East Parry Sound Community Support Services

04/12/2026

Meet Beata!

Beata teaches our Stay On Your Feet Falls Prevention Classes in both Kearney and Sprucedale, and she has an interesting array of unique skills that she brings to these classes for older adults including specializing in healing therapies for osteoporosis.

She enjoys the smaller rural community classes that allow her connect with the participants and really hone in on skills for coordination, balance, and strength.

In addition to being a yoga instructor teaching multiple styles of yoga and meditation, Beata is also a yoga therapist and recreational therapist offering teachings to students in both elementary and high school; residents of long-term care facilities; chair yoga to Veterans; as well as yoga and meditation to those incarcerated in the correctional system.

Originally from Poland, Beata has lived in both the US and Canada. She moved from Toronto to the Burk’s Falls area in 1998 after canoeing in Algonquin Park which brought her and her husband (also a yoga instructor) to reside on a property of 100 acres where they hold retreats.

Once a Gemologist by trade, Beata also is an artist creating beautiful paintings and stained glass works. She enjoys spending time tending to her organic garden, studying Ayurvedic medicine, kayaking, and traveling to such places as India and Europe.

We feel very fortunate to have an instructor like Beata who brings a gentle kindness to her classes. She cares very deeply for the participants who attend and only takes periodic breaks from teaching them to attend the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas where she is both a mentor and life long practitioner of yoga.

04/10/2026

Meet Nancy!

One of our newest volunteer drivers, Nancy had a VERY interesting start with our program, which fortunately she is able to laugh about!

Nancy came to our office to pick up the required items to start driving for us, and on her way from our office to pick up her very first client Highway 11 was suddenly shutdown due to a very big accident and she was left sitting in her car for over two hours unable to go anywhere! (fortunately we were able to find a different driver to take the client but poor Nancy was stuck waiting)

Then for her second trip she was caught up in a complete white-out situation while driving a client to the Barrie area. White-out and most likely white-knuckled she got the client to and from their appointment safe and sound.

On Nancy's third trip with us the heater went in her vehicle, however she was able to drive her boyfriend's vehicle to complete the trip, but then had to go through the annoyance of getting her vehicle fixed.

You would think all of this was the universe's way of deterring Nancy from driving for us, and that she would tell us that she was no longer interested. But not so! She has been driving for us ever since with no problems at all whatsoever.

In fact, Nancy has told us multiple times how much she enjoys driving and interacting with the clients. And the clients she drives love her right back often requesting her as their driver.

An empty nest and retirement from a vast career in everything from working for the school board to a cricket farm, meant Nancy was free to leave the GTA and relocate elsewhere for a more peaceful life.

Luckily for us, Nancy and her boyfriend moved to the Sundridge area about 1.5 years ago to be closer to their cottage in Magnetawan. And when she isn't busy driving for us and cottaging she enjoys playing pickleball, cards, and travelling.

If you are as positive and optimistic as Nancy and are looking for a very fulfilling way to spend your free time, reach out to us to find out how to become a volunteer - 705-724-6028 or lprice@eastholme.ca

04/07/2026

04/02/2026

A volunteer shout-out just in time for Easter🐣... we finally got a chance to catch up with this lovely lady!

Meet Lilly!🌾

Lilly has been part of our CSS family for a very long time as she has been volunteer driving for us since 2004!

You may also know Lilly as an Almaguin Highlands area real estate agent - which she has been for the past 21 years. Prior to this she had a career in community living for 18 years (which would explain her kind heart!)

When Lilly isn't busy working and volunteering for us she enjoys reading murder mysteries, and she likes to break up the winter and get away to the sunny south - most recently to Panama!

Lilly and her husband raised their family in Durham Ontario and then moved to Bear Lake in 2002, renovating a cottage and making it their permanent home.

It was in the Sprucedale area that she came to meet our beloved Alice Gibb - one of the founding volunteers of our program - when Alice was hosting the CSS Diners at the Doe Lake Girl Guide Camp. Lilly would fill in for Alice at the Diners on occasion, and she also talked Lilly into becoming a volunteer - both for meals on wheels and transportation.

We are so glad Lilly met Alice and became a part of our program as she has been an amazing person to work with and has given so much of her time to helping others 💕 Thanks Lilly for all you do!

If you'd like to become part of our CSS family reach out to us to find out how... 705-724-6028 or lprice@eastholme.ca

03/28/2026

Jodi is all set up at the Seniors Active Living Fair at 250 Clark in Powassan ready to answer your questions about how to receive our services and/or how to become a volunteer with us. Pop by and say hi!

