Volunteering: Reap the Rewards

According to Volunteer Canada, an estimated 6.5 million Canadians provide volunteer service within the non-profit sector. That’s five times the number of paid staff working in the same sector. A huge number of organizations could not meet their worthwhile goals without the contributions of Canadians who are willing to work without pay. Why do they do it? For some, it’s about giving meaning to a few hours of spare time. For others, it’s about learning new skills, making new friends or simply having fun.

While we don’t know the exact numbers of volunteers with disabilities, we do know that they are out there – in droves. They are typing and filing, teaching and mentoring, speaking and writing. Many volunteer opportunities are already accessible. If they’re not, often it doesn’t take much to make it work – just a little creativity.

Discover the many rewards that are there to be reaped through volunteer service. In this feature we offer inspiring stories and practical resources to highlight the way to volunteerism. Share your abilities... and make a difference!


VOLUNTEER STORIES

RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Volunteer service provides the opportunity for me to be active at my turtle pace. Slow and steady has been vital since my 1987 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. I stopped working as a teacher and counsellor in the school system. To feel useful, productive and stimulated, I transferred my professional skills to volunteer activities.

For 11 years, I facilitated the Parksville/Qualicum MS Self-Help Group in B.C. A recent move now has me co-facilitating the Victoria MS Self-Help Group once a month.

My counselling skills are put to good use as a telephone counsellor. Referrals come from the local Vancouver Island MS Community Service Coordinators. I provide support, empathy, problem solving, reframing, respectful confrontation and active listening. The local MS chapters pay the long distance telephone bills.

I write for therapeutic purposes. Articles have been published by Inside MS, Transition, MS Canada, The B.C. MS Bulletin and Abilities. It can take me a year to prepare an article for submission.

I am comfortable speaking in public. Over the years I have spoken to several MS self-help groups on topics that have included “Building Self-Esteem” and “The Funny Side of MS.” In May of 2003 I gave a poster presentation, “Disabled but Not Defeated,” at a North American Society of Adlerian Psychology conference in Vancouver. The following year I gave this presentation at the annual MS Society of Canada, B.C. Division, conference in Nanaimo. Spontaneous applause erupted when I said, “We are more than the disease!”

These last 15 years of volunteer experiences evolved gradually. It encourages me to know that I am not alone – that I too can live positively within the constraints of MS. It is satisfying to know that I have the ability to contribute. It is in giving that I receive.

-- NANCY CHAMBERLAYNE
VICTORIA, B.C.


MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO SENIORS

Willowhaven, the place where I volunteer, is a private residence for seniors who have Alzheimer disease or simply can’t take care of themselves anymore.

When I graduated from high school, and before I started college, I was bored. My older sister, a nurse at Willowhaven, suggested I talk to Carol, the person in charge of recreation and patient activities. I owned a portable typewriter and began by typing for some of the patients and for Carol. She quickly realized that I could be a big help at the Wednesday afternoon bingo.

My first jobs at bingo were wheeling the residents to the table (I had to encourage some to come), passing out the bingo cards and markers, and then helping the residents find the numbers and watch for a winning card. I soon found out that I had as much fun as the residents!

After a couple of years, Carol started asking me to call a few games when she had to answer a phone call. Soon I automatically took over whenever Carol’s name came over the intercom. Shortly thereafter, I was given the sole responsibility of organizing the bingo games and calling them.

I’ve been a bingo volunteer at Willowhaven for 10 years. The seniors are so happy to see a young face. I love being there. I’ve grown to love all of them!

I was very timid when I started my volunteer job because I didn’t know anyone there. A few years later, my mom said something to me that I won’t ever forget: “You’ve come a long way, baby!” Now I feel very confident. It means a lot to me to be there; it also meant a lot to me when Mom said that!

When I was an infant, I was seriously brain injured in a car accident, and so I have balance problems and a cognitive disability. Willowhaven has given me a lot of self-confidence and raised my self-esteem.

I recommend that everyone should find a place to volunteer.

-- CARRIE POULIN-HOGARTH
NELSON, B.C.


LENDING SUPPORT TO NEW AMPUTEES

Twenty years ago, I attended the first meeting of what was to become the Niagara Amputee Association. I never imagined at the time that my involvement would be a lifelong commitment.

My main reason for being at that first meeting was to find out if I could do anything to help others going through similar surgery. In 1975, when my amputation was done, there were not the support services and rehab that are now available – and oh, how I would have welcomed someone who had been there, to walk into my hospital room to try and allay some of my fears. My family and friends were wonderful, but they could never know just what it was like.

Fifteen people attended that first meeting. The association now has 150 paid members. Our mandate is to assist amputees to develop greater meaning, dignity and independence in their everyday lives. We seek to promote friendship through a social environment and recreation. We also provide continuous education and information to amputees and those about to become amputees.

