Gorina & Bruno (Volunteers)

We really love to volunteer at Richview – we really love volunteering in such a happy and homey environment where everyone is kind and helpful. Many people think that this is nothing big, but you would be surprised about how cold and isolated other homes make you feel – both in the way the building looks, as well as in how staff interact with volunteers and residents. As a building Richview is open and airy area with plenty of light, that really invites residents to step out of their rooms and doing things. But truly the warmth of this place comes from the staff; everyone here wants to make the residents feel at home and happy and they take a personal interest in this that transcends their paycheque. To exemplify this, many individuals in the Life Enrichment department often volunteer their free time to go to events and programs if they feel like extra help is needed or if they want to ensure that residents have a good time. One thing we are really impressed about, that we don’t see in other homes that we have been to, is how encouraging and supportive the staff is when it comes to getting the residents to participate in activities. The staff here will actually go to residents and remind them of events, ask them if they want to go and then assisting them to the location if they want it – in many homes, the encouragement does not go beyond posting the event on the calendar. From a volunteer perspective, we like that Richview has so many programs to offer and that we are not restricted to a single program. We really have the freedom to participate in what we want to and so volunteering never feels like a chore or a job, but rather it is a fun experience where we can interact with residents and have a good time.

Gorina & Bruno (Volunteers)