The unusually cold evening in April didn’t keep guests away from the Shangri-La Convention Centre in Markham, Ontario. St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Centre celebrated its committed volunteers with a special evening of dining, music and awards. The theme, “Volunteers Grow Community,” was chosen for the second year by the Government of Canada to mark national volunteer week. The invited guests included over 400 volunteers; plus students, local politicians, donors, and St. Paul’s staff who happily worked during the evening to ensure a smooth event.
Over 200 guests attended the annual event. They were greeted by staff who manned the registration table and coat check, managed crowd control and carried trays filled with punch. Representatives from Scarborough’s political arena, Councilor Chin Lee, Councilor Norm Kelly, Gerry Phillips MPP, and Jim Karygiannis MP were all on hand to fete the tireless work of volunteers. Larry Burke, Executive Director, thanked all volunteers for their dedication and compassion and gave a special thank you to the young people. Volunteer Coordinator, Scott McDonald was encouraged by the turnout and sea of friendly faces. “I relaxed looking at the room full of warm dedicated volunteers with one thing in common—to give freely of themselves and ask nothing in return.”
There was a sit down dinner with slide show presentation which followed the awards presentations. The slide show presentation was accompanied by the St. Paul’s song written by volunteer Suguna Rajendram. The presentation showed volunteers working in the many services provided by St. Paul’s and had videotaped recordings of supervisors personally thanking their volunteers.
The evening was also an opportunity to bring all the volunteers together. “It’s nice to have a chance to socialize with other volunteers that you don’t get a chance to talk to because you’re busy working,” stated Marilyn Tregwin.
Certificates of appreciation were given to all volunteers and there were some notable exceptional volunteers who received special awards. Seven volunteers contributed over 1000 hours and another seven contributed over 500 hours of service. 25% of St. Paul’s residents are volunteers themselves. There were five individuals who have volunteered for over 20 years and one whose service record covers 27 years. The total number of hours that volunteers clocked for the year was a mind-boggling 46,801 hours.
It was a very special evening for John Oh, recipient of a special award for 10,000 hours of volunteer service. Oh has been a volunteer for 10 years and claims it helps keep him healthy and active and he encourages others to volunteer. “If you have nothing to do, the boredom makes it worse,” Oh says. “Boredom is just as harmful as sickness, volunteering is an artificial anesthetic.”
For high school students, a 40 hour credit of volunteerism means graduation. When asked how students felt about the mandatory credit, Francis Lieberman Catholic High School student, Katrina Canedo said, “I think it’s important. It gives us experience looking for work too.” Another student, Rammiya Charles stated, “[Volunteering] gives us a chance to work with people of different ethnicities and it’s good to socialize with other people.” Mandatory volunteerism for school credit may often lead young people to volunteering later on and foster a caring attitude towards one’s community. Fatima Amin, a Sir John A. MacDonald student reported, “It’s a good way to get out and do something—to accomplish something.”
Volunteering illustrates the importance of giving back to our communities—of being connected. It’s a concept that is sometimes lost in our busy, whirlwind lives. St. Paul’s reminds us that volunteers are a rare commodity and their generous gift of time to those in need should be recognized and appreciated year round.