I have been involved from the very beginning, and currently hold the position of Visitor’s Program coordinator. The Visitor’s Program is a very important part of the association. We have several members who visit new amputees, and my part is taking referrals for a visit. I am also responsible for assembling folders of information booklets given to each new amputee. We are always ready when a phone call is made to the association, and we try to get a visitor out within a couple of days. I am also a visitor myself. We do not give medical advice, but a friendly chat, and just walking into the room always seems to help.

In 2003, my name was submitted by my fellow executive members to the City of Niagara Falls for a Volunteer Recognition Award. I think it was only then I realized that 20 years had passed.

I never imagined all those years ago, when I thought my life was going to be severely restricted, that it would lead me in this direction. It’s the kind of volunteer work that you wish did not have to be done, but while it’s necessary, I and others like me will be there.

-- DOREEN MACKEY
NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO


READING BOOKS ONTO TAPE

Volunteering has always been a way for me to get out of my daily routine. After retirement, with unlimited time ahead, the prospect of expanding my volunteer experiences led me to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). I can now say that my decision to become a reader for the CNIB’s Edmonton Service Centre has been one I will not regret.

In March of 2001, I attended a volunteer information and orientation night at the Edmonton Centre to meet other volunteers and discover how I could contribute. As soon as my application and security clearance were accepted, I began my training as a CNIB text reader. I learned how to operate a cassette tape recorder equipped with specialized tape speed rates and a tone-indexing system. I learned how to read smoothly in a natural voice.

Soon I was ready to accept my first book-to-tape project. Staff member Ellyn Anderson had developed a computer course manual on Windows 98. It contained a series of step-by-step lessons that I would convert to audio. I took the tape machine home, found a comfortable, bright, quiet place, and began.

I had many false starts and mistakes in pronunciation and phrasing, but the beauty of taping is that it can be repeated until it sounds just right. I had technical goofs, too – during one particularly long reading session, I was frustrated to discover that I had been merrily reading with the microphone turned off! Soon I was moving through the manual quite quickly and easily. The deadline met, I submitted the tapes in time for Ellyn’s classes to begin. My next assignment was a companion manual: Internet and E-Mail with Jaws. This took about five hours over four days – not an unreasonable task.

The next project was a collection of biographical articles of 26 Canadians called Making a Difference: Profiles in Abilities by Daryl Rock. This Canadian Abilities Foundation book is an inspirational anthology for young and old. I enjoyed this project because of the interesting and accomplished subjects Rock interviewed and also because of the easy style of the language.

As I accept more reading projects, such as my latest, Skillet and Microwave Cooking, I am reminded that the joy and indeed the necessity of books and learning can be experienced by all of us – sighted or blind. I am proud to be a CNIB volunteer.

-- DAWN CURRAN
ST. ALBERT, ALBERTA


PROVIDING INFORMATION TO GUIDE DOG USERS

My life has gone to the dogs, and I’m loving every minute of it.

Shortly after my first guide dog, Sally, came into my life in 1993, I discovered that there was no source of information for assistance dog users on issues here in Canada. When I published the first issue of “The Harness,” it reached a grand readership of two. Now, it is sent to approximately 80 people continentwide, and is available in regular and large print, on cassette, CD and diskette, as well as by e-mail. This year we progressed from two to four issues a year, and the subscription fee rose from $5 to $8. I want to continue making the magazine as affordable as possible for the people who really need it.

I am also a co-leader of a local support group for guide dog users that meets in Barrie, Ontario. I am the vice-president of Guide Dog Users of Canada, and, most recently, the first non-American board member of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners.

We are discovering more and more jobs that dogs can do for people with disabilities. I intend to be there to educate people about them, and advocate for them and their human partners for a long time to come.

-- DEVON WILKINS
COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO


HELPING SPIRITS SOAR

Volunteering has been one of my most active hobbies for a very long time. It has been such an honour to help with the Winnipeg Family Kite Festival. It’s fun sharing in all the activities and excitement, helping a great cause in honour of Al Simpson, the man who started the event and made such a difference to so many.

The first year I volunteered was 1999, when I became a consumer and then a volunteer and member of the Independent Living Resource Centre (ILRC). I was looking for things to do while recovering from a major depression. I started by stuffing envelopes and getting kite kits together, and ended up at the site at Assiniboine Park, helping with the kite festival. I had not realized how sophisticated kite flying can be, nor how many different kinds of kites would fly at that nationally recognized event.

In my first year I was assigned the gift-shop tent with Barbara, who took me under her wing (or “kite string”) and taught me about the different kinds of kites and other items, and how to promote and sell them. I enjoyed this very educational and busy experience. The second year, I was back in the gift shop, again selling kites, and I helped promote and sell custom-made balloons and other handicrafts made by talented ILRC people.

Last year marked my third year helping with the Kite Festival. On a beautiful day, after thunderclouds cleared away, I graduated to the kite-making tent, where I got to learn and assist children in making their own kites from kits. The most effective moment for me was helping a boy colour and cut his first kite, and seeing his excitement when the kite flew successfully, joining the variety of other kites that filled the sky. I got so caught up in the festivities, I didn’t want it to end!

