The Inspiration for Treasures

The story of the Birdcage
A tribute to Gill

Gill Perry had been in a serious road accident many years before I met her in 1975. She had been a highly successful occupational therapist, coming from an exceptionally creative family. Her mother, Bea, was one of the first Montessori teachers, trained by Montessori herself, who went to England during the summers and taught, through an interpreter, out of a private school whilst the boys were on vacation. Gill’s father, Ron, was a retired engineer, who could turn his hands and his brain to anything from writing sonnets to planning Seniors’ Homes in Oak Ridges. The whole family loved life in all its forms. The garden was as full of wild life as it was of trees and flowers. Not surprisingly people of all sorts were attracted by the diversity of talents, interests and environment to be found at Maple Garth, the home of Ron, Bea, Gill and animals at 44 Sunset Beach Road.
Sharing an English heritage, my family became great friends of the Perrys and I became particularly close to Gill. On casual acquaintance, Gill was a “normal”, warm, interested, empathetic and very astute person. After years of treatment her physical disabilities were minimal and her mental disabilities were not immediately apparent. However the brain damage Gill sustained in the accident, permanently affected her memory and her manipulative skills, so that she was unable to function at her job and felt herself against others, thoroughly frustrated when she remembered how capable she had been measured.
Suddenly in 1985, Gill was taken to the hospital and cancer was diagnosed. She was given various treatments, but, after only five months she died a painful death. Miraculously, from this loss, Treasures was born.
After her death, Ron and Bea gave Gill’s belongings to the fledgling Treasures, an 8’ x 10’ booth in the Fantastic Flea Market. One of these was a flimsy birdcage. At the time it was badly damaged, but, Robin Collinson’s patient expertise took care of that and the cage was hung high as a landmark at the Market when we opened on February 1st, 1986.
To me, the birdcage is many things. Firstly it’s a memorial to Gill. Secondly, it symbolizes the latter years of her life, when the precious Gill was trapped inside a frame that frustrated her to the point of distraction-a hell shared by countless others.
And most important of all, it stand for the creatures great and small that were helped by Gill during her life and that continued to be helped as a result of it. My prayer and hope is that you are one of them.

Elizabeth Davis, September 10th, 1992
(Written for the 6th Anniversary of the Opening of Treasures Store on 4 Levendale Rd., Richmond Hill)

Autographed 'Pete Rose' Baseball

Treasures has recently received a donation of an autographed 'Pete Rose' baseball. This donation is now housed in the auction display case.

Pete Rose was a very colourful and infamous baseball player. Well known for his statistics off and on the baseball diamond. He has won numerous awards for playing and coaching baseball.

Auction items are a great source of sales dollars for Treasures. The funds help the store provide programs to the community and the volunteers.

One week countdown to Bell Let’s Talk Day

One week countdown to Bell Let’s Talk Day: "MONTRÉAL - It's just one week until Bell Let’s Talk Day on February 9, when Canadians can help fight the stigma around mental illness and support new mental health initiatives by sending a text message or making a long distance call with Bell and Bell Aliant that day."

Every call and text made on February 9th, Bell will donate $.05 to Mental Health Programs.

Celebration Success!!!!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011, Treasures celebrated 25 years in operation. Many volunteers old and new were in attendance to celebrate. Attendees enjoyed cake and coffee.

One of the original founders, Robin helped with the festivities. The deputy mayor, Vito Spatafora and the local councillor, Lynn Foster were also special guests at Treasures. Treasures was presented with a certificate commemorating the event.

Passing of Volunteers

Jessie K. recently passed away. The Liberal obituary stated that;

She managed the office of Slazenger's Sporting Boods until the outbreak of WWII. Promoted to Lieutenant at the Driver Training School in Kitchener, she met and married a young B.C. recruit, Leonard. After she settled in Richmond Hill. After Len's retirement in 1972, they summered in Haliburton and wintered in Guadalajara until his death in 1982. Back in Richmond Hill,Jessie took up the volunteer life, eventually spending 16 years with Treasure, the non-profit thrift store. In 1996 at age 77, she was Richmond Hill's Volunteer of the Year.

Enid F., another volunteer, also had passed away recently at the age of 96. Volunteers remembered her fondly as the 'ballerina' volunteer.

The twenty-five years of Treasures' operation has seen many volunteers. It is always sad when one has passed away. We cherish the many memories these two volunteers have left us.

Volunteer Contributions

We will be having a series of blog postings that will be contributions from Treasures volunteers. The first in the series will be a poem from one of our volunteers about the range of emotions that new life experience create. I hope you enjoy this.

Change

Change is very frightening,
I don't know what to do,
It can also be exciting,
To try something new.

Why can't everything stay the same?
It would be more relaxing,
Maintaining the status quo,
Wouldn't be so taxing!

It is hard to embrace it,
When it scares me that much,
I guess I just have to face it,
And learn to buck up.

Maybe if I act really quiet,
It will forget me and pass me by,
I will lay low awhile,
Until all the change subsides.

Is all this really good for you?
Does it really make you grow?
How can you tell if it's helping you?
When the progress is so slow.

Change sure is a lot of work,
It's not a lot of laughs,
It's not easy to get used to,
And it's hard to stay on track.

Change is so unpredictable,
You can never tell what's what,
It can seem a bit elliptical,
Moving back and forth so much.

Others have survived it,
So it can't be all that bad,
I think I might try it,
Instead of wishing that I had.

Carolyn U.

Christmas Party Recipe

This year's Christmas Party included party favours of small jars of 'Citrus Pumpkin Butter'. Since, the recipe has been requested, I will post it for everyone to reproduce.

Citrus Pumpkin Butter
makes 24-125 ml jars

1 pumpkin
4-5 oranges
4 cups of sugar
1 cup of honey
5 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice
2 pkg. of Fruit pectin (49g)
4 tbsp. of lemon juice

The pumpkin should be washed, seeded and cut into large pieces. Place the pieces into a large pot and boil until soft and the rind can be easily removed, about 20 minutes. Remove the rind and add grated rind from the oranges, add orange pulp(about 5 cups) to the pumpkin. Add the sugar, honey and spice and puree the mixture until smooth. Place the mixture in a stainless steel pot, and add the pectin. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and add lemon juice.


Prepare the jars and lids, in boiling water.

Ladle into prepared jars and process in a canner for 10 minutes, cool and check jar seals.

Excellent on toast. Enjoy!