Joan Brent is 2008 Citizen of Year
by Sheila Blinoff

Joan Brent is just getting over the shock of being chosen 2008 Beach Citizen of the Year.

She was selected from a list of impressive nominees by representatives from the three groups that founded the award (Centre 55, Beaches Lions, and Beach Metro News) and by the seven previous winners.

The judges were looking for someone who, as a volunteer, has contributed to the Beach community in a variety of ways over many years, and is an inspiration to others.

Brent was born in Alliston, Ontario, and grew up on a farm. She is the eldest of six children. After high school she moved to Toronto, and did clerical work at the UIC. She married Ron Brent and the couple came to the Beach in 1958. She has two sons, Larry and Paul, and granddaughters, Jessica and Jia. She was widowed eight years ago. From 1975 until she retired in 2001 she was a local realtor.

Her life as a volunteer began in earnest in 1964 when at home with two young children, and missing adult company, she realized she had to get out more. She found the “loveliest job” in the maternity unit at East General Hospital. When new mothers and their babies went home, they were transported from the ward to the parking lot in a wheelchair. On Saturdays, Joan pushed the wheelchairs. “It was such a positive feeling. A new life had just begun,” she said.

She served on the board of the hospital’s Volunteer Services as recording secretary, and also pushed a cart around the wards with toiletries, slippers and clothing for bed-bound patients.

Over the years she helped out at other local projects. She canvassed for Neighbourhood Link and drove seniors to appointments. She sold daffodils and did odd jobs around the office of the local Cancer Society. She canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and helped sort out food donations at Centre 55’s Share-A-Christmas. Every year she organizes registration, and collects pledges and money for the Terry Fox Run along the boardwalk.

At the Habitat for Humanity build on Luttrell Avenue, she learned to drywall “with guys who really knew what they were doing,” and to use a battery-driven screwdriver on ceilings. She did touch-up painting and spent a whole day vacuuming drywall dust.

For 10 years she has been on the board of East York – East Toronto Family Resources Centre and is its current vice-chair. The organization, a combination of staff and volunteers, is committed to building stronger families and communities. It runs prenatal programs, early childhood centre, health programs, resources for new Canadians, and works with landlords to provide affordable housing.

Joan’s “big break” into the organized community service came in 1991 when she joined Lions International with over 1.2 million members around the world, and clubs in 202 countries. She saw that a group can accomplish so much more than individuals working alone – and have fun at the same time. She became a member of the Beaches Lions Club.

Initially she was asked to bring in guest speakers and tried to find “people who had something of value to tell,” such as members of the Guardian Angels or the White Ribbon Campaign. She worked her way up through the ranks to become president for 1997-8.

Along the way she received the Melvin Jones Fellowship, named after the Lions’ founder, which recognizes outstanding volunteer work. In 2000 her work with vision led to her becoming the first Beaches Lion to be given the Helen Keller award.

She had just finished two years as the chair of a program with LensCrafters. She arranged to have volunteers go into Toronto schools to check the eyesight of students. She recalls one child “with terrible vision which he tried to hide as he thought his parents couldn’t afford glasses for him.” Those who did poorly on the screen test were referred to LensCrafters which supplied optometrists and free spectacles.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “Suddenly, children could see!"

Another part of the program, which is still ongoing, is collecting old eye glasses which are taken to LensCrafters, shipped to Calgary, refurbished and sent to Third World Countries. (Just last week she picked up several boxes of spectacles which Beach Metro readers have donated this year.)

Joan is currently the district treasurer for Campaign Sight 11. Her district includes 71 Lions clubs from Hamilton to Port Union, and north to Georgetown. The goal is to raise $150 million to combat blindness throughout the world, and involves intensive fundraising events such as music, entertainment, and cycling for sight events.

Joan Brent, the eighth Beach Citizen of the Year, carries on the high standards set by her predecessors: Mary Christie, David Breech, Marie Perrotta, Arie Nerman, Ted Randall, Glenn Cochrane and Gene Domagala.

Join them on Sept. 27 for Joan’s induction into the Beach Walk of Fame in the new Woodbine Park, where a plaque with her name will be unveiled. (Look for details in our Sept. 9 issue.)

Next year, you can watch out for Joan in the Easter Parade. Instead of marshalling the floats, she will be a guest of honour riding in a limousine – but not wearing a bunny suit. For that she is grateful.