Over 25 volunteers of all ages transformed the Southern Frontenac Community Services’ (SFCS) Grace Centre in Sydenham into one gigantic restaurant/cafeteria in preparation for the annual Vision Soup fundraiser that took place there on November 28. Organizers were expecting over 200 diners to arrive, who for $20 per person could choose from an assortment of hundreds of hand made ceramic bowls, all generously donated to the event by members of the Kingston Potters Guild. The guests then filled the empty bowls with home-made soup, choosing from close to 20 different types, all donated by businesses from the local and surrounding communities. The soups included a leek and bacon from Pan Chancho in Kingston; cauliflower curry from Martha's; and an exotic Thai soup from Sydenham Pet and Farm Supply; plus many, many more. Diners also enjoyed buns and butter, hot and cold beverages and a wide assortment of home-made sweet treats.

Leslie Reade of Sydenham, who heads up the event along with Josey Steel, said the fundraiser helps to support many people in need in the local area. The proceeds go to support SFCS, as well as to the local Christmas Food Basket Campaign, which is run by the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee. The Vision Soup event has been happening for the last 10 years in Sydenham and Reade said that for her and Steel, who both own their own businesses in the area, organizing the fundraiser is “our way of giving back to community.” Reade co-owns the Sydenham Veterinary Clinic and Steel owns the Chiropractic Life Centre. Many of the guests who attended the event also made cash and food donations to the SFCS food bank.

Six years ago there was no food bank serving South Frontenac, but there were a number of programs available to residents in different communities. Different churches gave out food, the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee and the Community Caring Centre in Hartington also helped people access food.

“We saw that there was a lot of effort but a lack of co-ordination, so we started up a service at that time,” said David Townsend, executive director of Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS).

The SFCS Food Bank was set up in 2011 and has been up and running ever since, working closely with the churches and the other groups that were already active in the township.

The food bank co-ordinator, Vickie England, has a half-time position with the agency. She works with almost 25 volunteers, who sort the non-perishable items; shop for meat, vegetables, eggs and milk; gather fresh vegetables from the SFCS community garden program in season; and prepare baskets for pick up.

In Sydenham, pick up is at the Rural Visions Centre on George Street on Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings, and in Verona it is on the second and 4th Tuesday of the month.

Food bank use increased steadily over the first two years that the food bank was open and has remained steady since 2013.

“It is a concern to us that we serve so many children now,” said Vickie England. “We serve a lot of families, including some pretty large blended families.”

The statistics that she keeps bear out her impression. For example, last month 59 baskets were given out, serving 171 people. Of those, 71 (41.5%) were children, by far the largest cohort. Children receive, in addition to their share of the family-sized baskets, food for school and weekend snacks, including yogurt and cheese, extra fresh vegetables and fruit.

In terms of geography, last month 38% of those who received food came from Verona; 31% from Sydenham; 9% from Harrowsmith; and there were recipients from Perth Road, Hartington, Inverary, Battersea and Godfrey as well.

So far this year, 539 food baskets have been handed out, which is on track to match or exceed the total of 718 from last year. While use has been steady in the range of 50-55 baskets per month all year long, there have been unusual months, such as June (70) and August (44).

“We had no way of predicting that June would be that busy and August that quiet,” said England.

Eligibility for food baskets is determined by a means test. Baskets are stocked with a 5-7 day supply and can only be accessed once a month.

“We have 159 families on our eligibility list,” said David Townsend. “Those are people who have accessed the food bank within the last six months.”

The food bank is an un-funded program of SFCS, which means it only survives courtesy of food, and, most importantly, financial donations.

“We had $16,000 in the food bank account bank at the beginning of our fiscal year on April 1,” said Vickie England. “By the end of September, we had $9,000.”

The Christmas season is crucial to the food bank because it is the prime fundraising season and the SFCS Food Bank has a number of events scheduled in the coming weeks.

