Steph – Woodland Towers
/in Donations /by Sonya BeimersStephanie's Day at Woodland Towers
“I had a blast volunteering at Woodland Towers in Stratford.”
Woodland Towers is an independent living facility with a fantastic support services program for those who need more assistance with activities of daily living.
Steph chose to support their activity program! Having been a former PSW at Woodland Towers, she has seen firsthand how crucial these programs are for residents, and wanted to ensure they had some extra funding to keep the fun going!
Steph started her day off at 9:45 running brain teasers, sparking laughs and lively discussions with residents. She then assisted the PSW and kitchen staff with handing out meals and running trays to apartments. In the afternoon, she helped set up the auditorium for an awesome fundraising BBQ and entertainment event. Residents gathered in the hall, where Steph and Woodland staff checked tickets, served up delicious food, and even drew names for door prizes. The music got everyone on their feet, dancing and enjoying themselves!
If you’re interested in volunteering and spreading some joy, Woodland Towers and Spruce Lodge are always on the lookout for helpers. Feel free to contact volcoord@sprucelodge.on.ca for more information!




Steve – Huron County Pride
/in Donations /by Sonya BeimersSteve's Day with Huron County Pride
Huron County Pride is an organization that helps LGBTQ+ community by providing supports and inclusion, solidarity, as well as resistance to discrimination and violence.
Steve chose to support the organization because he is a member of the community and feels it is important to support others.
He spent the day prior to the Pride festival helping to prepare and set up for the Saturday celebration. On Saturday, the day of the pride celebration, Steve spent the whole day (7am-7pm) helping with set up and tear down of the event. Steve was a floater that worked wherever he was needed during the day.
Huron county Pride is always looking for volunteers for the events they hold, just go to the website, www.huroncountypride.ca
or facebook, https://www.facebook.cam/Huroncountypride



Paul – Stratford House of Blessing
/in Donations /by Sonya BeimersPaul's Day at The Stratford House of Blessing
Paul - Tradition Mutual's President & CEO - spent a day volunteering with Stratford House of Blessing
Tradition provides staff members a volunteer day to spend at a local organization. Time to learn about them, serve with them and present them with a $1,000. Cheque.
I spent March 26 at the House of Blessing in Stratford. I learned about the various programs that they perform. The main one is the food bank, but they do operate other programs as well. These programs include:
- Welcome to the World Baskets – a baby shower in a hamper for caring for new babies
- Off to School Smiling – a brand new backpack and school supplies for school-aged children
- Christmas Toy Program – parents and grandparents come in and choose gifts for the children in their lives
- Fresh Start Program – new supplies for starting over including work wear and steel-toed boots
- Emergency Support for People Living with Insecure Housing – customized support to individuals who are living in unique living conditions (homeless, lacking cooking facilities)
In the morning, time was spent picking up food from a few grocery stores. We then took the food back to weigh it and classify the different items received. I moved on to the sorting area and each item was put in different bins based on what the item was and the best before date.
In the afternoon, we delivered food hampers to some people living in Stratford. After we returned, time was spent organizing the food by best before dates.
I enjoyed working with Joanne, Chris, Serena, Reg (who is a Tradition policyholder), Steve and Jake. They have a great group of staff and volunteers who do great work for the community. I would encourage anyone interested to get involved by either volunteering or by donating.
