On April 30^th, CHATS Volunteer Angela Silveri, received an award at the City of Vaughan Annual Volunteer Recognition Awards. Affectionately known as “La Maestra,” Angela has been a vibrant force at Friuli since 2015. A dedicated volunteer, she leads the Rosary, knits, bakes, and shares stories with joy and generosity. Even during the pandemic, she embraced technology to keep the Virtual Rosary alive. At 101, Angela still arrives with a smile, homemade dresses, and her signature biscotti. Her warmth, creativity, and spirit continue to inspire all who know her.

On May 15^th,  the Town of Georgina hosted its annual Volunteer Award of Merit ceremony, a heartfelt evening recognizing the outstanding contributions of volunteers. Awards were presented across several categories, including Individual, Group, Business, and Special Recognition.  The award recipients were ceremoniously piped into the venue, led by Mayor Margaret Quirk and members of the Georgina Town Council.

CHATS Volunteer Deborah Todoschuk was proudly honoured as one of the recipients in the Individual category. Deborah has been a CHATS volunteer since 2011 and has supported so many different programs over the years – from Transportation to Meals on Wheels to Social & Wellness. Currently,  she’s part of our Social & Wellness team, driving clients to local restaurants and enjoying lunch with them. She also runs a weekly coffee group at a seniors’ apartment building, where her smile and laughter light up the room. On top of all that, she recently added Book Club leader to her volunteer role! Deborah is kind, caring, and brings a little sparkle to everything she does.

In her acceptance speech, she shared with the audience… “I certainly get back much more than I give and when you volunteer you will experience that as well…”.

Jessy Brown  
Volunteer Program Lead
CHATS-Community & Home Assistance to Seniors