Another change at the top for volunteer agency

BY ALBERT KRAMBERGER

editor@transcontinental.ca

In less than a year, Volunteer West Island has again changed its executive director.

On Monday, Paul Bissonnette took over from Monica Gaudet, who headed the volunteer agency since last September when she replaced Susan Armstrong, who died from heart failure last June.

Bissonnette joined VWI as co-ordinator of Meals on Wheels program last August and said he is very familiar with the organization’s activities. The Pointe Claire city councillor is also on the board of Volunteer Assisted Service, a newly created organization responsible for medical transportation for West Island citizens.

Bissonnette, 60, said he hopes to promote more programs to deal with isolated seniors, such as the monthly Seniors Café that launched with much success on May 9 (and meets again today at 1:30 p.m.).

“There are a lot of isolated people, I don’t want them to become prisoners in their own homes,” he said. “There is a void and I think we can fill it once we work out the logistics.”

The board of directors of VWI said Gaudet’s husband accepted an out-of-province corporate move and they will be leaving the West Island in mid-July.

“Although Monica has only been with us for nine months, she has accomplished a great deal in that short time,” stated VWI chairman Richard Yates. “We were fortunate that she was available at the time we needed her, and she picked up the many challenges that we were facing at that time, and has dealt with all of them in a positive and professional manner. .

“Since Paul Bissonnette joined VWI about 10 months ago as the Meals on Wheels co-ordinator, he has applied his prior managerial experience (with CN and Nortel) and contacts in the community to improve and expand the Meals on Wheels service,” Yates added.

Gaudet expressed gratitude at the opportunity to lead VWI. “I leave this executive director position with a deep respect and appreciation of the people associated with community-based groups: the paid staff, volunteers and board members. We work with limited resources; yet there is immense pressure to become more business-savvy to meet the demands of funders and donors,” she stated.

Volunteer West Island, located in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, recruits volunteers for their own needs as well as for other community organization. They have recruited over 7,500 volunteers in 39 years for about 130 organizations. For more information, check www.volunteerwestisland.org or call 514-457-5445.