The first is the annual Vision Soup event on Saturday, November 28, 11:30am - 1:30pm at the Grace Centre, on Stagecoach Road in Sydenham. For a $20 ticket plus a food donation, people can purchase a pottery bowl filled with soup from local restaurants. Tickets are available in advance at the Rural Visions Centre, Sydenham Chiropractic, Trousdale’s General Store, and Sydenham Veterinary Services.

Also, at the Sydenham Santa Claus parade on the same day, members of the Sydenham High School football team will be holding a food drive for the food bank.

Next Tuesday, December 1, the South Frontenac Food Bank is holding an Open House as part of the National “Giving Tuesday” event (a response to the Black Friday – Cyber Monday craze). From 2-5 pm, the food bank will be open to the public, providing an opportunity to see how the food service works and how important it is to the local community.

Giving Tuesday will also mark the start of a major fundraising drive by the South Frontenac Food Bank. Donations of a basket for a single person ($40), a family of two ($60) and a family of four ($100) are being sought as part of the campaign. The goal is to receive donations of 150 baskets by the end of December through the campaign.

“We need to average about $5,000 a month in donations to keep the food bank afloat,” said David Townsend. “From June to September we raise about $300 a month, so you can see how important this season is to us.”

While we all understand that death is inevitable, we mostly keep that aspect of life at a distance until we are confronted with it. But along with death comes bereavement and the need for community support for those dying and their families. For palliative care providers, death and dying are a daily matter, requiring coordination, planning, and a willingness to engage fully in the difficult process that death is.

South Frontenac Community Services, based in Sydenham, includes hospice and palliative care under its purview and, as coordinator Corry Schutt explains, their services reach South, Central and North Frontenac, serving clients 18 years of age and up.

"The goal of palliative care is to care holistically for the person rather than trying to cure disease. It's emotional, social and psychological support for clients and their families."

Funded by the province through the local LHIN (Local Health Integration Network), a large part of SFCS's palliative care work is volunteer-driven non-medical support to caregivers, who are often burdened with caring for friends or family members at end-of-life, to a point where, without the support of outside help, they have no choice but to place that person in hospital or long-term care.

This is a particular challenge in parts of Frontenac county, particularly further north, where travel times and long distances from medical centers, most notably Kingston (the major care center for the region) pose a particular stress.

"Life has to go on for those caregivers," says Schutt.

While isolation and transportation challenges are significant, rural areas like ours have an asset in community connectedness and a willingness among friends and neighbours to help when they are needed. Still, with a large proportion of an already small population working full-time and managing family and social obligations, there is a relatively small number of people able to take on the time commitment of volunteer work.

Schutt also notes that close bonds form between volunteers, clients, and families, and being so intimately involved in the trajectory of death and the bereavement process can take an emotional toll on those offering their time and skills.

Volunteers are required to take a 30-hour course ahead of beginning their service, which trains them in end-of-life care from a volunteer perspective. Furthermore, they have access to bereavement support, just as families do.

The bereavement aspect of palliative care is given particular attention as the holidays approach through an evening of remembrance called "Light in the Darkness," hosted by SFCS. This year the occasion will be held November 29 at the Grace Centre, starting at 7 pm, and will include music, readings, and refreshments.

"Christmas and holidays are really hard for people who have lost a loved one. This is a safe place to recognize that grief," says Schutt.

The next training for volunteers will take place in the spring, but Schutt invites anyone interested in becoming involved to get in touch at any time. As for clients, a person does not require a medical referral to receive services. Friends, family members, health professionals or even clients themselves can make a referral by contacting Corry, who can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 613-376-6477 ext 308.

Saturday, December 12 in the villages of Sydenham and Verona

Christmas is just around the corner. This holiday, you can make a difference and help make this time of year special for all! On Sat. December 12, 10 am to 3 pm, OPP Auxiliary Constable Jennifer Robertson, along with fellow officers and SFCSC volunteers, will be parking OPP cruisers at Trousdale’s Foodland in Sydenham and at Reid’s Foodland in Verona.

Help fill the cruisers with non-perishable food items! The food collected will support the food bank operated by Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation.

This year, Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCSC), a charitable non-profit organization, celebrates its 26th Anniversary. SFCSC is the sole provider of health support services and social support programs for seniors in South Frontenac and rural Kingston, north of the 401. The agency also provides financial and food security support for low-income families. SFCSC’s food bank operates with the assistance of over 20 local volunteers, receives no government funding and is entirely supported by donations from local churches, schools, organizations, and the general public, and through events such as Stuff the Cruiser!

The food bank is currently being accessed by an average of 55 households a month. The items that are in high demand are peanut butter, Kraft dinner, canned tuna, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, canned vegetables, cereal, school snacks, crackers, rice, and canned soup, just to name a few. The food bank assisted over 700 families in 2014; this includes 1,248 adults and 673 children. Children are the most vulnerable people we feed, representing over 41% of the people we serve.

The SFCSC Food Bank is able to provide five to seven days’ worth of non-perishable and perishable staples to 100 adults and 60 children on average per month. Upon eligibility approval, the SFCSC Food Bank may be accessed once a month. Pick-up dates are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Contact: Jennifer Linton 613-376-6883, SFCSC at 613-376-6477 or Jennifer Robertson at 613-384-1774

Nine-year-old Leila Lawrence-Montag of Harrowsmith offers a bag of donated groceries to volunteers with the Southern Frontenac Community Services Food Bank who were collecting food and cash donations outside the Foodland in Sydenham on October 3. The items deemed most needed by coordinators at the Food Bank include canned meats (tuna, salmon, ham and chicken and turkey), beans, soups, chilis and stews, pasta sauces, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter jams and jellies, dry rice and pasta, cold cereals and assorted lunch snacks like granola bars, puddings and apple sauce. For those who missed the event, any food and/or cash and cheque donations can be dropped off at 4419 George Street in Sydenham any time from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Ninety-five golfers participated in this year’s Southern Frontenac Community Services’ annual Family & Friends Golf Tournament, where 24 teams took to the greens to enjoy 18 holes at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona. The event, now in its seventh year (the fourth consecutive at Rivendell), is the organization’s single biggest fundraiser of the year. This year’s tournament was organized by long-time SFCS driver volunteers, Dave Linton and Bill Hartwick, along with Jennifer Linton, a past board member and founder/current coordinator of the SFCS food bank. Although the weather on July 17 was a bit wet, that did not stop the participants from enjoying a fun and relaxing day on the greens, which concluded with a delicious ham 'n all the fixings supper, and prize presentations. No less than 26 local businesses sponsored the event, along with seven corporate sponsors, including RBC Sydenham and the Investors Group, both of whom offered hole-in-one prizes of $15,000 and $5,000 respectively, though neither was won at Friday's event.

Dave Linton said that the tournament is truly a “team effort” and that “the SFCS staff and volunteers really stepped up to the plate and helped to get the word out there”. Linton said he was pleased with the turn out and with the generous support received from sponsors and participants.

All tournament proceeds go toward supporting programs and services for seniors in South Frontenac and rural Kingston and Linton believes this is a big reason for the tournament being so successful. Services provided benefit not only seniors, but also their families and care givers. The Adult Day Program is a huge example of such a service. In fact, the Adult Day Seniors contributed to the golf tournament by placing items in gift bags - a meaningful task that saved the organizers hours of work. Each golfer received one of the gift bags.

As a social event, the annual tournament provides a venue where family and friends can take time out to share laughs and stories, and simply enjoy each other's company, and the day. Linton said that organizers have always gauged the degree of enjoyment by participants according to the degree of noise generated, and at the end of the tournament, the noise generated in the banquet room was deafening... truly a bonus reward for the organizers.

Local politicians, visitors from other social service agencies, and members of the business community were well represented at Southern Frontenac Community Services’ (SFCS) AGM on June 24, which was held once again this year in the morning in order to accommodate the schedules of most of those in attendance.

