Message from the Chair 2009
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| Denyse Brisson Chair of the Association |
As president of the Association, I am responsible for sending an annual report to the Provincial Association in Toronto. I always look forward to this particular task because I am proud to fill in the statistics section. It will be a joy for me to point out the fact that 280 adult volunteers gave 49,591 hours and 50 young volunteers gave 6,514 hours for a grand total of 56,105 hours of voluntary work for the year 2008, an increase of 5% over last year. HURRAH! There is no doubt that you have made a difference at Montfort Hospital! THANK YOU, thank you a thousand times! It is worth taking a closer look at those statistics and finding out who the adult volunteers at Montfort really are. The following figures surprised us slightly when we looked at the report from an age perspective.
• 7% of volunteers are between 80 and 89 years of age;
• 36% of volunteers are between 70 and 79;
• 33% of volunteers are between 60 and 69;
• 12% of volunteers are between 50 and 59;
• 1% of volunteers are between 40 and 49;
• 5% of volunteers are between 30 and 39;
• 8% of volunteers are between 20 and 29 years;
• And .5% of volunteers are 19 years old.
The majority of volunteers, i.e. 77%, are between the ages of 60 and 89. Remarkable, isn’t it?
There is no doubt that volunteer work yields positive results and that unpaid assistance directly benefits both patients and employees. Let us think about it – if volunteer time was calculated on a normal pay scale, we would have to dig pretty deep to find sufficient funds to cover 56,105 hours. This why the Association is proud, from a pure monetary standpoint, to have been able to hand back $152,000 to the Hospital, thus meeting its broad financial commitment for the year.
Regrettably, we recently were advised that Sister Marguerite Piperno was leaving her volunteer work at Montfort. She had spent fourteen years at the helm of our Palliative Care Service. Her demise leaves a large hole within our organization and at Montfort Hospital as a whole. When she began as a volunteer on September 1st, 1995, Sister Marguerite was immediately appointed to coordinate and enhance the Palliative Care sector. For several years, Sister Marguerite headed this group along with volunteers equally inspired to improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients. Setting up the service itself, the reception process and the training for new volunteers, writing the appropriate documentation including the evaluation of the service – all these tasks were successfully handled by this generous octogenarian. It is only recently that the Montfort Hospital decided to hire a permanent administrator to manage Palliative Care Services. You will live in our hearts for a long time to come, Sister Marguerite. But for now, it is time for a well deserved rest. THANK YOU for all those years of dedication. How many families have been touched by your understanding and your compassion! Let us in return express our love for you.
It was also with regret that we were informed of the retirement of Mr. Gérald Savoie. Mr. Savoie is a giant of a man who dedicated his energies to the Montfort for more than twenty-three years. His tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer coincided with the most critical period in the history of the hospital. He successfully guided us to an era where the Montfort will easily double its floor space and can stand proud as the only French-speaking hospital training facility in the province of Ontario. This accomplishment is largely due to Mr. Savoie and members of his team who collectively believed in Montfort and fought for it with fervour and conviction. We will try to identify a way for our section to express their appreciation to Mr. Savoie prior to his departure in the fall. For the moment, we remain in shock.
I want to sincerely thank members of the board for their support and their indefatigable dedication during the past year. It goes without saying that each and every one of them is devoted people, aiming for excellence in everything they undertake. What a great team! Thank you to each and every one of you, Jocelyne Brunet, André Defoy, Suzanne Fleury, Lise Gascon, Sandra Ingram, Sr Linda Joseph, Jan Laflèche, Bernard Lemieux, Lise Milotte and Micheline Savard. To Suzanne Fleury who leaves the Board of Directors at the end of her mandate, thank you for the last six years.
May I be allowed to underscore as well the untiring work of our current manager. As described in my report, Marielle Beauchesne steadfastly puts in an enormous amount of work. And yet, in spite of the files piling up on her desk, her door, as you may have noticed, remains open and her smile never wavers. She personifies the humanistic approach which characterizes the Montfort: always ready to welcome and to serve, to give her all so that the volunteers can thrive in their work and continue to contribute at the Montfort. Marielle, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!
There is another person in the secretariat worthy of our appreciation. In addition to assisting Marielle on a daily basis, Nicole Girard oversees work at the reception and interviews all prospective volunteers who visit the office. She is passionate about her work and immerses herself completely in it. Thank you, Nicole. Together with Marielle you form a wonderful team.
Finally, I would be remiss in my duties if I neglected to mention the magnificent contribution of our Food Service employees. Neil Levesque, Sylvain Léger, Guy Charbonneau and Johanne Lamoureux operate under particularly difficult circumstances. Thanks to their unrelenting diligence, the Service has already registered a net profit and this, during its first year of operation.
To all those who are closely or remotely involved as volunteers, either in the Volunteer Services or in the Food Service area, THANK YOU. You are making a difference and you contribute to the success of the Association!
Denyse Brisson
President