Community Winners

ESS Volunteer Drivers

Winner – Community (Group)

Fabulous. Reliable. Wonderful. Godsends.

Those are just a few of the words used by local seniors to describe the volunteer driver program at Etobicoke Services for Seniors (ESS).

Since 1994, ESS has provided fully escorted rides to seniors who would otherwise have difficulties accessing public transportation – taking them to medical appointments, to the dentist and physiotherapist, and to social activities and programs in Etobicoke and all across the GTA.

May Kinney recently broke her hip and has been using the service for close to a year to help her get to her twice weekly doctor’s appointments.

“They’ve been absolutely fabulous,” she raved. “I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

For a modest, per-kilometre fee, seniors like May are picked up at their doorstep, assisted into the volunteer’s own vehicle, driven and escorted up to their appointment, and driven back home again – often with little detours along the way, whether to pick up prescriptions at the drug store, or to chat over a scenic route home.

Over the last year alone, ESS’s fleet of 26 drivers have provided more than 150 seniors with more than 1,050 rides.
Without the volunteer drivers, Peggy Reiger, 83, wouldn’t be able to visit her husband at his Mississauga nursing home. She called the service a godsend.

“I had to turn my car in, so now I’m more or less stranded in Etobicoke,” she said. “It was costing me $30 in a cab to visit. I’m financially restricted, so it was difficult to see him as often as I wanted. I’d be in real trouble if not for ESS and their drivers.”

For Patricia Thompson, a volunteer driver since 2003, the experience has been a rewarding one.

“I just love to meet the seniors, they’re so interesting. Every one has a rich story to tell – interesting careers, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren,” she said.

“I’ll often take the scenic route along the lakeshore, just to have a longer chat.”

Justin Di Ciano

Winner – Community (Individual)

Ask Justin Di Ciano how his garden grows.

Engaging residents in community building. Offering at-risk youth life skills. Helping needy families.

The ‘Farm in the Village’ sign marks the new 15,000 sq.-ft. community garden on Bloor Street West at Acorn Avenue. Dunpar Developments donated the land, remediated from its former operation as a gas station, Di Ciano said.

“Twenty to 30 people a day stop to ask me what we’re doing,” said Di Ciano, his voice ringing with enthusiasm of the supervised garden, expected to yield 10,000 pounds of fresh vegetables, to be donated to Daily Bread, and church food banks.

“A TTC driver even stopped his bus to ask me.”

Together, community members, at-risk youth and neighbourhood youth will tend the garden, and reap some of what it sows.

It’s all part of Di Ciano’s One Village Care Initiative.

The young thirtysomething social entrepreneur and business owner wants to connect south Etobicoke communities to the PACT Urban Peace Project.

The charity offers life-skills programs to youth at-risk and youth in conflict with the law to “ignite a passion” that could lead to higher education and employment opportunities.

“You start small with one idea and one person and you create a sustainable movement we believe brings social change,” Di Ciano said of the concept.

“David (Lockett, PACT co-founder and volunteer president) says, ‘People are genetically coded to be kind and generous.’ The gift is in the giving. It’s a lot of fun to be out there.”

Islington Nurseries, Dunpar, Argo Lumber, Milano’s Pizza, as well as the Rotary Club of Etobicoke and one of Di Ciano’s businesses sponsored the community garden.

“(Justin) continues to rally and inspire people such as myself to get involved in community-based volunteer programs and has a tremendous passion for working with at-risk youth in our community,” said Natalie Jones of her Urban Hero nomination of Di Ciano, her neighbour.