Breakfast was served at 7:30 and the meeting started up at 8:00 in order to be wrapped before 9:00 last Wednesday.

A few milestones were marked at this, the 26th anniversary of the agency. Joan Cameron, who has been the board chair for six years, stepped down as chair and retired from the board. As was pointed out by the new board chair, Nona Mariotti, Cameron's legacy at SFCS is exemplified in the Grace Centre, where the meeting was held. It was Cameron who was the driving force in the development of the centre as a multi-purpose space that is used both for SFCS programming and administration as well as for public use as an arts centre, breathing life into the former United Church building.

In her final remarks, Cameron commended the efforts of the board in developing a governance model. She also reported that the agency has enjoyed its best year both in terms of service and finances.

Mariotti, who has chaired the Adult Services Committee of the agency and has been involved in developing and publicising events at the Grace Centre, takes over a six-member board, which is looking for three members to restore a full complement, including a new treasurer.

In his remarks to the membership, Executive Director David Townsend thanked the agency’s staff and talked about some of the new programming that SFCS has engaged in, including a homelessness initiative, as well as a palliative care counselling service for families throughout Frontenac County.

Tom Whiteman, then made a presentation on behalf of the United Way of Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington, of which he is a board member. He presented one of the agency’s annual Volunteer of the Year awards to John Trousdale. He said that Trousdale had been nominated by SFCS, which is a United Way member agency, and that when looking at the breadth of support he has provided to the agency and to the community of Sydenham, “It was very easy for us to make a decision.”

While many of John Trousdale’s contributions in Sydenham are well known, he has remained in the background over the 26-year history of SFCS, but on numerous occasions when there were either opportunities or crises, he has come through with a helping hand, either though in-kind or cash donations or by providing strategic advice.

Whiteman said that in recognition of his award, people in the community should “give John a hug”, something that Mayor Vandewal attempted to do later on without much success. Perhaps a simple handshake would suffice.

The keynote speech at the AGM was delivered by Donna Segal, the Chair of the Board of Directors for the South East Local Health Integration Network (SELHIN), which acts for the Ontario Ministry Health in funding hospitals, long-term care facilities, the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), and also community support service agencies, of which SFCS is one. Segal said that the SELHIN spends about $1 billion annually, and one of its goals is to ensure that money is spent wisely and that service providers work together to provide “patient-centred care”, to cover all service gaps for patients and to avoid duplication of service.

She said that the SELHIN spends the second most money per capita among the 14 LHINS throughout Ontario on hospitals, the third most on long-term care, and the highest amount on home care, but the lowest amount per capita on community support services.

SFCS has been advocating for increases in its own funding from the LHIN for its popular Adult Day Program for the frail elderly.

Segal did not say if changes are coming to community support services funding, but she did indicate that the CCAC system, which provides nursing and other home services, may be seeing major changes in the near future.

For the past six years Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation (SFCSC) has hosted an Annual Golf Tournament in support of their Senior Services programs. The Annual 50+ Classic Family & Friends Golf Tournament fundraiser is one of the largest events of the year for SFCS and is supported by over 30 sponsors and 132 expected golfers. This year’s tournament is scheduled for Friday July 17, at Rivendell Golf Course in Verona. It is organized by long-time volunteers, Dave Linton and Bill Hartwick, with support from other volunteers and SFCSC staff members.

SFCSC is looking for additional golfers and sponsors to help make this the biggest and best tournament ever.

In 2014-15, SFCSC continued to provide programs and services for well over 800 seniors, all residents of our community of South Frontenac. As demand for additional supports grows, the agency will continue to meet the needs of our community. We have all heard through media channels that our governments have no more money to support health care and health supports. South Frontenac is the fastest growing township in all of South East Ontario for seniors and if SFCSC is to continue to meet the needs of these seniors and our community, we must now rely on our community helping out. This golf tournament is one such avenue to support seniors in our own community.

