Senior nominated for giving spirit

Times Contributor   

 

Patricia Frederick is a well-known face about the Strathmore Community. She volunteers her time to many agencies in town. She works with patients in Continuing Care, helps at the Library, gives time to the Health Unit and aids in the Breast Health program, just to name a few programs where her energy and positive spirit make a difference.

“I try to help out wherever I can,” said Frederick. 

“It is a chance to give back to the community. They have been good to me and so I give a little something back.”

Frederick said she finds the work fulfilling and thinks that it enhances her social life and gives her interesting things to do. 

All her efforts gained her a nomination for the 2013 Seniors Award. The awards were given June 5 and she was among 88 people nominated across Alberta for the award. 

The awards are based on the positive impact nominees have on seniors and the community; the need for the service they provide; the quality, diversity and originality of their service. 

While Frederick certainly fulfills all of these criteria in her work, she wasn’t one of the four people finally chosen for the award. They were Dr. Zohra Husaini, Edmonton; Sylvia Krikun, Mayerthorpe; Bob Schmaus, Calgary; Bob Schmaus, Calgary and Gail Wolfe, Cold Lake.

Four agencies were also awarded recognition. They were McLennan’s Lakeview Pioneers Society, Calgary’s LINKages Society of Alberta, Edmonton’s Multicultural Women and Seniors Services Association, and the Stony Plain Meals on Wheels.

The Premier recently moved all departments relating to seniors under the Ministry of Health. Seniors programs are under the care of Minister Fred Horne and George VanderBerg is the Associate Minister of Seniors.

“We have some wonderful volunteers in our province who give their time and energy every day to help support seniors,” said George VanderBergs. “These awards are just one way we can appreciate these volunteers and all that they do.”

Frederick said working with the elderly that she is dismayed at the many cuts happening to seniors programs. 

She is just one of many people in Strathmore that went to Kinsmen Park on June 7, to raise her voice in protest over moving seniors to private care and cutting money from Home Care programs for seniors and the disabled.