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Whistler has taken another step toward building a true "community," and once again the impetus has come from members of the community.

Whistler has taken another step toward building a true "community," and once again the impetus has come from members of the community. The Elizabeth Manso Visiting Volunteers is an organization of volunteers assisting those who have been incapacitated, usually through illness or injury, by visiting them at home, providing conversation, listening, reading, letter writing, visiting the post office, bank or library, shopping or just offering moral support. "I promised a wonderful elderly lady who died of cancer last spring that I would organize something," says Eileen Tomalty. Elizabeth Manso lived with her family, who provided great support, but who also had to work and look after the day-to-day needs of the family. Manso felt she needed more company so she put out a call to Club 50, of which Tomalty is a member. "I became a regular caller and one of the many things we discussed were the needs of those confined to the home, as she saw them from her perspective," Tomalty says. "You can extrapolate this to young mothers or there are a lot of people who have their parents living with them," says Tomalty, a nurse. "We’re not counsellors, but we want to help those who feel loneliness and isolation." There are currently about eight Visiting Volunteers who can be called on for assistance. They are looking for men and women who have time and are flexible to join them. The Visiting Volunteers now work under the umbrella of the Whistler Community Services Society. Anyone interested in volunteering, or in having a Visiting Volunteer see them, can call the WCSS at 932-0113, or Tomalty at 932-2004.