www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 7, 2009 - 15 Wednesday Red Cross offers help when it's needed most Be a Winner! Oct 29th - Nov 4th Enter these DailyWebTV Jan 7th - Jan 13th Home & Garden Homeowners put a lot of thought into furniture, art and décor but what about lighting? contests. Continued from page 12 action. "It is important to provide for those in need, it's a good feeling," said Davis, adding, "And I do love to drive." The Oakville branch is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit www.redcross.ca or call 905-845-5241. The Canadian Red Cross Society is a non-profit, volunteer-based humanitarian organization dedicated to improving the situation of the most vulnerable in Canada and throughout the world. The Red Cross has served Canadians since 1896, providing disaster preparedness and response, injury prevention and community health and care. The Oakville Red Cross was established in 1939. It made its home on Navy Street until a few years ago when it moved to Unit 15 at 1400 Cornwall Rd. The local branch and its volunteer drivers provide more than 10,000 rides annually. For a nominal fee, the rides are available to the frail, seniors, vulnerable and disabled, to help them get to medical appointments and rehabilitation programs. Thursday "There is a great demand for drivers. And it will only increase with the aging population." In the Kitchen Glass tiles are colour ful and bright and add a touch of class. Ted Davis, volunteer driver, Canadian Red Cross New Homes Friday Take the guessing out of choosing your new home finishing features. The local branch also offers rental of non-powered healthcare equipment such as commodes, walkers and wheelchairs, for use in private homes to anyone recovering from an injury, illness or surgery. It's called the Healthcare Equipment Loan Program (HELP). Red Cross programs and services are available to everyone and fees and services vary, according to program. Oakville's Red Cross is also heavily involved in safety training, offering everything from babysitter training and water safety, to CPR. Volunteers at the local branch keep busy with all these efforts when not focused on disaster services, which is also a mainstay. Disaster relief efforts occur at two levels -- those at the international level -- when local volunteers are called upon to travel to areas in need and go if they choose. Then, there are local efforts. The local Red Cross branch will run evacuation centres in case of a local emergency. It also assists, on a personal level, people in need. That is, for example, if a family is displaced because of a fire, the Red Cross has a list of hotels willing to put the family up to cover the initial days of being without a home. The Red Cross also works with community and social services and fire services to provide clothing, shelter, food and personal assistance in the immediate wake of a crisis. The Red Cross serves more than 145,000 residents in Oakville with the help of more than 100 volunteers. Saturday Real Estate It's time to protect yourself from fraud with Title Insurance. Health & Beauty Sunday What are the non-surgical ways to deal with wrinkles? In Motion Monday Lockwood Chrysler follows a family legacy that started over 70 years ago. SIGN UP and you could WIN! $200 gift certificate to Dove Spa. Lifestyle & Leisure Tuesday Regardless of your age or fitness level, yoga can change and challenge you. Visit DailyWebTV.com to Win! Sheridan hosts think tank The Sheridan Elder Research Centre (SERC) will host a think tank on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Sheridan is located about five minutes north of the QEW at 1430 Trafalgar Rd.(west side of Trafalgar, Ceremonial Drive entrance). The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the main floor conference room of the student residence. Directional signs will be posted. The primary objectives of the think tank are: · To exchange information about later life learning and the volunteer experience (including the health and social benefits that may result from volunteering) · To share perspectives/personal experiences with later life learning through volunteering · To discuss what older persons look for in the volunteer experience · To identify factors that enhance the volunteer experience and those that act as barriers · To generate publishable guidelines about the infrastructure needed to support volunteer learning opportunities for adults in their 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. With these broad objectives in mind, the SERC think tank will bring together practicing volunteers over the age of 62, adults 62+ who would like to volunteer, researchers, service providers, policy makers and educators. The success of the event depends on the active engagement of individuals representing all of the aforementioned groups. For information, contact Rita McPherson at SERC no later than Friday, Jan. 16 at 905-845-9430, ext. 8700 or email rita.mcpherson@sheridanc.on.ca. Pastafest will kick off Heart Month The Heart and Stroke Foundation in Halton will host its annual Pastafest dinner and silent auction on Friday, Jan. 30. This year's event will take place in Burlington at The Holiday Inn. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and guests will be treated to an evening of entertainment by the Peter Bloom Band, as well as a silent auction table and a dance troupe performance. The event will kick off February as Heart Month in Halton. Tickets are now on sale for $45 (receive a $20 tax receipt). Contact 905-634-7732 and ask for Trina or Matthew.