Volunteers contributed a whopping 14,000 hours to different events and causes in St. Albert in 2011, states the city's draft annual report released on Monday.
Next Monday Mayor Nolan Crouse will proclaim National Volunteer Week. At the beginning of May, the Community Information Volunteer Centre will holds its annual awards ceremony where the Volunteer Citizen of the Year will be selected.
Below is the group of local residents who have been selected as the nominees for the award. While they might not have combined for all 14,000 volunteer hours recorded, there is little doubt they made up a good chunk of the total.
The winner will be revealed at the Volunteer Citizen of the Year and Leaders of Tomorrow Awards May 5 at 10 a.m. at St. