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PopotageBulletin de liaison du Bureau central des Services alimentaires bénévoles

Food for thought

Newsletter of the Volunteer Food Services Central Office

CABM.NET [email protected] Volunteer Food Services Central Office is a program of the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal

FALL- WINTER2010

Happy Holidays and Merry Meals

Contents on page 2

!

Warm wishes from Alison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A message from Marjorie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 A new beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4Nutri-Centre LaSalle: a true blend of cultures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5CRAPAUD: between activism and... education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6Recruitment of volunteers for MOW: thinking differently . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7Holiday wishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8The Volunteer Food Services annual meeting: looking to the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9The PRASAB Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10Bulk purchases: a weighty partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12Delivering Meals on Wheels is fun! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

Contents

Food for Thought | 2 | Fall-Winter 2010

Image credits Cover page: Suzane Langlois, illustrator adjointe administrative at the VBM [email protected] Page 2: AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Page 6: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Page 7: www.freeimages.co.uk Graur Razvan Ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Catherine Hadler / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Page 8: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Page 12: Stefano Valle / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Food for Thought is published by the Volunteer Food Services Central Office for Meals-on-Wheels and Lunch Club volunteers and employees.

Volunteer Food Services Central Office

2015 Drummond St., Suite 300 Montreal, Quebec H3G 1W7 Telephone: 514.842.3351 Fax: 514.842.8977

www.cabm.net [email protected]

Layout: Axel Pérez de León*

Coordination: François Lahaise

Collaborators: Adeline Beaudoin, Clarisse Bonnefon, Stéphanie Carrasco*, Kateri Decary*, Michèle de Lagrave*, Marjorie Northrup and Alison Stevens

* Volunteers

The VBM is proud to announce that the inside pages Food for Thought are printed on 100% recycled paper.

Warm wishes from Alison

By Alison Stevens

VBM Executive Director

[email protected]

What a pleasure it was for me to see so many of you at our day of learning and fun on November 12 (otherwise known as an annual

meeting)! Hearing and partici-pating in so many conversations, listening to your stories, appre-ciating all that you do definitely makes for an interesting and rewarding day. Thank you for your enthusiastic presence.

Warm wishes to you all for a very pleasant holiday period and great start to 2011!. ■


By Marjorie Northrup

Coordinator of Volunteer Food Services

[email protected]

I must confess that I’m a big Christmas Nut! I love everything about the holiday – the fact that it’s all about peace, love and goodwill, the cooking, the decorating, the get-togethers! While other people whine about the lights going up too early, I make a detour every night to enjoy the magic of a lit-up McGill College Avenue! We really need something to dispel the November gloom between red leaves and pristine snow! I wish you all, from the bottom of my heart, a season of joy and serenity!

Clarisse and I recently had the pleasure of attending the 20th anni-versary of the Centre des Ainés Côte-des-Neiges, as volunteers, staff and special guests mingled and enjoyed a great lunch. We wish all our friends at the centre con-tinued success!

Also celebrating a very special 26th anniversary were our friends at Rosemère Meals on Wheels, where heartfelt thanks were given to the very dedicated out-going president Elisabeth Dohren-dorf, and a warm welcome was offered to the new and enthusi-

astic president, Alet Bossé. Steph-anie and I were very impressed by the dynamism of the team, and pleased to present a token of our admiration to all the wonderful volunteers. Rosemère’s energetic mayor, Hélène Daneault (who is also a practicing physician!), took time out from her busy schedule to thank the volunteers.

At the central office, we are working on several exciting proj-ects which we hope will help you respond to the ever-increasing needs of our clients:

• A fun and dynamic recruitment video

• An original prototype for an unusual volunteer recruitment event

• An experiment in corporate vol-unteering

• A fundraising toolkit.• Last but definitely not least, Meals on Wheels on-line, where professionals, clients, and their families will just point and click to find out more about our services and the territories covered.

I’m tired just writing about all our exciting plans, so I’ll take time to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR and get back to work! ■

A message from Marjorie

First delivery of Meals on Wheels in Rosemère, 1985

Clarisse presenting a Plaque to the executive di-rector, M. Roger Risasi, and the Board president, M. Roger Lebeau.

Marjorie was given the honour of being master of ceremonies.

