Appendix E. Inventory of Services
The following is a list of services for seniors and youth of Elgin County. This list is a work in progress. Any omissions are accidental.
SENIORS
St Thomas Seniors Centre
Seniors clubs
- Club #37 St Thomas
- Dutton Dunwich Adult Club Dutton
- 50+ Club Aylmer
- Golden Age Seniors Club Port Stanley
- Rodney Adult Social Centre Port Stanley
- Seniors Drop-In Centre of Terrace Lodge Aylmer
- Seniors 55 and Over Club Vienna
- Seniors 55 and Over Club Port Burwell
- Soar Chapter #4 St Thomas
- Southwold Golden Age Club St Thomas
- St Thomas Retiree’s Club St Thomas
- Sunshine Club Port Burwell
- Union/South Yarmouth Port Stanley
- West Elgin Adult Club West Lorne
Housing services
Long Term Care
- Bobier Villa
- Caressant Care on Bonnie Place
- Caressant Care on Mary Bucke
- Chateau Gardens
- Elgin Manor
- Extendicare-St Thomas
- Extendicare-Port Stanley
- Terrace Lodge
- Valleyview Home for the Aged
Retirement homes
- Beattie Haven Retirement Community Wardsville
- Cresesant Care on Bonnie Place St Thomas
- Kennsington Park Retirement Home Aylmer
- Kettle Creek Residence St Thomas
- Metcalfe Gardens St Thomas
- Pine Hill Cottage Rest Home St Thomas
- Port Bruce Manor Port Bruce
- Tara Hall Residential Care Home St Thomas
- Victoria Place Port Burwell
- Supportive Housing
- West Elgin Community Health Centre
HEALTH
Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit St Thomas
West Elgin Community Health Centre West Elgin, Dutton/Dunwich
Elgin Community Care Access Centre
- Simplified access to and coordination of community health and support services for the elderly, people with disabilities and those with serious health problems of all ages. Direct applications or referrals.
Medical Care
- St Thomas-Elgin Medical Association St Thomas
- Recorded message lists family physicians taking new patients.
Hospitals
- Four Counties General Hospital Newbury
- Regional Mental Health Care St Thomas
- St Thomas Elgin General Hospital St Thomas
- Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital Tillsonburg
Elgin Geriatric Assessment Team St Thomas
- A team of health care professionals who specialize in geriatrics as well as psychogeriatrics. In home consultation and advice is available for people who demonstrate a physical or cognitive decline.
Regional Mental Health Care St Thomas
- In patient and out patient assessment, treatment and consultation.
TRANSPORTATION
Centralised dispatch systems
- West Elgin Transportation Network West Lorne
- Emerald Medical Services Aylmer
- Central Ambulance Communication Centre London
- Medical Transportation Systems London
- Voyager Bus Company St Thomas
- Transcare Medical Transportation Inc Sarnia
Canadian Cancer Society London
- Transportation to and from London Regional Health Centre, medical and hospital appointments.
Canadian Red Cross St Thomas
- Transportation to and from the London Regional Cancer Centre, medical and hospital appointments.
Kiwanis Golden K Clubs St Thomas
- Transportation for dialysis treatment in London and to medical appointments in the St Thomas area.
Non emergency Transportation Cox Cabs St Thomas
- City wide curb to curb public transportation serves individuals who are permanently or temporarily disabled.
Volunteer car pooling Various Groups
RECREATION
Valleyview Senior Citizen Drop-In Center
- Wide variety of education and recreational programs for age 50 plus. On-going daily programming, bus trips, dances, etc.
YMCA ST Thomas-Elgin
- Provides programs and activities to men, women and children. Reduced cost for those with limited incomes.
YWCA St-Thomas-Elgin
- Provides programs and activities to men, women and children. Teen mothers program. Reduced cost for those with limited income.
High Street Recreational Complex
- Recreation centre for all ages. Exercise programs, weight room, pool, gym, supervised nursery facilities available at the complex. Subsidized for those with limited income.
LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS, GALLERIES
Libraries
- Elgin County Public Library St Thomas
- Aylmer Old Town Hall Library Aylmer
- Bayham Township Library Bayham
- Belmont Library Belmont
- Dutton Library Dutton
- Port Burwell Library Port Burwell
- Port Stanley Library Port Stanley
- Rodney Library Rodney
- Shedden Library Shedden
- Springfield Library Springfield
- Vienna Library Vienna
- West Lorne Library West Lorne
Museums and Galleries
- Andre Van Kasteren Dairy Museum Aylmer
- Art Gallery of St Thomas St Thomas
- Alymer and District Museum Aylmer
- Edison Museum of Vienna Vienna
- Elgin County Pioneer Museum St Thomas
- Elgin County Railway Museum St Thomas
- Elgin Military Museum St Thomas
- Lighthouse & Marine Museum Port Burwell
- Tyrconnel Heritege Society Wallacetown
- Heritage Society
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
Employment Services Elgin St Thomas
- Access to job bank, computer lab, internet, fax machine and photocopier for ob search purposes. Satellite office in Aylmer.
Ministry of Skills Development
- Apprenticeship programs, Training programs
Agriculture and Food
- Financial counseling for farmers, home economist on staff.
Aylmer Community Centre for the Enrichment of Social Skills (ACCESS)
- Leisure life skill program, stressing physical activity and education upgrading.
Elgin Local Employment Assistance and Development Corporation (L.E.A.D.)
- Government funding and advice to help with new or expanding businesses
Elgin Worker and Community Services
- Employment counseling and training access advocacy for unemployed adults over the age of 25. Assistance in completing and filing government forms (e.g. Unemployment insurance, worker compensation forms)
Fanshawe College-School of Continuing Education
- Job readiness retraining centre for adults, providing academic, vocational, technical and commercial training.
OCCUPATIONAL/JOB COUNSELLING/JOB PLACEMENT
Agricultural Employment Service (Aylmer)
- Occupational counselling and job placement. Administrates various Canada employment and immigration centre programs.
Canada Employment Centre
- Job placement, employment and career counselling, Interest and aptitude testing
Canada Immigration Centre
- Serving ages 15 and over. Offers a number of specialized and general services aimed at employers and job seekers. Eligibility restricted to Canadian Citizens and Landed Immigrants.
Elgin St Thomas Youth Employment Counselling Centre
- Provide employment counselling to those under 25. Help provided one to one counselling, group sessions and individual workshops. Deals with job search and interview skills.
Womanpower
- Vocational counselling for career choice and job preparation for women. Group counselling is given in the form of workshops.
LIVING ASSISTANCE
East Elgin Community Assistance Program Aylmer
- Provides emergency services such as clothing, food, shelter and transportation in crisis situations, financial assistance with utility bills or eviction.
Canadian Red Cross Society
- Medical equipment loan cupboard and emergency food assistance.
Caring Cupboard
- Emergency food supplies
Corner Cupboard
- Provides access to emergency aid through East Elgin Community Assistance Program. Counselling for budgeting, cooking and nutritional advice. Vouchers may be provided in addition to food.
West Elgin Daffodil Auxiliary Welfare Dutton
- Help for needy families
Dorcas Society
- Used clothing Christmas baskets to those in need.
Goodwill Thrift Shop
- Donated clothing and household goods refurbished and sold at nominal prices.
Helping Hand Food Bank
- Emergency food supplies
St Andrews Presbyterian Church Food Bank
- Provide food vouchers redeemable at local grocery stores.
Salvation Army Family Services Centre
- Free food, clothing, household goods or shelter in emergency situations.
Canadian Mental Health Association
- Provides a range of services directed at promoting psychosocial rehabilitation and successful re-integration into the community.
Crisis and Short Term Intervention Unit
- Offers crisis intervention, short term out patient counseling to cope with everyday life problems. Referrals to community hospitals.
HOUSING AND SHELTER
Canada Mortgage and Housing
- Local office provides information on Federal Housing programs. Administers funding for non profit and cooperative housing aimed at low income, seniors disabled and other disadvantaged groups.
Cherry Street Non Profit Housing
- 17 affordable units for families in the Aylmer area.
Troy Village Housing
- Cooperative housing
EFBC Non Profit Housing Corporation
- Administers affordable rental housing for families and seniors.
Elgin-St. Thomas Housing Authority
- Agents for Ontario Housing Corporation. Administers over 500 low rental, public and senior housing units throughout the county.
YMCA St. Thomas-Elgin
- Affordable men’s residence provides programs and activities to men, women and children.
YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin
- Emergency housing for women. Provides programs and activities to men, women and children. Teen mothers program.
Women’s Place (YWCA administered)
- Shelter for battered women and their children. Support groups, legal advice and temporary residence.
INCOME SUPPORT
Ministry of Community and Social Services
- Family benefits- long term income maintenance for disabled, single parent supplement. Vocational, rehabilitation, maintenance and training for physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped to return to employment.
