Reflet_2020_06_04

DRIVING FOR CHANGE THROUGHOUT EASTERN ONTARIO C O L L E C T I V I T É • C O M M U N I T Y EAP NEWSROOM news@eap.on.ca be taxing to passengers depending on their frequency of use.

Yves Deschamps is a Carefor Eastern Counties driver, providing essential trans- portation services to the Hawkesbury area. Over the past five years, Yves has gotten to know many of the people who receive ongoing transportation services. “I enjoy what I do, and the people I can help,” Deschamps said. “It’s a part of me.” Deschamps has experienced first-hand some of the tough decisions his clients have had to make over the years, especially when they have had reoccurring medical appointments in Ottawa. “For someone travelling from Rockland to Ottawa, the fees usually around $30 per trip,” he said. “However, if you start travelling from Hawkesbury, that fee jumps to over $80 per trip. If you need to go to the eye doctor three or four times a month because you have cataracts, you can’t afford it.” Although the number of drives has drop- ped over the past couple months, family practitioners and non-emergent surgeries are being re-booked. Many seniors are still feeling the financial ripple effect of the pandemic and are more likely facing financial hardships for the foreseeable future. “The unique aspect we have in Eastern Counties,” said Greg Stevenson, Carefor

Going to see the doctor for an annual check up is an important preventative measure for maintaining health as people age. But getting to and from these appointments may seem like a luxury to some. Many seniors within Eastern Ontario’s communities, including Hawkesbury, travel more than an hour in each direction for essential medical care. Taxi fares from Hawkesbury to the Ottawa Hospital are well over $170 per direction, before adding in waiting time. If someone needs to make more than one trip per month for essential appointments, these costs add up making it near impossible to continue to receive essential care. This past year, Carefor Eastern Counties has made over 25,900 drives to medical appointments, servicing over 1,600 people within the region. These medical appoint- ments ranged from seeing a family doctor to receiving life-changing dialysis, cancer treatments, and more. Transportation fees have been made more affordable, charging $0.42-$0.47 per kilometre versus other for-profit services. However, in many cases, these fees can still

During the current pandemic situation, many seniors still need to see their doctor or a specialist to deal with particular medical needs. For many who are unable to drive themselves to their appointments, it also means arranging for a ride when public transit might not be available or convenient. —stock photov

transportation services supervisor, “is people in the rural cities and towns going into Ottawa. However, for those living in Ottawa, there’s public transit, there’s taxis – it’s a much shorter range of distance from the client’s home to their doctor or to the hospital, where as in the Eastern Counties it’s much greater.” Stevenson’s team tries to make essential transportation as accessible as possible. “A driver could conceivably be waiting for several hours and the time is not being charged to the client,” Stevenson said. “There is no wait time charge. It’s strictly a kilometre charge.”

Carefor Transportation Services relies on funding from the Ministry of Health and donations to offset the cost of payroll, vehicle maintenance, fuel, and more to continue to provide this essential service to the community. Carefor Eastern Counties also relies on community support so drivers like Yves can continue to provide much-needed transportation to clients at an affordable rate. “It’s the tip of the iceberg of the actual cost of what the client is really paying,” Stevenson said.

STUDENTS HELP OUT IN GUATEMALA

NOUS RECHERCHONS LIVREURS DE JOURNAUX ET CIRCULAIRES

EAP NEWSROOM news@eap.on.ca

Russell were part of this year’s Guatemala Services group. The annual overseas aid project, in cooperation with One By One: The Latin America Project, is a CDSBEO program that focuses on the virtue of the Good Sama- ritan parable, and Canada’s responsibility to assist other countries when they need help. Students worked on a village road project, using interlock paving stones, to help reduce muddy conditions during the Guatemalan wet season and also reduce dust problems during the dry season. During their stay, students also visited a local clinic and decided to pool the money they had avai- lable to offer as a donation for the clinic’s expansion needs. The students developed strong friend- ships with the families of the village. “The minute we arrived, we were welcomed with a great celebration,” stated Purcell, “that included music, refreshments, and fireworks. They (villagers) willingly shared many parts of their culture with us, even though we had just met them.” Photos of the Guatemala Service trip are on the One By One Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ OneByOneTheLatinAmericaProject/.

A number of local students spent part of their winter helping out families in Guatemala before coming home to share the self-isolation responsibility of many Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trustees for the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) enjoyed an inspirational report during their May 19 teleconference session. CDSBEO student trustee Josephine Purcell reported on the annual Guatemala Service trip in February, during which 30 students from CDSBEO schools helped on community service pro- jects in the little village of Anibal Archila. “The main goal was to begin building the final roads in the village, and to paint over 100 houses for the inhabitants of the village,” Purcell told trustees. “Each group brought along plenty of donations, which were used to make care packages to share with those in the village who need it the most.” Students from St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School in Hammond and from St. Tho- mas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in

Veuillez faire parvenir votre demande à : M. Gilles Normand, gilles.normand@eap.on.ca Tél. : 613-632-4151, poste 245 • Téléc. 613-632-6383 1100, rue Aberdeen, Hawkesbury, ON K6A 3H1 VILLAGE DE LIMOGES

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs