Family member sings Forest Hill’s praises
‘They are family to me, that’s for sure’
Pam Curzon doesn’t skip a beat when asked what staff members at Forest Hill mean to her.
“They are family to me, that’s for sure,” she recently told The OMNIway.
Pam’s father, Bill Bennett, was a resident at the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home. After Bill moved to Forest Hill, Pam became involved with many of the home’s activities and programs.
When Pam visited her dad, she would take time to help staff members with activities, such as calling bingo numbers, and she often lent a hand on resident outings. When Forest Hill hosted its annual chili cook-off, Pam always entered the contest.
Bill passed away in 2019; however, Pam has stayed connected to Forest Hill, and she isn’t shy when it comes to sharing her feelings about the people who work at the home.
“They deserve all the credit in the world,” she says. “I tell people about (Forest Hill) all the time and sing the staff’s praises. The staff are amazing. They make families so welcomed.”
Pam continued to volunteer at Forest Hill after her dad passed away – until the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Once volunteers can return, Pam says she plans to go right back to helping residents and staff members.
Additionally, Pam is involved with Forest Hill through her church, Trinity Presbyterian.
During the holiday season, Forest Hill has a Christmas tree – called the Angel Tree – in the lobby. The tree is normally covered with numbered tags that visitors take. Each number corresponds to a resident and the gifts they need. For privacy, each tag is anonymous, so the person buying the gift doesn’t know who will be on the receiving end.
Last Christmas, due to pandemic protocols in place, the Angel Tree was in the form of a Google Doc, and people could sign up for “tags” that were on the virtual Angel Tree. Members of Trinity Presbyterian Church play a large part in making this event successful.
This Christmas the Angel Tree will be back and Pam says Trinity Presbyterian Church will be participating in the project again.
“We are going to be doing this again – it’s our fourth year – and I’m looking forward to it,” she says.
If you have a story you would like to share with The OMNIway, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.
If you have feedback on this story, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.