend York University, working towards a Bachelor of

Co-op Student Award winners for 2008 are: L-R Joshua Austen, Alex Herbert, and Joseph Yu. Photos by Toronto District School Board.

her to see how the hospital works and learn more about the various professions. Her placement was in the Plastics Clinic but she also went to a variety of other areas such as the Burn Unit.

Joseph Yu attends Grade 11 at A. Y. Jackson Secondary School. His primary goal was to learn as much as he could about becoming an electrician during his placement in the Maintenance department. He was offered a part time summer student job as a result of this placement and is registered in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program as a construction and maintenance electrician.

Student Winners Named

at Awards Dinner

Science in Nursing, Meghan Hines, a student at Seneca College, working to become a Social Service worker, and Annette Ye, who will attend McGill University as a freshman in the Sciences Program.

The Jack Hemmings Award was presented to Sonya David who will enter the University of Toronto in the faculty of Arts & Science.

Marie Yan and Annette Ye received SVA student award bursaries at the Student Award dinner on August 24th. Maryanne Siu and Meaghan Hines also received awards.

Student volunteer, Sonya David receives the Jack Hemmings Award from Mrs. E. Tory.

Newsletter CommitteeJohn Lang, Editor; Phyllis Epp, ex-officio;

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

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:

Sheila.young@sunnybrook.ca© Sunnybrook Volunteer Association 2008

SVA Board Meeting Highlights

The Sunnybrook Volunteer—September 2008, Page 8

By Nancy Gyokeres, Secretary

These highlights are from the May 6 and June 17, 2008 meetings of the Board of Directors of the Sunnybrook Volunteer Association:

• The Board reviewed the program to supply Emergency Room overnight kits to patients who arrived without the necessities to remain overnight. Procedures for signing these out and keeping stock are in place. New kits were ordered and are available, thanks to generous donations to the SVA.

• The Board approved a revised Mission and Goals Statement for the SVA that was subsequently approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

• The Sunnybrook Perinatal and Gynecology Department is scheduled to open on Mother’s Day, 2010. The SVA will operate a new shop directed to mothers and babies near the department. Preliminary steps included a meeting with volunteers at Women’s College Hospital and later the Sunnybrook Planning Department. Over the next two years the SVA must address the questions of financing, ownership, management, hours of operation and designation of money raised.

• In June, John and Esther McKinnon were welcomed as new SVA Board members.

• Each spring the SVA presents up to three $200 Co-op Student Awards. This year 18 applications were received and awards went to Joseph Yu, Grade 11 at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School; Alex Herbert, Grade 11 student at Leaside High School and Joshua Austen, Grade 12 student at Cedarbrae High School.

• President Phyllis Epp attended the Volunteer Service Awards sponsored by the Government of Ontario. SVA volunteers who were honoured were Cindy Hards-Bonnett and Bobsie Ebbs, 5 years; Shirley Herron and Lorna Yufe, 25 years; Sam Smyth and Barbara Hunt, 15 years, and Sonya David, a Youth Award.

Welcome New Volunteers!

Elizabeth Heenan-Peacock, Geriatric Day HospitalJennifer Pinasen, EmergencyGary Kohl, EmergencyAricie Hermine Ndjoukoua Tchinda, Critical Care Waiting RoomHavovi Mehta, Mental Health YogaPetrina Gentile, OCC ClinicMiyoshi Robertson, EmergencyJoanne Bell, OCC Wig RoomIrene Miao-Glass, UltrasoundStephanie Christie, General RadiographyShwan Mohydeen, OCC ClinicJeanhy Shim, EmergencyDharshika Fernando, EmergencySheryl deLos Reyes, General RadiographyJudith Waugh, Critical Care Waiting RoomDiana Bradshaw, Holland Gift ShopSimon Yu, Chapel EscortJudith Ross, LTC EntertainerJoe Sweeney, LTC Creative Arts Music TherapyJim Mylonas, LTC VisitingKathy McConnachie, Pet TherapyMaria Allman, K Wing Coffee SocializationChristine Dennis, Pet Therapy

First Anniversary Volunteers

(For May, June, July)Amanda BeltranJennifer LowndesAnne MorrisonRiffat SalmanAlan SimpkinsBeverly SteinbergAnne Whittemore

In MemoriamLinda Weingarten, Odette Cancer Centre, June 2008Delores Morris, Odette Cancer Centre, July 2008Elizabeth MacVicar, Greenthumbs, August 2008