Why I Volunteer: Aleta MacFadden
I had always planned to volunteer after retiring, partly because of family traditions, but my main reason was to keep active. There were also the benefits of getting out of the house and meeting new people. I chose the Canadian Red Cross HELP program because I had previously had a hip replacement and had used the service myself. We loan equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers to people who are recovering from surgery or who are ill. There are opportunities as well for volunteers who would prefer to clean and maintain the equipment rather than do direct client service.
I continue to volunteer with the Red Cross because it is a great place to work. The staff members are most appreciative of the work that the volunteers do and we are providing a valuable service to the community. We also loan medical equipment to people in smaller towns in the north who do not have the facilities that Prince George has. There isn’t one particular event that stands out as my best volunteer moment, but every time a client says “thank-you” or says that they didn’t know what they would have done without the HELP service, it makes it all worthwhile.
