Baycrest

Volunteers are at the heart of Baycrest A message from Dr. William Reichman, President & CEO, Baycrest A s Baycrest continues its work in the provision of excellent care, education, innovation and research in the field of brain health and aging, we know that a large measure of our success in these efforts relates directly back to you, the volunteers. Volunteers from our community first founded our forerunner in 1918 - the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home; and it was volunteers who would later turn that project into what we are now – a beacon to the international healthcare community on caring for older adults. Each year, Baycrest volunteers spend nearly 90,000 hours collectively donating their time to engage with our staff, client and patient communities. That is an amazing contribution of care, effort and dedication, all of which helps make our campus and programming so special. Not only does this robust volunteerism on campus help older adults to live with dignity, it also provides opportunities to socialize, which we know through research findings, has a positive impact on brain health – for residents and volunteers alike. Similarly, youth volunteering also lays the groundwork for a new generation to promote brain health as a vital tool in the fight against dementia in later life. As Baycrest volunteers, your unrivaled commitment to helping others continues to help us pave our path forward. On behalf of Baycrest, I personally want to thank you for the enthusiasm and support you bring to our campus each day. You are helping to provide solutions to the changing needs of an aging society, and helping us achieve our vision of creating a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment. 2 volunteer VOICE The Volunteer Voice is produced once a year for volunteers of Baycrest. Contributors: Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf, Shari Nepom, Janis Sternhill, Tehila Tewel and Johanna Wieting. Volunteer Contributors: Alec Benavides, Jake Brooks and Laurel Tam. To contact us, please address comments or ideas to Volunteer Services, Baycrest 3560 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1 | 416-785-2500 ext. 2572. volunteer@baycrest.org Dr. William Reichman Volunteers, a valued human resource A message from Joni Kent, Executive Vice President, Corporate Services & Chief Human Resources Officer, Baycrest Y ou play an important role in helping us achieve our vision of creating "a world where every older adult lives a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment." Baycrest has existed as a place motivated by altruism through the efforts of volunteers for more than 100 years. It is the result of a proclamation by community philanthropist Slova Greenberg, who in 1913 first rallied local volunteers to solicit donations to establish us; because she refused to allow older adults with nowhere else to go to be forced to sleep in a local park. Over the years, Baycrest volunteers have participated in a multitude of ways, helping us evolve by sharing their unique skills and talents borne out of desire to make our community a better place. This volunteer spirit is infused in the very bricks and mortar of our campus, and in the work we do on a daily basis. Today, volunteers are a treasured human resource, integral to our organization, impacting nearly every department and involved in virtually every area across our campus. Some of our employees discovered their careers with us through their volunteer efforts. Each year, we look forward to welcoming returning volunteers and embracing new ones, as they are at the heart of everything Baycrest does and achieves. Joni Kent

• Cover