Venta Care Centre held our annual bake sale on December 15th, 16th and 17th, 2023, and we raised $905!!
All proceeds went towards our resident council society.
Thanks to all the volunteers!
We'd especially like to thank Melanie Cambell.
Melanie's Mother-in-law was a resident in Venta a few years ago and Melanie has stayed on to volunteer even after her Mother-in-law passed away.
Melanie gives so much to our residents and she always makes sure that they get what they need.
She sent us this email after the bake sale, which we'd like to share with the rest of our Venta Family:
"When I got home last night from helping with the Venta annual Christmas bake sale, my mind was filled with the thought that it is so much more than a bake sale...
It is seeing Kelly sitting at the sales table, happily using a calculator to add the sums. Her face beams with pride and joy in serving in this way. Can one ever really know what that service means to her and to making joy for her at Christmas?
It is giving a listening ear and a hug to Marina. When asked what she would like to look at on the display tables, she replied, “I don’t know. Can’t think.” Then the tears rolled down her face as she informed us that her daughter of 59 years died of cancer on Thursday. Her grand-daughter called her to tell her. She has no idea if there will be a funeral. Venta is family for her and so many others. Venta staff are the ones they come to when they need to talk – even in the middle of a bake sale.
It is reassuring Esther who came looking for gifts for her two grandsons, 18 and 13 years of age. She searched, then sighed, then leaned her head on my shoulder and shed tears. “I always made my own gifts for my grandsons. I can’t do it anymore!” We spoke about loss. Then we spoke about love and how it can be expressed in many ways, concluding that cookies and squares would be a wonderful gift for two teenage boys – aren’t they always hungry? And then we laughed together as she directed me where to hide the baked goods in her closet.
It is supporting Linda who has very limited vision and no family. She always has a flashlight strung around her neck so that she can produce better lighting on things she wants to see. She was interested in the Christmas baubles table. She was peering at a teddy bear, but I noted that the flashlight looked exceedingly dim. It produced only a pinpoint of yellowed light. Guessing that batteries might be the problem, I asked Miranda if it might be possible to obtain fresh batteries, as Linda reported she had none. Miranda knew what to do – she asked Leena for help to obtain two fresh batteries. What a remarkable difference! The pinpoint of light expanded to a large circle of bright white. I brought the objects to the front of the table. Then I left Linda sitting quietly there. With joy she examined nearly every object on display. I believe those next 30 minutes or so made Christmas for Linda. In the end, she selected a stuffed teddy bear girl in a maroon dress and a stuffed reindeer with impressive antlers. She asked if I thought that they would look good together on a shelf. I suggested that we try them out; I held them side-by-side while Linda cast her light on every inch of them. We concluded that they looked made for each other. Linda’s smile as she carried them to the cashier table has made Christmas for me this year.
Yes, Venta provides an annual Christmas event that is so much more than a bake sale. It is making a loving Christmas for the resident community. It is important work. It is noble work.
Sincerely,
Melanie Campbell"
Thanks again to everyone who makes Venta Care Centre such a wonderful place to be!
