Tag: volunteer
For GEF volunteer Tom Forbes, cycling is about more than just getting from one place to another. It’s about freedom, fresh air, good company, and making memories.
For the past two years, Tom has shared his love of cycling with GEF seniors as a volunteer trishaw pilot. He gives residents and tenants the opportunity to get outdoors, explore their neighbourhoods, enjoy the simple pleasure of a bike ride, and create meaningful moments with friends and family.
“When I take residents and their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, all on the same vehicle, where they experience something together – that is a gift!”
~Tom Forbes, GEF Volunteer
Judy, a resident at GEF Pleasantview Place Lodge, enjoys her trishaw rides with Tom.
“I like Tom because he’s a nice driver! We go around the block and then come back home – I love it! ”
~Judy M., GEF Resident
From Trishaws to Bicycles
While volunteering with the trishaw program, Tom noticed many bikes sitting unused in the bike racks at various GEF communities he visited. Some bikes had flat tires, rusty chains, or simply hadn’t been ridden in years.
This sparked an idea. Tom saw an opportunity to help more GEF seniors who were interested in riding, get back in the saddle through a bike program.
At GEF Montgomery Place, Tom began offering bike maintenance clinics. He helps tenants check and repair their bikes, making sure the brakes work, the tires are inflated, and the bikes are safe to ride. Then they are ready to hit the road!
What started as short rides around the neighbourhood has grown into bike rides of about twelve kilometres. The cycling group enjoys river valley views and stops for coffee and conversation.
GEF Montgomery Place tenant, Mary, looks forward to the outings.
“I like the exercise and I like the company. It’s nice to ride with other people too and go different places.”
~Mary M., GEF Tenant
Every Ride Builds Connection
The bike rides have inspired others to take part in the group activity. GEF staff have started joining in and bringing their families, creating a chance for seniors, staff, and families to spend time together in this new way.
“Tom is very familiar with the area, and he took us on a lovely ride.
~Colleen Simpson, GEF Seniors Housing
I really enjoyed spending time with the community, the tenants, and the staff here at Montgomery.”
For staff member Somaly, bringing her family along has been a special part of the experience.
“My family loves riding bikes, so it’s nice that we can all join in together. We’re all having fun and building friendships.”
~Somaly May, GEF Seniors Housing
What began as Tom sharing his passion has become a shared effort, bringing seniors, staff, families, and volunteers together.
Making Sure Everyone Can Join the Ride
Tom’s goal is to make the rides accessible to everyone who wants to join in.
“We’re planning and executing these rides so that everyone, no matter what kind of bike they have, can participate. We can take bikes with stability wheels, trikes, and certainly a trishaw, allowing other people to enjoy that maybe aren’t comfortable on a bike.”
~Tom Forbes, GEF Volunteer
The Reward of Helping Others
For Tom, volunteering is about contributing the skills he has to enrich the lives of others.
“Tom’s terrific! He’s quite knowledgeable about bikes and he’s doing something and he’s not getting paid for it – that’s not a big motivator for a lot of people, but he loves it.”
~Howard S., GEF Tenant
“To take people for a bike ride and see their enjoyment means everything to me.
~Tom Forbes, GEF Volunteer
That’s what keeps me coming back – is seeing how others benefit from what I can give.”
Get Involved. Give Back.
Tom’s story is a great example of how one person’s time, skills, and passion can bring people together.
Volunteer with GEF and share your interests with seniors across our communities. There are many ways to get involved.
Donate to the Quality of Life Fund to help support activities and experiences for GEF seniors. Thanks to community support, we have been able to purchase new trishaw batteries and continue maintaining our three trishaws.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