Elisabeth Dohrendorf, Hélène Daneault (mayor of Rosemère), Betty Rosenbloom and Alet Bosse: The service continues!


By Michèle de Lagrave

Centre communautaire Rendez-vous 50 +

It’s hard to believe that we moved to our new location a year ago! For us, the move meant an exciting new beginning after 27 years. A new kitchen, new programs designed to maintain good health and prevent isolation, and an increase in membership…

Following the move, our dining room has become a pleasant place to gather. The space also contains

an internet café and a small living room. Since September, a local artist, Mme Danielle Delorme, has allowed us to hang her paintings on the walls of the dining room, so all can enjoy her talents. And our team is hard at work preparing meals which appeal to both the eye and the palate!

Portrait of the Centre in 2009-2010:

• 717 members• 6,263 services offered through

the Home Support program• 82 volunteers

• 12,955 meals served (Meals on

Wheels and the dining room)• 5,865 individual participations

by members in our activities• 49 participants at two social-

ization daysMany thanks to the wonderful

team who make the Rendez-vous 50+ a great place to be. ■

A new beginning

All gather for a pleasant meal. The talents of Danielle Delorme… for the enjoyment of the 50+.


Nutri-Centre La Salle: A true blend of cultures

By Stéphanie Carrasco

Intern at the VBM

[email protected]

On September 18th, Nutri-Centre played host to the neighbourhood to cele-brate their 10th anniversary. Even the sun showed up!

Nutri-Centre’s mission is to help families plan meals through edu-cation and collective gardening. A balanced diet should not be a luxury.

The Board president, Thita Ita, opened the festivities by expressing gratitude to the volun-teers and thanking the director of the center, Gratia Lapointe, for her precious contribution. Marjorie also presented a plaque to Mme Lapointe.

No ef fort was spared to make the day a success. The tables were decorated by local students, and Philippe, the kitchen workshop animator, prepared a tasty and original buffet.

Many components of the meal were prepared with fresh produce from the community garden, and the absence of meat on the menu was barely noticed. This point is worth mentioning as it allowed the organizers to prepare dishes pleasing to all varieties of diets.

Elected officials from different levels of government joined forces to plant a peach tree. This tree will serve as a reminder of the 10th anniversary. The music was also a homage to many cultures and musical styles. ■

10 years represented in pictures

Lunch: a mélange of flavour and colour for everyone’s pleasure

Painting workshop for the young and younger!

Madame Ita welcomes the guests.


CRAPAUD: between activism and… education

By Clarisse Bonnefon

Liaison Officer, Volunteer Food Services

[email protected]

I am convinced that food is the base of a healthy life, permits many exchanges necessary for the good of mankind and that it is pos-sible to produce our food locally without damaging our environ-ment. Since my arrival in Montreal, I’ve helped many associations which advance these ideas and do much for their communities. Le CRAPAUD, a name given to over 500 species of anuran amphibians, is also ‘le Collectif de Recherche sur l’Amenagenment Paysager et l’Agriculture Urbaine’, officially cre-ated by the students of l’UQAM in January 2009.

This volunteer collective orga-nizes many events to raise aware-ness, share with the public, edu-cate and experiment. I’ve had occasion to participate in their workshops as well as present some to them: preparing lacto-fermentation preserves, plan-ning a garden, learning the use of medicinal plants and even making beer… all useful tools which help us connect with one another, come into contact with the earth and rediscover what was basic not so long ago.

But it doesn’t end there. The CRAPAUD students have also established an urban gardening summer school which, after only its second year, is going strong. Imagine a group of citizens who, after two weeks of instruction from people experienced in var-ious domains, proposing a plan to use the roof of the Palais de Con-gres or Champ de Mars as a food garden, compost station, hives area, tables and benches to relax on, and water treatment for the plants!

CRAPAUD members know that it sometimes takes controversy to get things moving: do you

remember the movement to allow chickens within the confines of the city? It was them! Still, doesn’t it make sense to know what you’re eating, to reduce the distance between our plate, and where food is produced and to use ani-mals in our gardens? If you don’t see the benefits of having chickens or bee hives within our cities, we can talk further about it. In my opinion, I think that these volun-teers are going in the right direc-tion and are showing us the way back to a world that makes good sense. For more information, you can visit www.crapaud.info. ■




[email protected]

Meals on Wheels began as a v ital necessity during the German bombing of London. Over 60 years later, it has become an indispen-sible aid to home care services. We all know that society evolves and so do all manner of ways of doing things, approaching people and becoming known and trusted.

