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8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, October 23, 2001 Letjlloti brightea yur day Co 487 Laurier Ave. o i 'Long-time Maplehurst Correctional Facility volunteer McCann, 70, sees good in everyone By FANNIE SUNSHINE The Champion Yolanda McCann bas neyer been afraid to hear the metal gaies Iock behind ber. For the past 25 years, shte has been an active volunteer aI Maplehurst Correctional Facility. -i worked for an optometrist in 1975," recalled the 70-year-old. 'Maplehursl had just opened and the guards would bring in the inmales t0 gel their eyes checked. 1 started talking to themn (inmales) and 1 realized how many of themn camne fromn places out of town. 1 thought, 'Oh God, if my son was away someplace in jail, how would hie feel.' 1 wished there was some way 1 could hclp them." One week lter, an ad ran in 'Me Champion asking for volunteers for the correctional facilily. Ms McCann wcnt in for an interview and hasn't lookcd back. "Maplehurst %%as sco new, 1 didn'l know whal type of volunteer work lhcy offered. Myscîf and two other ladies staeled a humain relations group. We hroughl in different speakers 10 talk 10 the inimales. We had psychologists, people from Children's Aid, lawyers and people 10 help wiîh resumes. They really leamned a lot from il. Il was very educalional for the guys." Runs seIf-help program Nowadays, Ms McCann volunleers îhree Io four days a week aI the facilily, usually îwo houes each lime. And she's also thc co-ordinalor of the Seven Slep Program, a self-help program for inmates. "&We meel every Wednesday. II's a small geoup, no more Ihan 10 10 12 inmates. We sit around a tahle and they îalk about themselves, their childhood, Iheir lifc, whalcver is on Iheir mmnd. Wc ask questions and lry 10 help each other - we don'l criticize or judge." Sometimes Uic inmates would raîher speak 10 Ms McCann privaîely instead of wiUi the rest of the group. -Some don't feed comrfortable saying certain thmngs in a group, which is understandahle. l'm, happy 10 come in and- si in a room wiUi Uiem and îalk. Because most of Uic guys in Uic Seven Stcp Program are young, an an older person 1 feel l'in lalking like a mom would 10 a son." She also feels people have misconceptiofll about working in a jail. "I 25 years 1 have neyer been Uirealened, neyer been talked back to and if someone îays a îwear word they say sonry. For some reason, Keeplfl you tumed NORTH HALTON STUDIO 21 Mais Stret North, Actos, ON L7J 1V9 519) 853-4700 Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Volanda McCann was one of elght correctional facility volunteers recognized by the Ministry of Correctionai Services Wednesday. people arc afraid of inmates. They sec Uiem as bad people. I say no one is bad, people jusl make bad choices." God willing, she will continue 10, volunteer al Maplehurst for years 10 comne. 1I like helping people realize Uieir talents and potential. In our Seven Step Program, we ask Uic guys 10 naine three good Uiings about Uiem- selves. Most of Uic lime they can'l even tell you one good Uiing but can tell you 20 bad Uiings." COGECO 14 Programming Schedule - Oct aber 23rd - 29th, 2001. Wo Ihu Wuoh mm u eul&&km nwle u & âp Ms McCann was one of cighl correctional facility volunteers recognized hy the Ministry of Correctional Services during a ceremony Wednesday ait Uic Bell Carin Staff Developmenl Centre in Hamilton. In order 10 he recognized, thc volunteers had t0 be nominated and fil a certain criteria, which included contributing significantly over years of volunleer service. "Il waa excellent, il was very nice," she said of "T'hcy gave us a plaque and pin and even had people play the hag pipes as we walked in." Maplehursl also honoured their volunîcers with a dinner aI Uic Muddy Duck Restaurant Tlhursday night. "I appreciated Uic thought thal someone nom- inated me. 1 Uiink il's nice for people 10, recog- nize whaî you're doing, but 1 don'l do Ibis lo be recognized and 1 say Uiat wiUi ail my heart." MuivLui . IsIlVli u a" a,. S lu" lu" amp. lUpu Su" CUdmiu uspu Sm Ti ?:mmu MI lwq oeKle SU91M MqE"h IlallanPiyio Couil, (ICI2a5 SN:3pm %M In! - Wu"u ElWen 11 Issu 5s sier twalt5 Conneof Ipu i~ a îi~ lIa" ta" SlIps Mamdl - rue a a"Wtin la miU Iot The Issue I lporVZIS Lin Feature this week: 'P.oplesp.ak" Live wito Joyce Savoline! Wednesday, 7:00 pom qk &