Art, music and gardening program for elderly people in Haro Park Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia

June 8 - June 28, 2008
June 29 - July 19, 2008
July 20 - August 9, 2008
August 10 - August 30, 2008

Volunteer project: Haro Park Centre is the largest care facility in the West End of Vancouver. It provides independent housing, assisted living and complex care for elders. Haro Park supports the Eden philosophy and is committed to creating a human habitat where life revolves around close and continuing contact with plants, animals, children and youth. Haro Park Centre aims at establishing a homelike environment that emphasizes a quality of life supporting the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being of each person.
Volunteers will contribute to the quality of life of the elders by taking part in a multifaceted program involving residents in gardening, art, music activities, walking and just being outside in the summer time.
Volunteers would accompany staff and residents on outings allowing the involvement of more residents. Volunteers would be paired with residents for walking and will assist staff with the gardening, art and music programs. Volunteers will accompany residents on trips to the museum, art gallery, parks as well as bus trips for picnics or prearranged tours. Walks or bus trips will be organized to sites for art sessions or gathering items for art at Haro Park Centre such as leaves, flowers, etc. The group will help organize a walking event in which residents compete at different levels – walking category, wheelchair, etc. Volunteers are expected to be creative, flexible, respectful and responsive to the residents’ needs.

Location: Haro Park Centre is located in Downtown Vancouver, close to museums, theatre, art gallery, upscale shopping and Stanley park with its beaches and other attractions. Vancouver’s most popular shopping area – the trendy Robson street is just a block away. The centerpiece and green heart of Vancouver is Stanley Park, the city's most famous landmark, and one of the largest parks in any urban centre in North America. There are wooded trails, open playing fields, secluded lakes, gorgeous gardens, and the Vancouver Aquarium, the largest in Canada. A seawall walkway meanders along the park's perimeter, with beautiful views of the city skyline, the harbour, beaches, and the spectacular North Shore Mountains. Vancouver's fame as one of the most beautiful cities in the world is tied to Stanley Park's popularity.

Age requirements: 19-30 years

Volunteer Program Summer 2008 in Canada: www.cadip.org/volunteer-in-canada.htm

phone: 604-628-7400 web: www.cadip.org