The real joy of the festival, and I’m sure other volunteers will agree, is the togetherness, good positive spirit, laughter and good food, with all of us sharing one great cause. The ILRC has made such a difference to all of us by helping us to learn how to have a productive life. It’s a pleasure to give back to great people and to a place worth helping to meet its fundraising goals.

-- TERRIANN WINIARZ
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA


VOLUNTEER RESOURCES

Volunteers Opportunities Exchange
www.voe-reb.org
Community organizations of all types and sizes advertise their volunteer positions across Canada on this website.

Volunteer Canada
Phone: 1-800-670-0401
www.volunteer.ca
This organization considers itself the national voice for volunteerism in Canada. Its website contains a wealth of information on volunteering. An array of downloadable brochures includes one on volunteers with disabilities, “Volunteer Connections: Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Environment.”

Access Guide Canada
Nationwide
www.enablelink.org/agc
Phone: (416) 923-1885, ext. 224
Share your knowledge with people with disabilities in your community! Access Guide Canada, the online accessibility guide developed by the Canadian Abilities Foundation, has thousands of listings to assist people with disabilities in planning outings before they leave home. To continue to grow, it needs people like you to volunteer time, sharing what you know about accessible restaurants, stores, places of worship, etc., in your area. Tell us the basics about a place or complete a detailed accessibility assessment – it’s up to you. Visit the website or call the number listed above to get involved.

Ready... Get Set... Volunteer!
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
www.k-wvolcentre.on.ca/rgsv.htm
Phone: (519) 742-8610
This program encourages and empowers persons with disabilities to participate in volunteering by providing appropriate supports, education and training to volunteers and community organizations.


LET’S HEAR FROM CANADIAN ABILITIES FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS

At the Canadian Abilities Foundation, we welcome volunteers with and without disabilities who wish to gain office experience, make a difference in the disability community, establish networks or improve English language skills. Many of our volunteers also come to us through school or work training programs. We asked two of our current volunteers to explain in their own words what it means to them to be a volunteer.

“I GET A FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT”

I feel that I have been an integral part of the team. I am very proud of the work that the Canadian Abilities Foundation does, and it could not be done without the help of volunteers. I get a feeling of accomplishment in the work I do, like editing articles for the disk publication, putting together a contact list for marketing purposes, and even labelling each copy of the magazine for shipping to the subscribers. This last task I get to do with the other ABILITIES volunteers, and we all have a lot of fun getting to know each other.

I could not have asked for a better placement in terms of the atmosphere at the office and the people I work with. The ABILITIES office is a very relaxed place, an ideal work environment, and my colleagues are so nice and helpful. They helped me realize that I definitely want to go into the journalism field. Thanks for making the past few months a lot of fun!

— AROOJ HUSSAIN, CO-OP STUDENT


“IT ENCOURAGES ME TO PURSUE MY DREAMS”

I am an aspiring freelance writer who has been helping out with ABILITIES magazine as part of an 11-week volunteer program for a job employment centre. I find it a really rewarding experience, as it exposes me to the writing industry. While working here, I have had a chance to experience the many different roles needed to secure the success of a magazine. From filing away important information, to researching various accessible locations across the country and organizing the magazines for distribution, the Canadian Abilities Foundation has provided me with a broader scope of the big picture and how every little task in the workplace is a crucial cog in the machine of success.

There are many benefits to volunteering here. It is a very supportive environment. I have also heard the stories of others who are able to function in spite of their disabilities. This gives hope and encourages me to continue to pursue my dreams.

— JEAN-PIERRE PEDDLE, WORK PLACEMENT TRAINEE

To find out about volunteer opportunities with the Canadian Abilities Foundation, call Christine Staddon, Coordinator of Project Outreach/Volunteers, (416) 923-1885, ext. 224, or e-mail: cstaddon@enablelink.org.



UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

Disabled Peoples’ International World Summit 2004
September 8 to 10
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Phone: (204) 287-8010, ext. 34
www.dpi.org/summit2004
Join Disabled Peoples’ International’s team of volunteers to help ensure that delegates with disabilities from around the world find an accessible, friendly and accommodating host city at September 2004’s DPI World Summit. Volunteering for this event is not just an excellent opportunity to proudly represent the City of Winnipeg and meet people from around the world. You will also be contributing your time to help raise awareness of disability issues, as well as to promote, develop and support the human rights, integration and organization of persons with disabilities around the world.

Global Volunteers
September 4 to 16
Sidirokastro, Greece
Toll-free: 1-800-487-1074
www.globalvolunteers.org
Global Volunteers, a non-profit, international development organization based in the U.S., invites volunteers to work in the northern Greek city of Sidirokastro as companions for youths and adults with disabilities. Medical expertise not required; just bring an open mind, flexible attitude and helping heart. Volunteers pay a program fee of $2,495 (U.S.) to cover costs; airfare is extra.