On the other hand, certain needs never change. M.O.W. will always need volunteers, always for the same tasks: cooks, kitchen help, drivers and delivery persons. So how do we ensure that these needs are met?

Are there new ways to recruit our volunteers? Using media such as the internet and videos is, in today’s world, indispensable; a 4 minute video filmed at an Oregon medical center to promote aware-ness of breast cancer, also known as ‘the pink glove dance’ was watched over 12 million times around the world! (www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw). How did they do this? They used a hip song with all the personnel at the center wearing pink gloves, including maintenance, surgeons, researchers and kitchen staff, all dancing to the beat.

Another popular method used in recent years, is a very partic-ular kind of auction where pro-spective volunteers bid on works of art, offering hours instead of dollars. The person who commits

to the most hours of volunteering will win their desired item, but only once they have completed the hours promised.

What can we do for our MOW’s? This was discussed at our Annual Meeting the 12th of November and the Central Committee is also working on organizing collective meals to attract new volunteers. Please don’t hesitate to put for-ward your zaniest ideas and sug-gestions: these will often attract the most attention! ■

Recruitment of volunteers for MOW: thinking differently


Here at the Central Office,

We believe in Santa Claus!

Now, “How’s that?, you might ask.

Well, Santa’s not always in a red

and white fuzzy suit.

One day he’s disguised as a sev-

enty-five year old woman,

Who gets up bright and early

to buy Meals on Wheels some

groceries.

Next thing you know, he looks

like a young guy,

Heading out on his bike to help

make a community dinner.

Behind the wheel of a car, he can

take on the guise of Jeanine,

Retired, and busy being a Meals

on Wheels chauffeur.

That coordinator who, oh, so

calmly manages to find a volun-

teer to fill in when someone goes

AWOL? That’s Santa, too.

Even the little girl who’s helping

her mother wrap Christmas

gifts, Santa again!

You got it! In red or blue, bearded

or not, old or young, Santa

Claus is YOU!!!

Holiday wishes

Thank you and happy holidays!


The Volunteer Food Services annual meeting: looking to the future

By Adeline Beaudoin

Coordinator, Training and Consultation, VBM

[email protected]

I had the opportunity to participate to the Annual General Assembly of the Volunteer Food Services of the Volunteer Food Services of the Volunteer Bureau of Mon-treal. This event gathered around 80 participants working or volun-teering for Meals on Wheels or community meals.

During this event I was able to listen and learn about the work of those who are providing meals for seniors and people with reduced autonomy. The meals delivered make it possible for many to stay at home longer, rather than living in a residence or a CHSLD.

During the meeting, many chal-lenges were discussed. However, the issue that I find the most wor-rying is obtaining financial sup-port. I don’t know if you are aware that most Meals on Wheels groups can provide their services in part or wholly due to the participation of volunteers who plan, cook and deliver meals in their community. These groups were created by citi-zens concerned with the necessity of supporting people with reduced autonomy living in their neigh-bourhoods.

Meals on Wheels provides food to seniors at an acces-sible cost. However, few of the services receive subsidies. As their resources are limited, it is becoming more difficult for these organizations to meet the needs of their communities.

What would happen if these ser-vices had to close because of the lack of resources or volunteers? Who would support seniors who are no longer able to prepare their meals? What would be the cost to the state if those seniors had to live in our institutions? Those are my concerns following the gathering.

Meals on Wheels is essen-tial to our society, but without resources its existence is threat-ened, along with the autonomy of the seniors who benefit from its services. The situation of seniors

has been an issue that has been much discussed in recent years. However the contribution of Meals on Wheels to maintaining seniors in their homes does not seem to be part of the discussion. Raising awareness therefore becomes increasingly important so that the work of Meals on Wheels is no longer invisible.

What is certain is that these organizations exist because of passionate people who share their time in order to give back to their communities. Without them and their dedication, Meals on Wheels would not exist. I congratulate and thank them for their great work. ■

Hooray for Volunteer Food Services!


