One of our long time volunteers, Tom, has written a piece on his time volunteering with NSCR and giving back to the North Shore community. Take a look, give it a read, and be moved.
My life as a NSCR Volunteer:
My journey began long before I met anyone at NSCR, when I started driving my dad to and attending his medical appointments in his later years. During that time I heard there were both paid and volunteer driving options for seniors. After retiring from a terrific career in public service, I quickly found NSCR and the Better at Home program. Once I met with Volunteer Coordinator Elaine, I realized that driving might be a good option for me. My reasons were simple: I was confident of the need for free or low cost transportation for seniors, and I highly enjoy one-on-one connections.
What quickly became apparent was how valuable the service is and how appreciative the clients are. I greatly enjoy the interactions, chatting about life, getting to know people after driving them multiple times, and supporting their physical needs as required. Another major benefit to the clients and a source of enjoyment for me is the social interaction. I know from experience that many seniors living alone are lonely, so the opportunity for even short conversations is highly valuable. The friendly visits that I also do in person and by phone allow for deeper and longer conversations that I also greatly enjoy, and know from feedback that our clients enjoy and benefit from also.
I learned at a young age to support those less fortunate, and in my later years have tried to target funds to where I can directly see the benefit. My father was a mentor and a great source of inspiration to me. He was very involved at the West Van Seniors Centre for 3 decades (after retiring as the Parks and Rec Director in West Van), and he left money in his will to the Centre as a more substantial way of giving back. His generosity motivated me to more thoroughly consider my charitable giving. After driving for 3 years it simply makes sense for me to donate to NSCR because I know it helps. I encourage everyone to think about what they can do, large or small, be it financial or with their time, to support the wonderful community we live in. Ideally people should also do some homework before determining how to support an organization. What I DO know is that NSCR does a tremendous amount of good for individuals, families, and the greater community through a large variety of programs and services. That makes my decision to give an easy one.