Workathon will help elderly

Press, 14 August 1976, Page 9

Workathon will help elderly

The Canterbury branch of the Aged People’s Welfare Council has had a good response from elderly people wanting help during a Workathon organised by the campus life section of Youth for Christ. The workathon will be held on August 21, when about 150 young people from the group will clean windows, tidy gardens, and do other odd jobs for the elderly, free of charge. Each young person will be sponsored, and the money raised used for resources and expansion of the campus life programme, which is aimed at high-school students. The secretary of the council (Mr G. A. Mole) said that there had been a “tremendous inflow” of inquiries from elderly people about the workathon. As well as helping the elderly, the young people would also benefit from meeting them, Mr Mole said. It was hoped that the helpers would maintain contact with the elderly afterwards. The co-ordinator of the campus life programme (Mr W. C. Rulier) said that it was hoped young people taking part would widen their involvement in the community by helping the elderly. They would be accompanied by about 41 supervisors. Elderly people who want help during the workathon should telephone Mr Mole at ’he number 60-903.