03/27/2026

Time for another instructor shout-out...

Meet Corinne!

Corinne has been teaching our weekly Burk's Falls Stay On Your Feet class since 2022, and she previously taught at our Kearney and Sprucedale locations.

In addition to these classes, she has instructed our 12 week Stand Up! program both in Burk's Falls and Magnetawan - with a new one starting April 7th in Burk's Falls that still has spaces available!

Corinne came to love the practice of yoga when she attended a class and became aware of how it connects your breath to your body, and how it can help you feel comfortable in your body.

She loved it so much that she completed her yoga teacher training and because of her affinity for the many elders in her life, she also trained in yoga for seniors and began working with her grandma and later her grandpa (a wounded war veteran) on breathwork techniques. Corinne discovered how beneficial it can be for dementia and other age-related concerns.

Corinne believes strongly in mindful movement that blends all of her different modalities (yoga/art/dance/expressive art therapy) and can adapt classes even to those who use walkers and wheelchairs.

Originally residing in the Toronto area, Corinne and her husband (both artists) came to live in Burk's Falls after they vacationed here in 2015. In fact they loved it here so much they made the move just two weeks after their vacation!

Although a city-girl at heart (she still goes once a month to visit her DJ friends) Corinne loves the lifestyle our rural area has to offer - especially when it comes to raising her 14 year old twin boys and 8 year old daughter.

She is also a Reiki practitioner offering treatments at area bachelorette parties and cottage weekend get togethers.

Corinne and her partner in crime Jillian Peever (who also teaches for us on occasion) work hard to obtain grants to bring art/music/dance to our rural area schools.

On top of all this she is Director of Catering for the Pulled Smokehouse & Welcome Center Canteen in Burk's Falls.

Thank you Corinne for bringing your unique talents to our falls prevention classes. We are very lucky to have you! 🙏

03/27/2026

Make sure to stop by and see Jodi at the FREE Active Living Fair tomorrow Saturday, March 28th at 250 Clark in Powassan.

Jodi will be on-site from 8:30 to 1 pm to answer any questions you have regarding the services we offer - Transportation - Hot & Frozen Meal Delivery - Seniors Luncheons - Falls Prevention Classes and she will have information on these programs.

She is also looking to sign up more volunteers that she can call upon when she is arranging transportation to medical appointments and delivery of meals. So if you are interested let her know. She is so lovely to work with you will DEFINITELY want to become a volunteer!

Oh... and she will have some free Smile Box Gifts to give away courtesy of a lovely retired nurse who made them for us.

Hope to see you there!

03/26/2026

📢 CSS Staff Shout Out

Meet Shelly!

Shelly has been part of our CSS program for over 12 years and her role as Assistant Coordinator has her taking on a lot of serious and somewhat mundane tasks most of her days.

Completing our invoicing, managing our accounts receivables and bank deposits, creating reports, entering, tracking, and reconciling statistics, setting up clients with services, problem solving... the list goes on and on.

She truly is the person you want by your side when you need help navigating all the challenges we face. She is one of those people you can always count on as she is very reliable.

Sounds like kind of a boring person right?

Well... as you can see from these photos she is anything but boring!!

In addition to her dedication to her job, she is also the proud wife of a firefighter, and for the next couple days is at the Northeastern Fire Education Conference and Trade Show and has been tasked with stuffing 180 bags for the conference.

Shelly has a LOT of experience in this department as back in 2021 at the height of the pandemic she was tasked with putting together 500 isolation kits that our CSS program distributed throughout our district. Plus she puts together the participant bags for our Stand Up! classes each year.

She is also very dedicated to her community having previously served on the recreation board (her daughter Calista is now the Chair) and she assists with virtually all activities and events associated with the township and fire department.

When not working or volunteering Shelly is a HUGE hockey fan and enjoys cheering on her nephews in their leagues, plus the Powassan Voodoos and most notably the North Bay Battalion.

Thank you Shelly for all that you do for our program... you truly are a gem!💎

03/13/2026

Our Jodi will be at the Seniors Active Living Fair in Powassan at the end of March. Make sure to pop by and see her!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C1ipM11gz/

Jodi from East Parry Sound Community Support Services will be one of our vendors at the Active Living Fair coming up on Saturday March 28 at 250 Clark. Jodi will be onsite to provide information on Transportation – Hot/Frozen Meal Delivery – Seniors Luncheons – Falls Prevention Classes – both how to obtain these services and how to become a volunteer with us.