What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering is, above all, mutual aid through action. By giving of ourselves, we hope to make the world a little bit better in our own way. And if we mobilize our efforts, we can do great things.
What do you get out of it?
I derive great satisfaction from volunteering, it allows me to meet people from different backgrounds that I would never have been able to meet otherwise. I have made many friends in this environment and our relationship goes beyond the simple framework of volunteering. Volunteering also helps me in my work and allows me to consider another perspective in my actions.
How long have you been doing it?
I have been volunteering since October 2022, so it is quite recent. However, I was able to get involved with various organizations, the first being the VBM as a placement counselor. It was a nice surprise since the organization subsequently offered me a paid job. Volunteering can sometimes lead to other opportunities, even a job!
I am also involved at the Ronald McDonald House with the families of sick children as well as with the Red Cross, in the emergency management team to help disaster victims during fires, for example.
Do you have a little story to tell us?
During the power cuts due to the ice storm, I was called to intervene for a lady who was taking care of her 105-year-old mother. Their home was no longer habitable and we had to temporarily relocate them to a hotel. In our conversations, it turned out that the lady who looked after her mother had also volunteered for 10 years with 211. As a caregiver, she was getting more and more tired because of all the care her mother needed. I then referred her to several organizations, such as Meals on Wheels and the respite center. I am happy to say that she is now benefiting from these services and that her mental load has probably lightened.
This victory is above all a collective victory, because nothing would have been possible without the hundreds of volunteers who often work behind the scenes to provide these services. In Quebec, there are 2.5 million volunteers, without whom, thousands of services could not be offered. So let’s volunteer, we all have something to gain.
In fact, that mother has just celebrated her 106th birthday!
May 12th 2023
