Pastor Hugo Schonhaar and his family are regular
volunteers at Burnbrae Gardens.
Volunteering at Burnbrae is a family affair
Monday December 10, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
For the past few months Pastor Hugo Schonhaar, his wife and their five children have been volunteering their time to the residents at Burnbrae Gardens on the last Friday of every month — and residents couldn’t be happier.

Schonhaar, a Baptist minister, begins visits with a five-minute sermon. After the sermon the children sing for everyone and pass out homemade cookies for the residents.

“The residents just love them,” says April Anderson, life enrichment co-ordinator at the Campbellford long-term care home. Anderson adds that almost all of the home’s 43 residents come out when the Schonhaars come for a visit.

It’s the visits from the Schonhaar children — Eva-Joy, Noah, Ezra, Elisabeth, Rebekah — that residents look forward to the most. The children are “very well-behaved,” says Anderson, noting the two Schonhaar boys love to talk about military history.

“The (children) go around to the residents and they start up conversations; they’re very educated,” says Anderson.

Following their singing performances, Noah and Ezra will head straight to resident Bob Keyes, a Second World War veteran, because they love to listen to his stories about his combat experiences.

Schonhaar says the reason he contacted Burnbrae Gardens to offer to volunteer was because his family looked at it as an opportunity to get involved with the community and to share experiences with the residents.

The family has never looked back on the decision.

“We love the seniors and my son, Noah, really enjoys the war stories and some of the experiences of the seniors,” says Schonhaar.

Schonhaar adds that his family has volunteered at other long-term care homes in the past, and that they’re particularly impressed with the atmosphere at Burnbrae Gardens.

The family also takes time to do one-to-one visits with those residents who cannot make it out of their rooms, Anderson points out.

The Schonhaars also help out with fundraising activities at the home, and recently made a donation to the Burnbrae’s resident Christmas present fund, notes Anderson.

“Overall, they are a great family who likes to help out,” she says.