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A Volunteer Week round-up of stories
April 23, 2001
By Cam TaitHappy National Volunteer Week!
And, congratulations for all the great things you do: from coaching to tutoring, from singing in choirs to serving on volunteer boards, from ... Wait a minute, here. Rather than me listing off things, let's open up the old e-mail program and let the stories tell themselves.
Sunshine all the time in Campbell River: Shannon Marshall sent a quick note to share a few stories about some of the great people who spend some time at the Campbell River Hospital.
Shannon talks about Phyllis Hards who has been volunteering for decades managing the Sunshine Gift Shop. Every single day Phyllis is at the hospital with "a smile and a cheerful hello." She does it all: buys for the shop, oversees inventory, stocks the shelves and coaches the volunteer sales staff. Because of Phyllis and her team of volunteers, thousands of dollars are turned over to the hospital.
Shannon also tells the story of Toni Tuttle. Toni came up with a novel idea and ran with it. She has organized a telethon to benefit the hospital and a multi-level care facility.
"Toni is the most amazing woman to work with," writes Shannon. "She puts in hours and hours of work to pull off the telethon, and does it all with a huge heart and a big smile. She has the wonderful ability to pull together a large team of volunteers and make every single one of them feel as though they are the critical link in the success of the show."
The results? This year's five-hour telethon collected almost $65,000 in pledges from the Campbell River community that has 30,000 residents. And, plans are in the works for next year's show.
And then, Shannon says, there's Mary Lazarski. Most of the time you'll find Mary in the Sunshine Lodge, the hospital's extended care centre. And she's quite the entertainer - playing piano, singing songs, baking cookies, organizing a plant sale and jumble. She takes time do to some things so simple but means so much: a gentle stroke of the forehead or a kind word. Mary saw a need to beautify the aging hospital and took a $300,000 project to re-paint and re-decorate the entire hospital. It took three years and Mary stuck right with it and even got professional decorators to volunteer their time and talents. And, there was co-ordinating the project around the medical and nursing staff, plant services and housekeeping. Mary is always there when the hospital needs her, and is an active member in her church as well as a service group.
Shannon included phone numbers of these three amazing women, but she warns: "Good luck trying to catch up with them."
One moment that will last forever: One common thread you'll find about volunteers is they really don't like the spotlight and they do their thing and want to remain anonymous. And that's the wish of our next volunteer. She began volunteering when she was seven as a Brownie, singing songs, playing cards and listening the residents of a retirement home. Since then, she's hooked on volunteerism, and in fact, decided to become a professional fund raiser and generate funds to run programs for volunteers. But an office job can distance one from the grass roots of the program and the volunteers themselves.
After a long but successful "flower" fund raising event that lasted for an entire weekend, our anonymous friend and her sister decided to take a few extra flowers let over from the event to a retirement home and a hospital. They talked to nurses, patients and visiting families. And when the flowers were delivered everyone's eyes were lit up like Christmas trees.
"There was one little girl who I will never forget," our nameless friend writes. "Her head was shaved as she lay in her bed with her family around her. I don't know anything about her, but she smiled when I gave her the flowers. Her face is etched in my mind forever and every time I wonder if it (volunteering) is all worth it, I think of her."
A bright light shines on Kingston: The Canadian Red Cross Society, Kingston and District recently had a volunteer awards and recognition evening and honored 37 volunteers. Some volunteers have invested a year to the organization while others were honored for - get this - 30 years of service. And then there's the Volunteer Honour Roll Scroll that recognizes volunteers who have given 10 or more years of service. In 2001, four new names will be added to the scroll.
Lending a hand for animals in northern Alberta: Betty Bell wrote to share the story of Wally Yanda who was presented with the Arlo Stade Volunteer of the Year Volunteer of the Year Award in northern Alberta. For the past two decades Wally has been very committed to the Alberta SPCA in a fund raising capacity. He has volunteered thousands of hours being involved in casinos, selling raffle tickets, moving raffle vehicles, assisting with cash lotteries and managing the SPCA's monthly bingo. But he does more. Wally spends time with Western Guide Dog, his community league, his church and has started a new volunteer project with an Edmonton Hospice.
Two years of planning in London, Ont.: The 2001 Alliance London Canada Summer Games are being held this August. Mary Smith writes to say she feels very fortunate to be a volunteer with the Games. And there are lots of 'em. There are 1,500 planning volunteers and another 7,000 people who just can't wait to get started volunteering once the Games come out of the starting blocks.
"I take my hat off to all the volunteers who have been involved with the Games to date and for some, that has been over two years," writes Mary. "The committee I am most closely in appreciation of is the Screening Committee. They are a group of 30 individuals who have, through great commitment and short time lines, assisted in the screening process by calling reference checks for the 7000-plus individuals to date who have applied and attended an orientation to participate with the Games."
Meet Cori Erickson: Six years ago Cori attended her first-ever Kids Help Phone Event at her husband's workplace. Since then she has been a tireless worker for Kids Help Phone.
"She takes her commitment to kids - and to us - far beyond what is expected of any volunteer. In fact, Cori was helping raise awareness and funds for Kids Help Phone in Saskatchewan long before there was a regional office there," writes Lindsay George, Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator, Kids Help Phone.
Cori has organized several fund raising events for Kids Help Phone in Regina and is vice-chair of fund raising in the Regina Chapter. So we congratulate Cori who has been named Kids Help Phone National Volunteer of the Year.
Creating volunteer opportunities: That's what exactly Andrea Uzans has done. First, it was in her church. In high school, she volunteered with theatre productions and started the school's theatre society and monthly coffee houses. Then, in College, Andrea became interested in social sciences, taking part in the People's Summit on APEC in Vancouver in 1997.
"I've even had people say to me that they would never do work that they were not paid for!" Andrea writers. "However, I can not overstate how important volunteering is, particularly for people in my age group." Andrea is currently 24.
Home cookin': A total of 250 volunteers in Sudbury, Ont. is the reason Meals on Wheels in that community runs as smooth as it does. Linda Fontaine says they do everything from delivering hot and nutritious meals, to working in the kitchen, and even in the office. They all are exceptional, Linda says, but the people who deliver have wonderful experiences.
"A volunteer shared with me that the anticipation of the white-haired lady with her cane waiting for him at the door makes it all worth it for him," Linda writes. "The couple of minutes he spends with her chatting stays in his heart all day, because she gives him that special smile that she only keeps for the special people in her life. And the Meals On Wheels Volunteer is special to her as he is the only person she will she for that day."
Yes, the stories and endless. They're inspiring, touching and heartwarming. And to all of you that sent stories in, thank you.
You didn't have to, you know. I guess you volunteered to.
Cam Tait is a columnist for the Edmonton Journal who writes on community investments and volunteers. Send your stories or thoughts to camtait@telusplanet.net
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