Health and Welfare Canada - Canada Pension Office
- Public protection from health hazards in food products, drugs, medical
devices.
Consumer Debt Counselling
- Provides advice on budgeting matters and generally assists persons and families with their financial problems, acts as intermediary between debtors and creditors for orderly payment of debts.
Elgin County Social Services
- General welfare assistance, special assistance and supplementary aid. Subsidized homemakers, nurse services and day care.
Social Services (Municipal)
- Welfare, single parent supplement, subsidized homemakers, nurse services and day care.
Workers Compensation Board (Ontario)
- Administers the workers compensation act of Ontario.
Canada Employment Center
- Administers unemployment insurance benefits and Job Bank.
LITERACY
Basic Skills (Ontario)
- Life skills, academic upgrading, work experience for disadvantaged adults with 0-grade 6 education.
YMCA St. Thomas-Elgin
- English as a second language. Basic literacy with Elgin county board of education teachers. Women as a target group.Learners & tutors program Women Literacy program- Vienna community centre
Elgin County Board of Education
- Day programs in ESL, in St Thomas and Aylmer. Evening programs in St Thomas and Elgin County. Adult basic literacy and numeracy program in St Thomas and St Thomas Psychiatric Hospital.
Elgin County Roman Catholic Separate School Board
- Now offering literacy programs and evening credit courses.
SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS
Adolescent and Children Services
- Provides a supportive environment for those persons in Elgin county who are suffering from a chronic psychiatric disability. This supportive program includes the following programs, life skills, recreational and social programs, as well as assisted housing needs.
Adult Children of Alcoholics
- Support group for victims of alcoholics and drug addiction
Big Brothers/Big Sisters (St.Thomas-Elgin)
- Volunteer men and women work with boys from father absent homes and girls who, like boys, are in need of personal, social and emotional development. Girls need not come from mother or father absent homes.
Elgin Family Violence Centre
- Victim assistance program, crisis response program, community referral program, male batters group and public education program.
Parent Support Group
- Support for parents of teenagers, using the “tough love” manuals.
Mennonite Central Committee
- Referrals and help to newcomers to access various services. Cooperate with literacy programs
St. Thomas-Elgin Association for Community Living
- Provides a wide range of community based services to persons with developmental handicaps who are citizens of Elgin County and their families.
Community Abuse Program of Rural Ontario (CAPRO)
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer Elgin St Thomas
Volunteer Programs- Elgin County (VON) St Thomas
Volunteer Programs-West Elgin West Lorne
(West Elgin Community Health Centre)
AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE SOCIETIES
Horticulture
- Aylmer and District Garden Club Aylmer
- Dutton and Dunwich Dutton
- Port Burwell-Bayham Port Burwell
- St. Thomas & District St Thomas
- Rodney and District Rodney
- West Lorne West Lorne
Agriculture Societies
- Aylmer & East Elgin Aylmer
- Rodney-Aldborough Rodney
- Shedden Shedden
- Wallacetown Wallacetown
Agricultural Organizations
- Elgin Agriculture Centre
- Dairy Producers Committee
- Farm Safety Council
- Farm Women’s Network
- Federation of Agriculture
- Fishermen’s Association
- Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
- Holstein Club
- Horse Breeders Association
- Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation
- Christian Farmers Federation
- Corn Producers Association
- Cattlemen’s Association Education Committee
- Berry Growers Association
- 4-H Association
- Plowman’s Association
- Pork Producers
- Soil & Crop Improvement
- Soybean Committee
- Turkey Growers
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Elgin Community Development Corporation (Community Futures)
Chamber of Commerce-West Elgin
Chamber of Commerce- St. Thomas and District
Chamber of Commerce- Dutton-Dunwich
St Thomas-Elgin Tourist Association
WOMEN’S INSTITUTES
Boxall
Calton
Clachan
Cowal
Crinan
Kingsmill-Mapleton
Middlemarch
North Yarmouth
Paynes Mills
River Road
Shedden
Sparta-Sorosis
Tyrconnell
Wallacetown
West Lorne
Yarmouth Glen
LEGAL
Legal Aid Plan- Elgin County St Thomas
- To ensure legal aid to citizens who cannot afford to pay a lawyer.
Elgin-Oxford Legal Clinic St Thomas
- A community legal clinic for persons who cannot afford a lawyer and cannot obtain a Legal Aid Certificate
Lawyer Referral Service Toronto
- Referral to participating local lawyers in a required area of law.