Before the Beginning The First Decade The Second Decade The Third Decade The Fourth Decade Humber Community Seniors' Services Inc. (formerly York West Meals on Wheels Inc.) originated in Weston in 1967, when a group of church volunteers got together to discuss "meals on wheels". On September 21, 1967, volunteers of "Mt. Dennis-Weston Meals on Wheels" cooked and delivered meals to 10 seniors. A number of churches and 2 legions in the area joined the original group of volunteers and by November 1971 they were serving 63 meals per week. By 1975, the agency was incorporated as "York West Meals on Wheels" and was providing other services such as Home Help and Home Maintenance. Meals were now prepared at local hospitals and the numbers delivered annually increased to over 5,000. Funding was received from a variety of sources including the United Way of Greater Toronto, local municipality, and the Province of Ontario. In 1999, a membership vote to change the name of the agency from York West Meals on Wheels Inc. to Humber Community Seniors' Services Inc. was passed. On October 30, 1999, the new name became official. This name more accurately reflects the range and scope of services we provide to the community. March 3, 2004 marked exactly one year that we have been located at 1167 Weston Road. Our new, larger building is now more visible and accessible to the community. We have been providing home support services for over 36 years! Before the Beginning In January of 1967, the "Outreach Committee" at Central United Church in Weston held a special meeting. In order to face new challenges in our area, a call for volunteers went out. These volunteers were to decide where the greatest need for help existed. The 1961 Census had shown that there were over eleven thousand senior citizens in the Township of York. Some were isolated, or had some kind of disability, and thus they were finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their independence. It was evident that many seniors were not eating properly, and it was felt that some assistance could, and should, be offered by our more fortunate citizenry. On February 23, 1967, Edna Dean, Ed Silcox, Bill Thomas, Dorothy Whiting and Bill Wright met to discuss the situation. It was then that Mrs. Whiting told them about "Meals on Wheels". This was a service initiated by the Women's Royal Volunteer Service in England during the Second World War. Volunteers would provide hot cooked meals for elderly people who had been displaced from their homes during the blitz. This service was continued in Britain after the war, and in 1954 was introduced in Philadelphia, in the United States. In 1964 in Canada, the Independent Order of Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E.), and the Canadian Red Cross started Meals on Wheels in Brantford, and at St. Christopher House in Toronto. Under Mrs. Dean's leadership, it was decided to begin this service in this area, and further planning meetings were held. In February 1967, representatives form the Church of the Good Shepherd and Our Lady of Victory in Mt. Dennis together with Westminster United, Weston Presbyterian and Central United Churches in Weston met to formulate plans. Doctors, the V.O.N. nurses and the Social Welfare Department in the Borough of York were contacted to assess local needs. The Weston and the Mt. Dennis Legion Ladies' Auxiliaries, represented by Mrs. Mary Moore and Mrs. B. LeSarge, expressed interest from the beginning, not only in delivering the meals but also in raising funds. Mrs. Dora Spencer also helped to raise funds by organizing euchres and draws. There was still much planning to be done. Where would the meals be cooked? Who would deliver them? How would they be delivered hot? What would be the cost, and what charge should be made for the meals? The First Decade Only a few months after the original meeting, the organization took the name of Mount Dennis-Weston Meals on Wheels. As a result of all the preparatory work and community assessment, the names of ten needy people were selected to be the first recipients of meals. Mrs. Edna Dean was elected chairperson, and a V.I.C. (Volunteer-in-Charge) was elected in each church. On September 21, 1967, the first hot meals were cooked and delivered to the ten selected people. Bill Thomas, Colin Kerr and Jack Burton assumed responsibility for obtaining the insulated containers for carrying the meals. At the same time, John Sutton took charge of the distribution and collection of the purses taken by the volunteers on their rounds. The charge was 65 cents per meal. From this simple beginning, the service steadily expanded. In succeeding years the Mt. Dennis Branch of The Salvation Army, Mt. Dennis United Church, Weston Baptist Church and York Memorial Presbyterian Church also joined the organization. In 1970, an office was obtained in West Park at no charge. By November of 1971, 63 meals a week were being served. By November of 1973, the number had risen to 107 meals per week, which were prepared and delivered with the help of over one hundred volunteers. The price to the client was raised to 75 cents per meal. In 1974 the meals were being delivered four days per week. In the early days, the meals were cooked in the homes of the volunteers and in the church kitchens. It was in the summer of 1971 that the Toronto Hospital (now West Park Hospital) began to prepare some of the meals. This was followed by similar offers from Northwestern General Hospital in 1973, Kipling Acres Home for the Aged in 1974, and Humber Memorial Hospital in 1977. These institutions were able to provide meals for those requiring special diets, in addition to the basic meals. The increasing number of meals to be delivered necessitated more and more volunteers to drive the cars and act as "runners" to take the meals in to the clients. From the beginning it was realized that if the services were to have an appreciable impact on the community, adequate financing had to be secured. Mrs. Dora Spencer volunteered to act as chairperson of Special Events, and the churches and legions all undertook to raise funds. There were also generous donations from the Services for Seniors of the Toronto Red Cross and the Canadian Kodak Company, but more permanent and substantial funding would have to be obtained. Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Whiting worked tirelessly with the Social Planning Council seeking to establish some organization which would represent the volunteers and provide this support. In 1972, the Federal Government instituted New Horizons, a program that made grants available for senior citizens to help each other. The local Boards of Directors had to be participating seniors to qualify. An initial grant of $8,200 was received to help put our agency on a sound footing. It was at this time that the boundaries of the Meals on Wheels were extended to include the whole of the Borough of York. At the eastern end of the Borough, help was given in the establishment of the St. Clair-West Meals on Wheels, and York Memorial Presbyterian Church began assisting us, too. The name of our agency was changed to York-West Meals on Wheels, and it was incorporated on August 18, 1975. In that same year, we became a member agency of the United Way of Greater Toronto. The office work was initially done by Mrs. Dean in her own home, but in 1970 an office was provided free of charge in Toronto Hospital. In 1972 Mrs. Dean resigned as General Chairman, and her place was taken by Mrs. Norma Silcox, as Coordinator, and Mrs. Vera Snyder, as Administrative Assistant, both volunteer workers at the beginning of the project. While the delivery of the hot meals continued, other services started to be developed. In February 1974, a whole new service was opened when the "Diners Club" program was inaugurated. Groups of senior citizens who could assemble in a convenient hall were served a good hot meal by volunteers. In this way, seniors would also have the opportunity to meet friends and have a social hour. There was also the "Dial-a-Friend" and "Friendly Visiting" programs, originally chaired by Mrs. Dora Spencer. In 1974 a "Home Help" program was started, and it was an immediate success. Seniors availed themselves of this service in their homes or apartments, which included cleaning and dusting, laundry, and so on. The scope of the work was greatly increased in 1975 by the donation of a splendid van by the Lions Club of Weston, which was used to start our Home Maintenance program. By 1976, more room was required for office space because of continued growth and the resulting increase of work involved. Space was found in C.R. Marchant Senior Public School where we remained until 1978. All these many services kept the office staff very busy indeed. But none of it would have been possible without the army of volunteers who, day in and day out, rain or shine, would carry out their duties cheerfully and willingly, serving those who through age or infirmity were no longer able to fully care for themselves. With the unyielding support of the Lions Club of Weston over the years, and after becoming a United Way member agency, we continue to thrive in our community. The Second Decade As York West Meals on Wheels, the work of the agency expanded and more office room was required. In August 1978, a move was made to 1901C Weston Road, in Eagle Manor. And in November 1979, we moved next door, still in Eagle Manor, to larger premises. By then, we had eighteen full-time and part-time employees. By 1980, 20,000 meals a year were being delivered, with the price to the client was $1.50. Among the new services being offered, assistance in cutting lawns and shoveling snow was readily welcomed by our clients. A small charge was made which did not fully cover the cost of the service. "Daily Hello" was also introduced at that time. Clients were telephoned for a friendly chat every day, seven days a week, at the same time each day, providing them with a feeling of security and companionship. A pioneer program in Weston was also started then with the support of local letter carriers, "Letter Carriers' Alert". This service worked thanks to the letter carriers who would report any unusual situation at the home of an individual who had registered in this program. In addition, there were monthly bus trips and outings to shopping centres, entertainment, to Christmas parties, and in the summer, to the Exhibition and to Ontario Place. In 1981, a second van was donated by the Weston Lions Club, which was used for Meals on Wheels and Diners' Clubs. This again, increased the potential for service in the community. Consequently, one word would describe York West Meals on Wheels from that year on: "growing". The Elderly in Ontario, An Agenda for the 80's, a set of recommendations presented by a Provincial Government Task Force on Aging, predicted a period of tremendous growth in Ontario's senior population. The fact was that in 1980, 10% of the population in Ontario were seniors, persons 65 years of age or older. The projection stated that by the year 2001, seniors