Come out and join us on Friday, July 17, at Rivendell Golf Course, 7359 Highway 38, Verona. Time – 4 Person Scramble – Shotgun Start 1:30pm; cost is $80 per person; $65 for Rivendell members (includes dinner, prizes, cart). All attendees will receive a gift bag and prizing at the tournament. Deadline for registration is Friday, July 10. Please call 613-376-6477 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

You are invited to attend a FREE community public information session about Advance Care Planning.

“…it’s about making choices now, while you are capable, about how you wish to be cared for in the future if you become incapable of making decisions. It is also about giving someone you trust the information and authority to act on those wishes for you…” (Ontario Government’s “The Advance Care Planning Guide).

Have you made these plans? Does your family know what these plans are? Do you have an up-to-date Power of Attorney for your Personal Care should you not be capable of expressing your plans before you die? Is your will up-to-date? Do you want to have extreme medical procedures done to prolong your life if you are in a coma or situation with no hope for a full recovery? Have you made funeral arrangements?

Although these are difficult questions to face, unfortunately each of us will eventually die, and more and more people are looking into these question to make sure their plans are carried out. Such pre-planning also spares family and friend the difficult task of making such decisions, saving them much time and extra stress. It also means peace of mind for us as we don’t have to worry or think about it again. The information sessions will provide the opportunity to have these and other questions answered as the presenters include a physician, lawyer, family member who experienced this, a representative from the Alzheimer Society, and a funeral home staff person.

This event takes place on two occasions: Wed. June 10, 2-4pm, at Sydenham Grace Centre, 4295 Stagecoach Road, and Wed. June 17, 2-4 pm, at Verona Lions Centre, 5404 Verona Sand Road. It is sponsored by the Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation, in cooperation with the Verona Medical Clinic. Coffee and refreshments will be served.

It is suggested that you pre-register as seating is limited. To pre-register for either session, contact Southern Frontenac Community Services office at 613-376-6477 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When Grace United Church in Sydenham closed several years ago, it left the future of the former church building, a large stone hall, in question. It could have become a private home or apartments or a commercial space. Instead, it was leased and is now owned by Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCSC).

The agency’s original intention was to divide the space up into offices. They stripped out the interior furnishings, removed the sloped floor, and realized that what was left was much too amazing to be lost. At the urging of the board, particularly chair Joan Cameron, Don Votary was hired to oversee the restoration. He repaired the original wainscoting and floor, insulated and painted the walls. He kept local artist Ole Jonassen’s 1950’s painting (directly on the back plaster wall) of the road into Bethlehem.

Although the primary use of the hall was and is day programming for seniors and various community groups, SFCS offered some local artists the opportunity to use the hall for local arts and cultural events. This became Grace Arts, a volunteer committee which hosts art exhibitions and live performances in Grace Hall.

Grace Arts is the public face of a volunteer committee of Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) which hosts art exhibitions and live performances in Grace Hall, Sydenham. The committee includes representatives from across South Frontenac Township. Their mandate is “to recommend and organize uses of Grace Hall which celebrate, promote and support the diversity of creative expression in our South/Central Frontenac community.”

The hall opened with an afternoon variety concert that included a choir, vocal soloists, a poet, a composer/pianist, a country gospel singer, a folk singer and a harmonica solo. Since then a number of local artists: painters, paper-makers, photographers have hung their work on the walls, and have come to discuss their creative processes. There have been evening performances of song, storytelling and instrumental music.

If you would like to showcase your painting or other visual art, for further information please contact:

Hanna Back, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 613-372-5240 and Rose Stewart, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 613-372-3656

For music, poetry, storytelling, drama travelogue or something not on this list, contact either of the above or Nona Mariotti, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.

We need volunteers to help with occasional tasks, such as putting up posters, helping with event set-up or take-down, or acting as events-greeters.

Many events are free or by donation. When admission is charged, it is to pay the performers: profits are earmarked toward upgrading the hall’s facilities. Better lighting, acoustics, and perhaps a moveable stage are all on the wish list. Whenever a group donates a portion of their services to programming needs of SFCSC, that event is advertised as a fundraiser.