National Volunteer Week – Brian’s Story
Brian started volunteering with Homeward Trust in 2012 after retiring from the United Way. At Homeward Trust, Brian has volunteered countless hours at Homeless Connect, Homeless Count, Toque Tuesday and also served as Sponsorship Chair on the Coordinating Committee in 2015-2016. In addition to volunteering at Homeward Trust, Brian volunteers at several other organizations in the community including: Habitat for Humanity, the Edmonton Food Bank, the Seniors Financial Empowerment Network, Alberta Clinical Research Consortium, Edmonton Fringe Festival and more.
What does volunteering mean to you?
This is a tough one. In some cases, like festivals, it’s just a selfish desire to help sustain something (the performing arts) that I personally enjoy. In the case of helping [not-for-profit] agencies and health projects, it just means being able to look beyond my own needs; contribute to something outside of my personal circle; express gratitude for my own good fortune; have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life; and to be able to contribute to changes in how some things are managed in the future.
Why is volunteering important to you?
I’m in my 70’s now and past career goals. Volunteering gives me that sense of purpose and fulfillment. A rewarding task to focus on and satisfaction that comes at the end of a project. At times it also reminds me how fortunate I am and it humbles me. It reminds me to be thankful for my own good fortune and reasonably good health and reminds me not to take myself too seriously when I complain about something that’s happened.
How are you navigating volunteering at this time?
Like many, I’m going a bit stir-crazy. Most activities have been cancelled and I miss the activity. I’ve been fortunate to be involved in some Zoom Meetings and some online projects to work on. Given my wife’s health issues and compromised immune system, I’m choosing to stay close to home and foregoing the few active opportunities still out there, e.g. volunteering to sort at the Food Bank.
What is a favourite memory you have from volunteering with Homeward Trust?
I tell everyone about Homeless Connect and have convinced many to join us volunteering. It always gives me pleasure to talk to them after and see how their impression of someone who is homeless has changed after seeing whole families, young children, senior citizens at the event.
One story that sticks out is from a few years back. I was talking to another volunteer who was grumbling about being accosted by a homeless person as she was coming into the event centre. She was quite upset that he would be asking her for money and she proceeded to tell him she herself was on a limited budget, but was coming to spend the day volunteering. After listening to her rant, the gentleman apologized for bothering her and asked if she would like some of the McDonald’s discount coupons he had. I thought that was priceless.
Another memory is from doing the homeless count. We were working at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre that year. An obviously intoxicated gentleman started talking to us quite loudly and belligerently; telling us a bit about how tough he was; he’d spent time in jail, he wasn’t afraid of anything; etc, etc. My wife was a bit apprehensive, but before long, he was our best friend and spent the rest of the evening sitting and helping us with the count.