would constitute 14% of our population. New and renewed service programs were being planned at York West Meals on Wheels during the early 1980s, especially in Home Help Services. A new legislative act of Ontario recognized this service and approved the budgetary requirements for it. We began a reliable heavy cleaning, gardening and handyman service. Moreover, our workers started weekly training sessions led by professional staff from several of York's Community and Health related units. Up until this point, all of our programs grew, and it was apparent that a voice for lobbying governments for our services had to be implemented. We joined forces with other agencies on many occasions to protest funding cuts. In York and Metropolitan Toronto, we advocated a single access service as well as improved programs for seniors in our city. We helped to establish Respite Care in York, and allocated one board member to each of the new Drop-In Centres of St. Hilda's and York West to assist them with their initial planning and developing. As the number of clients increased, we recruited volunteer students from high schools, community colleges, universities and Katimavik (a federal government program for young Canadians), to give support to our Friendly Visiting service, Meals on Wheels delivery, and client assessment and evaluating programs. Fund-raising was a fact of life for our agency, and between the years of 1981 and 1986, it was a necessity to keep our Ad Hoc services of Home Maintenance and Gardening, Friendly Visiting and Telephone Assurance, client assessment, Letter Carriers Alert, and Client Emergency Intervention going. These services and their administration were never considered budgetary items by our funders. Consequently, staff time had to be deployed away from our services to provide for fund-raising activities. Thus, two crafts clubs were generated by York West Meals on Wheels' volunteers and staff, one held at the office and the other in conjunction with a Diners' Club. With the help of the United Way, we sold our crafts at various malls all over the city. These efforts certainly were time consuming and not sufficiently remunerative, but nevertheless raised the awareness of our agency, which in the long run, benefited us in many other ways. On July 1, 1983, when York became a city, we celebrated with a giant garage sale in the York Municipal parking lot. With the use of our Lions Club delivery vans, we were able to solicit used furniture and other useable household treasures from all over the city. We had the biggest booth in the lot, and we did extremely well financially. Another memorable occasion was the 1987 Weston Fall Fair, when our fund-raising took the form of an apple pie baking contest. Board member Ed Silcox, as well as John Kiru, Nola Burbidge, and Bob and Betty Hamilton won prizes. In 1984, obtaining sufficient food to supply our growing Meals on Wheels needs was a constant challenge. Each day, delivery routes were deployed from three hospitals (Humber Memorial, Northwestern and West Park), and vans picked up other meals from Versa Foods, Kipling Acres, and a YMCA job training project. These meals were dispatched from the York West Meals on Wheels office, and scheduling was quite trying. In 1986, a new clientele for Transportation services was developed thanks to the Lions Club of Weston who made a gift to our agency of a seven-passenger van. Now we were able to help seniors shop at the local supermarket, as well as keep medical appointments. In both the Provincial and Metro Meals on Wheels Associations, our staff and Board volunteers held prominent positions, raising the awareness for Meals on Wheels, lobbying governments for better funding, establishing nutritional research and education, networking nationally and internationally for the care and nurturing of our province's frail seniors and physically challenged persons. It would be difficult to list all of those who contributed to the broader development of York West Meals on Wheels over the years. However, names like Bill and Edna Dean, Margaret Overweel, Doug Cameron, Ed and Norma Silcox, and Gord Moore, should be mentioned for their special contributions. York West Meals on Wheels board members and staff were very active at the provincial level as well during this period of establishing Meals on Wheels as essential to the health and well being of Ontario seniors. They helped to bring about a much more coordinated system of service. Norma Silcox, the agency's Executive Director from 1973 to 1989 was one of the task force members who visited Rheine in West Germany. Lynn Cameron, the current Executive Director, was also a member of the Metro Toronto Meals on Wheels Board of Directors. Written by Norma Silcox The Third Decade Starting in 1989, when Lynn Cameron became the Executive Director of the agency, personnel developed an interoffice network of computers, enlarged the agency's boundaries, implemented a frozen food delivery system, which complemented the regular hot meal service and offered our clients a seven-day service. York West Meals on Wheels, at the time, moved again to larger and more pleasant quarters to accommodate even bigger and better programs. The area served had grown significantly and was very different from the community first served in 1967; for example, the delivery of 10 meals per week grew to 577 meals per week in 1991. And we started the new decade by adopting the logo from Meals on Wheels of Ontario, which is still in use today. In addition to program expansions to