EVERY WEEK, seniors and students involved in a pilot social progam called Junior Services for Seniors in West Vancouver show the way to bridging the generation gap with compassion. The result,.for program partici- pants at the West Vancouver Care Centre, is the reward of mutual enrichment garnered from time spent developing new relation- ships. On a larger scale, once the 18- month pilot project funded by a $15,380 federal New Horizons grant is finished, the program will provide a tested blueprint in the form of a manual and video for spreading the program to senior care homes throughout the coun- try. The local program, a first for Canada, was jointly developed by North Shore Volunteers for Resi- dents in Care Facilities’ Wendy Hanna and Alma Reynolds along with Hillside Secondary Schcol’s International Baccalaureate coor- dinator Marion Langdale. Fifteen Hillside students and one Collingwood student are currently participating in weekly visits with seniors to fulfill community service requirements of the baccalaureate social services curriculum. The students are joined by senior volunteers during the visiting sessions. “The plan is that the seniors in the community will keep the train rolling once New Horizons finishes. The next step is to pair other high schools on the North Shore with other senior care facili- By MICHAEL BECKER - News Reporter ties,’’ said project director Hanna. Seventeen-year-old Philip Howard visits 93-year-old Katherine Hughes every Wednes- day afternoon for a game of crib- bage. “I'd like to give the sense that someone cares,’’ Howard said. Although participation for the students is to fulfill a requirement for the baccalaureate program, Howard said he'll continue his weekly visits over the Christmas holidays. “I’ve promised to play crib with her,”’ he said. Hanna said the 18-month pro- gram, which began in September, will enable six groups of 15 bac- calaureate students to participate. “We are seeing such wonderful benefits. The kids are realizing there isn’t a separate conversation for the peer group and one for seniors. It comes down to com- munication, They are compas- sionate and not afraid of death,” Hanna said. Said West Vancouver Care Cen- tre administrator Pat Mitts: ‘‘They (the seniors) seem happy to have all of this extra attention, especial- ly the ones who don’t get any visitors and especially during the lonely hours of the day.”’ NEWS photo Mike Wakotleld 57 - Sunday, December 20, 1987 - North Shore News “Community | dinner planned PAGE 58 NEWS photo Cindy Bellamy" HILLSIDE GRADE 11 students Philip Howard and Beth McTaggart take time to chat with West Vancouver Care Centre resident Katherine Hughes. The three are participating in the Junior Sérvices for Seniors program. The program bridges the generation gap and is the blueprint for similar programs to follow in other senior care homes. Double troubie Syluan...a beautiful blend of unique and locally created Crafts and Pottery EVERYONE WAS seeing double at the Twins Christmas Party, recently held at Highlands United Church. The festive event, organized by the North Shore Twins Club, saw 30 pairs of twins from the North Shore attend, in- cluding 10-month-olds Candice and Jaquie, who were chaperoned by their mom, Janet Wilson. To al! our friends and customers Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year._ 3080 Edgemont Blvd., North Van. 986-4863