The Seniors for Kids Society is bidding a fond farewell to former president Charles (Bev) Pamenter.
After 19 years, Pamenter, 87, is stepping down from the society as president and a volunteer to enjoy the rest of his retirement.
The society is a not-for-profit organization that organizes senior visits to classrooms in local schools. It essentially provides surrogate grandparents to children who may not have grandparents or may not see theirs often.
When presented with the opportunity to help start the society, the decision was an easy one for Pamenter.
“I chose to get involved because I love children … I’ve been a volunteer all my life, working mostly with kids,” Pamenter explained.
The idea to start the society came from Celena Hlidek in February 1973, who moved to the community from the United States with her husband and two young children.
“She realized that her children wouldn’t know their grandparents very well. So she had the idea of possibly putting something together with the schools and having herself and her children included,” Pamenter explained.
Pamenter joined the cause when Hlidek put a notice about her idea in the church bulletin. The two started working on getting volunteers and forming a partnership with a local school.
“We had to figure out what we wanted to do first of all. Then we had to go around to schools, we picked Holy Spirit School, and persuaded them to give it a try,” Pamenter said.
By October 1973, the program was up and running. Today, the program operates in all of the local elementary schools and has about 40 volunteers.
The decision to leave the society is a bittersweet one for Pamenter.
“I loved the kids and I loved working with the kids but I realized that I’ve been able to work with them less and less. I’m starting to fade a bit with my age, I’m 87 years old after all,” Pamenter said with a laugh.
The society held a well-attended farewell event in Pamenter’s honour on June 12.