meet the demands of a larger catchment area and increased seniors' population, the agency had to review cultural changes in order to keep up with the times and make, of York West Meals on Wheels, the professional accredited multi-service agency it worked out to be. In the early 1990's, the Board of Directors of York West Meals on Wheels Inc. passed a Multicultural and Anti-racism policy which recognizes and respects the diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds of clients in its catchment area, staff, board members, and volunteers. Other efforts in this respect were the translation of our brochures, first into Italian and then into Ukrainian, and ethnic frozen meals that were being developed by one of our food suppliers. Our fleet of vans grew in par with our services. In 1988, a fourth van was purchased with a grant from The Ministry of Community and Social Services. This van replaced the first one we used for Home Maintenance since 1975. And in 1991, the Weston Lion's Club again donated a new van that would replace the one they had donated ten years before. The year 1992 marked our 25th anniversary with a move from 1901 Weston Road to larger premises. In that year, three provincial organizations, Meals on Wheels of Ontario, Ontario Association of Visiting Homemaker Services, and the Ontario Home Support Association, amalgamated with the purpose of providing a stronger voice for community services. The new organization would be called the Ontario Community Support Association. In 1993, our Meals on Wheels delivery was reorganized from the office daily to include church and legion volunteers. They were integrated into the office delivery schedule, rather than dropping the meals off to the churches and legions. Administratively, this was much more efficient, and the valuable church and legion volunteer support was maintained. This was also the year when we expanded our home maintenance service on a seasonal basis in the spring in order to include two maintenance vehicles and two work crews. Written by Norma Silcox A major expansion in our Meals on Wheels program occurred in 1994 as we began to become more diversified. We introduced our first ethnic Meals on Wheels program with Italian meals. Villa Colombo was the food source for this program. These meals were so well received within the Italian community that Villa Colombo is still our food source for the Italian route today. 'Bene fatto!' (Well done!) In that year, we introduced menu choice with our frozen meals, and started the delivery of Books on Wheels. This new program was developed in cooperation with the Weston Branch of the York Public Libraries. Through Books on Wheels, library materials accompanied the meals to some of our clients. Preliminary work began in 1995 to develop an Eastern European meal program. Working in cooperation with Ukrainian Canadian Social Services, we developed a two-sided, two-language survey which was distributed in our catchment area. Although there was a significant demand for the meals, the difficulty resided in finding an appropriate food source. Consequently, even though we had a commitment, we would have to wait over a year for the newly built Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre to open and start supplying our meals. The year 1996 marked another significant change in our Meals on Wheels program as we left our three hospital food sources. As a result, all of our hot meals were then prepared by a private company. This allowed us to deliver more consistent, standardized, quality meals to all of our clients, as well as developing a more cost-effective and efficient program from an administrative standpoint. At that time, we were approached by D.C.V.S. (now Etobicoke Services for Seniors) to provide transportation of their clients to their three Adult Day Programs. This marked the beginning of a relationship that would later develop into a partnership in order to offer our own Adult Day Program. (Please refer to the article about The Caring Garden Adult Day Services) City of York Mayor Frances Nunziata established a Mayor's Advisory Committee on Seniors' Issues in 1996. We played a major role on this committee, along with four other agencies. The goals included looking at ways in which we could work cooperatively together. As a result, we developed a cooperative linkage with the Syme 55+ Centre in which we would provide transportation for their members to their recreational programs. Through these years, a great many concerned and compassionate people contributed their time and energy to the development of York West Meals on Wheels. They were out in the community, spreading the word about our services from shopping malls to the Farmers' Market, as well as from the Santa Claus Parade to our Escorted Monthly Outings in and around the city. Written by Lynn Chapman The Fourth Decade In 1997, our Meals on Wheels program expanded in yet another direction with the addition of "Reach For 5" fruit and vegetable baskets. Working in cooperation with Field to Table, these baskets would provide fresh fruits and vegetables bi-weekly to clients, as a supplement to their regular meal delivery. Additionally, by this year, the ratio between hot and frozen meals started to change as the number of requests for frozen meals started to climb. In 1998, work began with the Jamaican Canadian Association toward the development of a Caribbean meal program. Anna Doucette Former Ontario Premier Bob Rae Ten years ago, work began with D.C.V.S. (now Etobicoke Services for Seniors) toward