Helping Hands is celebrating 50 years of supporting seniors in Orillia and area.
On Tuesday evening, Helping Hands staff and volunteers celebrated the milestone anniversary at the Mariposa Inn and Conference Centre.
Barbara Martin, executive assistant for Helping Hands, says the not-for-profit agency has been important to the community over the years.
“Our mandate is to support seniors to remain independent and in their homes for as long as possible,” she said. “That is at the heart of what Helping Hands does.”
Currently, the organization provides home-making services, transportation, meals, personal care, transitional beds, and core services to seniors in the Orillia area.
“It all started in 1972 when Betty Forward and her children wanted to find a way to help seniors in their community,” Martin explained. “Betty got the ball rolling, and it was very small and grassroots to start off.”
Back in 1972, the agency was primarily volunteer-based; it still relies heavily on volunteers today for their transportation and meals on wheels programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of volunteers has made operations extremely challenging, Martin noted.
“The more volunteers that we have, the more clients we can provide services for,” Martin said, noting that folks who want to help can click here. “Volunteering is a way to give back to our community to provide support to one of our most vulnerable populations in our community.”
Helping Hands is also hiring full-time staff members. Martin says they are looking for "as many personal support workers as possible."
“Because we don’t have the staffing levels that we should have, we are not able to provide as much care to clients in the community as we would like to,” Martin said. “It really is heartbreaking.”
Helping Hands is also always looking for donations, especially with fundraisers being put on the back burner during the pandemic.
“There just never seems to be enough dollars to provide the care that is needed,” she said. “Our biggest challenge right now is finding personal support workers to support Helping Hands."
Looking ahead to the future, Martin says Helping Hands wants to continue supporting seniors through more initiatives.
“There is always something new and exciting that we are getting involved in,” Martin said. “It’s exciting to see what is going to happen next.”
Rodger Stacey, 71, has been a volunteer with Helping Hands for five years. He says he has enjoyed every shift.
"It's a great organization and very well organized," he said. "It provides excellent services in the community for so many people."
Stacey spends three mornings a week helping with transporting seniors. He says volunteering gives him the opportunity to give back to his community.
"Knowing that you are helping others is paramount," he said. "It is a way of feeling some accomplishment in life in retirement years."
Joe Fecht, 80, has been a volunteer with Helping Hands for the last six years. He is a transportation driver on Tuesday mornings, which he enjoys because it gets him out of the house.
"I enjoy getting out and meeting the folks," he said. "Every client that you drive has a story, a different personality, and it's a nice job that makes you feel like you are contributing to the community."
Fecht says volunteers are truly appreciated by Helping Hands and the clients they serve.
"You feel like you've helped to make the community a better place," he said. "If you need a little structure in your life, if you are retired and need to get out, this is a really good experience."
