BY COLE RIVARD
Marymount Academy students are helping seniors at St. Joseph's
Villa.
Students will devote their volunteer time and fundraising
initiatives to seniors at the long-term care home, which is
located near Laurentian University.
Marymount recently made a donation of $1,000 to support the
Wings of Care Campaign.
Gerry Lougheed Jr., chair of St. Joseph's Foundation said,
"The students are thinking beyond themselves and improving the
lives of the villa residents."
"This is a covenant agreement between the two, and there is
a natural synergy between Marymount and St. Joseph's," said
Jo-Anne Palkovits, administrator of St. Joseph's Villa.
Under the partnership, Marymount students will volunteer
their time and participate in a number of activities such as
horticultural therapy, music, art, and friendly visits.
The students will also take part in an adopt-a-grandparent
program that is expected to enrich the lives of the residents,
particularly those who have no family nearby.
The St. Joseph's Villa staff will also develop a co-op
program, as well as job shadowing opportunities for the
students.
"This partnership has to do with tradition, with history,"
said Irene Hill-Rondina, principal of Marymount Academy. "There
has always been a strong link between Marymount and the Sisters
of St. Joseph, and this partnership seemed logical for us. The
students are very enthusiastic about this partnership."
The students will also be assisting St. Joseph's Villa's fundraising events, such as the spring tea and Christmas bazaar.