a partnership to open an Integrated Adult Day Program for functionally impaired seniors in our catchment area. Our Adult Day Program opened a year later; the only one of its kind in Toronto because of the partnership arrangement with D.C.V.S. On June 25, 1998, guests from the community, representatives from government, agencies, and supporters of York West Meals on Wheels Inc. gathered for the official opening of the Adult Day Program, and to commemorate 30 years of service rendered to the community. Our Adult Day Program was the result of financial and logistics support from the Ontario Ministry of Health, community organizations, such as the Weston Lions Club donating a piano, and individual donors. The funding came to York West Meals on Wheels, and we provided the space, the meals, the transportation, the volunteers, the intake and the promotion. From D.C.V.S., we would purchase assessment and case management, and their staff time to operate the program daily. Operating only one day per week in 1998, the program expanded to a full five days per week by 2002. Rev. Ross Gilroy, Board President, and the Hon. Cam Jackson, Minister Responsible for Seniors, standing to the right, in the dark suit (1998) Rev. Ross Gilroy and Nello DelRizzo, Program Consultant with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (1998) ADP clients and volunteer Olive Burley (2001) Demand for our transportation services became so great that, in 1997, we expanded our driving staff from one full time driver to one full-time and one part-time driver. Thanks to a series of funding expansion increases from the Ministry of Health and the purchase of three additional Transportation vans (with bequest funds and a donation from the Weston Lions Club) from 1997 to 2000, we continued to expand our driving staff to include two full-time and two-part time drivers, as well as a number of volunteer Transportation drivers. In the year 2000, along with the expansion of the Transportation program, we expanded our staff to include a new position of Transportation Coordinator. In 1999, after over three decades of service to the community, we changed our name from York West Meals on Wheels Inc. to Humber Community Seniors' Services Inc., a name that still today more accurately reflects the range and scope of the services we provide to the community. Included in the promotion of the new name was the translation of our brochures into a number of languages which then included: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Ukrainian. A request for additional funding for our Home Help program was granted by the United Way of Greater Toronto in 2000. A two-year grant would allow us to hire additional staff in an effort to accommodate the increasing demand for service. In 2002, after evaluating the success of the two-year grant program, this funding was included with regular ongoing funding from the United Way. In 2001, our Meals on Wheels program went through some major changes. The hot meal supplier was changed in an effort to reduce costs. At the same time, we expanded our Meals on Wheels program again to include South Asian meals. In the fall of 2001, Humber Community Seniors' Services Inc. undertook the development of a strategic plan for the agency. This included plans for a future change of location, moving to a more visible and accessible building. The year 2002 marked our 35th anniversary, the development of new agency promotional materials (which included a Somali brochure), and the planning of a major move to new premises. This new location would co-locate both our main office and our Adult Day Program. We also made a virtual move into cyberspace, creating an online presence at www.humberseniors.org. More than 150 clients, volunteers, local dignitaries and supporters joined us at the opening of our new- and present- administrative office and Adult Day Program located at 1167 Weston Road on April 29, 2003. The United Way of Greater Toronto and the Ministry of Health increased their funding to cover the increase in rent and the renovation of the new building. Enjoyment of the new facilities was made possible by Samuel Marouhos and the staff at SMA Design Group International Inc. In addition to ribbon-cutting ceremonies and tours of our new Adult Day Program, memorial plaques were dedicated for the late Bob McLean and Gordon Moore, both active Board members at the time. Moreover, Mr. Joe Cordiano, MPP for York-South Weston recognized the volunteer work of Rita Irving, Belle Smith and Mary Moore for their 35 years of commitment to the agency. In 2002, we joined The Great Atlantic and Pacific Company Save-A-Tape Program for the first time. For four years, we participated in this fundraising project, collecting A&P, Dominion & Ultra Food & Drug cash register tapes, and then turning them in for cash. In 2004, we had the pleasure of welcoming Graceview Presbyterian Church and the Golden Age Bowlers to our Save-A-Tape team. It was the responsibility of our long-time volunteer Rita Irving to add up and bundle the tapes through the years. Until 2006, dozens of groups and individuals contributed their tapes for each current year, and helped us raise hundreds of dollars to support the services provided by HCSS. In 2004, our programs kept growing and expanding. List Shopping was offered to clients with limited mobility, unable to shop for themselves, at no charge, except for the cost of the groceries. Volunteers would grocery shop, from a client's list, and deliver their shopping back to the client. This