Tag: volunteer

This spring marked the fourth year GEF communities have come together for Planting Days. It’s a wonderful opportunity for residents, tenants, volunteers, staff, and community partners to connect while helping refresh the gardens and outdoor spaces.

From May 20 to June 4, across 26 communities, we welcomed 111 corporate partners and volunteers who planted, weeded, watered, and added colour and life to the green spaces seniors enjoy throughout the summer.

AMRE Supply at Westlawn Court.
Ecopest at Sakaw Terrace.
Bell Mobility at Kiwanis Place.
Ford Credit at Groat House.
TELUS at Beverly Place Lodge.

Residents and tenants contributed in many ways. Some grabbed gardening tools and started digging into the soil, while others enjoyed the sunshine, chatted with volunteers, and lent a hand where needed.

Gardens Grown by Many Hands

We are grateful for the incredible support of our community partners who helped make Planting Days possible.

This year, we were joined by 16 corporate/community teams from AMRE Supply, AutoCanada, Bell Mobility, Ecopest, Ford Credit Canada, North Pointe Community Church, Old Navy Canada, Park Landscaping, PCL Construction, Royal Caretaking Supplies, Serta Simmons Bedding, ServiceMASTER Restore of Edmonton, Source Office Furniture, Sysco Canada, TELSCO Security Systems, and TELUS.

Whether they arrived as a team of one or a team of many, every volunteer made a difference. Everyone showed up ready to plant, no matter the weather.

Extra Support in Full Bloom

Some of our partners found additional ways to help our communities flourish.

  • AutoCanada donated $400 in grocery gift cards to support residents and tenants.
  • PCL Construction brought treats to each of their Planting Days events, donated a gift card to GEF Knox Met’s Gardening Committee to purchase additional flowers, and provided 20 bags of soil to refresh the garden beds at GEF Pleasantview and Montgomery Place.
  • Ecopest made a generous $1,300 donation to GEF’s Quality of Life Fund, helping enrich the lives of seniors well beyond Planting Days.

These contributions continue to help our communities bloom in more ways than one.

Grocery gift cards courtesy of AutoCanada.
Plant gift card to GEF Knox‑Met Manor Gardening Committee, courtesy of PCL.
20 bags of soil donated to GEF Pleasantview and Montgomery Place, courtesy of PCL.
Thank you to Ecopest for their donation of $1,300 to GEF’s Quality of Life Fund during our Planting Days events!

Where Connections Take Root

While the addition of flowers brings joy and brightens outdoor spaces, the most meaningful part of Planting Days is the opportunity for connection, friendship, and community.

Throughout the campaign, residents, tenants, volunteers, staff, and neighbours had a chance to enjoy the fresh air and spend time together. These moments are what make communities feel like home.

ServiceMaster Restore at Strathcona Place.
Royal Caretaking Supplies at Ansgar Villa.
Source Office Furniture at Brittania Gardens.
PCL Construction at Pleasantview Place, Montgomery Place, and Knox-Met Manor.
TELSCO Security Systems at Rosslyn Place.

Keep the Good Things Growing

The planting may be finished, but the growing season isn’t over yet.

Throughout the summer, our gardens need volunteers to help water, maintain, and care for these beautiful spaces. Whether you’re an individual, a family, or part of a corporate team, we’d love to welcome you.

If you’re unable to volunteer, you can still make a meaningful impact. Donations to GEF’s Quality of Life Fund help create opportunities, programs, and experiences that keep our communities vibrant all year long.

Many thanks to all the staff, residents, and tenants who planted alongside our volunteers! 🌱

🌻 Click here to VOLUNTEER with us!
💚 Click here to DONATE to the Quality of Life Fund!

Thank you to every volunteer, community partner, resident, tenant, and staff member who helped make this year’s Planting Days such a blooming success!

🎥 Click here to watch highlights from this year’s events!

On Sunday, December 1, some of our GEF Seniors Housing residents took in the beautiful sights of Zoominescence at the Edmonton Valley Zoo through a different lens – on a Trishaw bicycle.

Zoominescence is a spectacular exhibition of artistic light installations within the Zoo grounds, and GEF partnered with Age-Friendly Edmonton to bring in our own Trishaw, a specialized three-wheel bike piloted by a trained volunteer, that gives older adults the experience of “wind in their hair” without having to drive a bike themselves.

Lights 1

Cycling Without Age Beaumont brought in two additional trishaws and volunteer pilots and made sure all three trishaws were mechanically ready for winter, including installing studded tires.

One attendee, who was chauffeured to the event by our community partners at Drive Happiness, said when she arrived at the zoo that she wasn’t sure what she had signed up for. At the end of the tour, she shared that she had a marvelous time. She hadn’t been back to the Edmonton Valley Zoo since her children were young and told the organizers she was so glad she came out.

IMG_9041

“I’m very grateful that GEF Seniors Housing and its staff support the Cycling Without Age Edmonton program and promoted this opportunity to enrich seniors’ lives,” said GEF Board Vice-Chair Jacquie Eales, who also took the beautiful photos featured in this article.

IMG_9067

Are you – or do you know – a senior who would love to take a ride in a Trishaw during Zoominescence 2019? Trishaw rides are only being offered between 4-5 p.m. on December 15 and 22. Spots are very limited, and you can email Jacquie Eales to reserve your ride time at jeales@telus.net.

For more information on Zoominescence itself, including tickets, visit the Eventbrite page. Ticket prices range from $6 – $30. Zoominescence 2019 runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening in December, from 5-9 p.m., until Sunday, December 29, 2019.

IMG_9034- edit