The PRASAB Conference

By Kateri Decary

Santropol Roulant

Last May, I happi ly packed my bags to join our famous Marjorie on a road trip to Trois-Rivières to take part in PRASAB’s annual conference, which brings together roughly 154 Meals on Wheels member groups from across Québec. I was delegated by the Volunteer Food Services Central Committee, to accompany Mar-jorie in representating the VBM. I spent two days discovering a com-munity of vibrant, creative, and enthusiastic volunteers.

Evening cocktails served as an ice-breaker, allowing attendees to get to know each other and to discuss and exchange experiences and success stories. I learned that the Sercovie group from Sher-brooke uses an ice chest to keep meals at a consistent tempera-ture during deliveries, while the Universeau de Senneterre group proudly explained how they man-aged to get their hands on a dona-tion of five computers this year. Of course, Marjorie and I took advantage of the event to show off and promote the new dessert recipe book, put together as a joint collaboration with the Uni-versité de Montréal’s Department of Nutrition.

That same evening , the 18th General Assembly kicked off in an orderly and efficient manner, partly because most of the members wanted to hurry up and watch an important hockey game! The Board of Directors was re-elected, with Marjorie accepting to undertake a second term. Bravo, Marjorie!

The following day, attendees had a choice amongst three workshops: Josée Denis’ Meals on Wheels software presentation, Marjorie’s session on recruiting volunteers, and the activity I chose to sign up for – a workshop on food security, hosted by Jean-Paul Faniel of the Table de concertation sur la faim (a roundtable on hunger issues). Engaging and informa-tive as the presentation was, it was also an eye-opener, driving home some truly alarming statis-tics about hunger and poverty. We also learned of strong volunteer meal services network which has come together to work on these joint issues. In Mr. Faniel’s opinion, having enough to eat and being able to take control of one’s nutri-tion, having a say in what goes on your own table, are key factors in controlling your own life.

Think Again, a presentation by Nicole Poirier, Director of the Carpe Diem House in the Mauricie region, raised our awareness concerning speech and language loss amongst

those afflicted with Alzheimer’s. At the Carpe Diem House, in order to allow for better communication and as a means of understanding the reality of Alzheimer’s sufferers, emphasis is placed on non-verbal. With passion and the use of con-crete examples to bring home her program’s success, Ms. Poirier’s session seemed to fly by. Ques-tions and testimonials from the floor added to the quality of the session. ■

The charming director of PRASAB, Claudette Coulombe, with Franck Nicolas, guest speaker.


Marjorie and Katery presenting the cookbook and cotton shopping bags.

The conference attendees hard at work!




[email protected]

When I received the invitation from RAOC, Regroupement d’Achats des Organismes Communau-taires, I immediately knew I had to learn more about this project. Many of you have had to increase your prices to keep up with costs.

This group is a powerful response to this problem. One of the women who started this project realized that even if orga-nizations get together locally, they do not carry enough weight to enjoy bulk discounts within the food industry.

A committee was created to represent all the non-propfits on the island of Montreal with a view to approaching distribu-tors, choosing one and negotiating reduced prices for this group. With this scale, good prices and part-nerships are possible.

During a second presentation, the chosen distributor, Mayrand (mayrand.ca) stepped up; it’s very comforting to see a family busi-ness, on a human scale, interested in supporting the non-profits of the island of Montreal. We were pleased to have Zachary Rhissa of Moison Montreal and Chantal Bois of the RAOC project pre-senting the project at our AGM, November 12th.

You can obtain registration form as well as answers to ques-tions you may have by contacting

myself or Zakary Rhissa at 514.344.1833 or by email at [email protected]. ■

Bulk purchases: a weighty partnership

Delivering Meals on Wheels is fun!By Stéphanie Carrasco

Intern at the VBM

[email protected]

As it been two months since I began my internship at the Volunteer bureau, it is time to do a little recap. Although I haven’t had time to visit you all,

I am blown away by so much devotion and organization. Given the high level of effectiveness, I think Meals on Wheels is com-parable to a micro-business where each has a specific task to perform.

I have already had the opportu-nity to deliver meals a few times, and have only one thing to say: It’s FUN! The ambiance is amazing, and all the volunteers have been very welcoming.

Working with volunteers is a sure way to meet wonderful people of all ages and all walks of life.

I will most likely be contacting you for help in getting our new website underway. Our goal is to create individual portraits of each group.

Thanks for your warm welcome, and see you soon! ■

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