It was a special night for the volunteers at Bethany Pioneer Village with the 11th annual Summer Fest on July 13.
Volunteers, residents, families, and staff took to the Bethany lawn to enjoy supper with music provided by Saskatchewan’s Donny Parenteau.
This was Parenteau’s first visit out to Middle Lake and Recreation Coordinator Angela Reiter says their newly painted dance floor was getting some well-deserved scuffmarks.
Around 50 Bethany volunteers do a variety of things to help put smiles on the nearly 80 residents’ faces, says Reiter.
This includes members of the ladies auxiliary who help wherever they are needed, including fundraisers and visiting the residents, to the different ministries who come and perform services for the residents, to the volunteers who help take the residents out on excursions.
Even members of the ladies auxiliary were asking how they could help with Summer Fest, even though it was their appreciation night, laughs Reiter.
Having recreation opportunities available are key parts of living within a care home, says Reiter, since they are trying to create a homey atmosphere within Bethany for residents and improve their quality of life. Their volunteers are key to making that happen.
“With their help and their support, and them offering and willing to help with that stuff, they’re actually enriching a lot of our elders lives as well.”
Many volunteers are also former employees of Bethany and that just shows how much of a family atmosphere it is at the care home.
Local businesses from Middle Lake to Humboldt also play to huge role in supporting residents of Bethany with food donations for special occasions or even flower arrangements to brighten up Bethany.
The volunteer night was a fundraiser with Bethany looking to develop a multipurpose room for the residents.
The doors are always open for people to stop by for coffee and a visit or to take a tour of Bethany, says Reiter.