program was run on a trial basis, and was terminated in 2005. We saw that the overall needs of our clients were better served by our regular shopping trips offered through our Transportation services. In addition to the grocery shopping trips, we re-started offering Mall trips once a week, visiting Cloverdale Mall, Dufferin Mall, North York Sheridan Mall, and Yorkdale Mall on a rotational basis. As of April 2004, we were pleased to announce a new hot meal supplier for our Meals on Wheels program in our search for more nutritional and appetizing meals. Epicure Catering, which had been the provider of meals for our Adult Day Program since it opened, started then, and is still today, providing us with our Canadian-type hot meals. Epicure and Meals on Wheels volunteers We celebrated Seniors' Month in June 2004 in the heart of our community at the Weston Farmers' Market. As in previous years, this was a great opportunity to do community outreach and to launch our fundraising raffle. The Home Maintenance program was also in full swing in the summer. The approximate turnaround time was 10-14 days, weather permitting. And the fee was $18.00 for lawn cutting per hour per worker. At that time, clients and volunteers could support this program by bringing in their Canadian Tire Money, which was used towards the purchase of new equipment. A couple of years later, the Home Maintenance program moved to a contract-base season. Looking into having a green space for our Adult Day Program, the architects designed a greenhouse room inside the new facilities since there was no room outside to accommodate such an endeavour. It was then that a name change was in order for our ADP, so it was re-named as The Caring Garden Adult Day Services, in which the greenhouse room has been a major focal point for our clients. The Caring Garden then started including special guests and going out on day-trips. York West Seniors Choir was the star performer in 2004. Through the years, numerous singers and musicians have shared their talents with our clients who would join in by tapping their feet, singing, and dancing! In 2005, for example, the highlight was a day trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village, through which our Adult Day Program clients were able to travel back in time. With the caring support of the staff from Etobicoke Services for Seniors and our volunteer drivers and escorts, everyone enjoyed a relaxed walk along dirt roads and wooden sidewalks, visiting the blacksmith, the weaver and the doctor's house of this mid 1800's village. In 2005, thanks to a change in funding from the City of Toronto and through the HMNS (Homemakers and Nurses Services) Program, we were able to introduce subsidy for our Home Help Program. For two years, those who qualified gained access to this cleaning service and made the program grow tremendously. In October 2005, Humber Community Seniors' Services Inc. was approved for expansion funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to be able to offer subsidy for the hot meals delivered through our Meals on Wheels program. The cost of a hot meal at that time was $5.50, and is still. With the introduction of the subsidy, meals have been available, to those who qualify, at a flat, reduced rate of $2.50 per hot meal. The growth in the population served has required the addition of new volunteers to the team of Meals on Wheels Drivers and Servers. Thus, in 2006, we welcomed two corporate volunteer groups from the neighbouring Mount Dennis Scotiabank, located at Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue West, and Scott Funeral Home, at 1273 Weston Road. 2006 was the last year of the Save-A-Tape program, so we introduced a new tradition to help us fundraise internally, Toonie Tuesdays. The funds raised through these weekly 50-50 draws have supported our programs and also gotten back to our volunteers in the form of new furniture for our Volunteer Lounge, a choice made by the volunteers themselves by voting on different options. In 2006, we were able to replace our old Home Maintenance van with a new pick-up truck thanks to bequest money. Also through bequest money, we were able to replace two of our Transportation vans with more fuel-efficient Rav4's in 2006 and 2007. This year, the Home Maintenance program name was changed to Home and Property Support Services, and we received a small funding increase through the City of Toronto Snow Shoveling and Lawn Care funding envelope. In June 2007, we introduced Spanish cultural programming at The Caring Garden Adult Day Services. Our client-base has since then expanded, and we have started translating our promotional materials into Spanish to cater to them. As an example, our Fall Newsletter this year featured the article about The Caring Garden both in English and in "espaņol". September this year meant more than "Back to School" since we welcomed back three schools which were previously involved in our Meals on Wheels program. Students from Portage Trail Middle Community School have already started volunteering, every week, as Meals on Wheels Servers or Runners. Soon, we are hoping to count on the participation of students from Rockcliffe and C. R. Marchant Middle Schools once again. We would also like to extend a heart-felt welcome to the students and staff from newcomer Frank Oke Secondary School. In addition, thanks to a grant from Investing in Neighbourhoods from the City of Toronto, by the end of 2007 we were able to hire a new Receptionist for our office under a one-year contract.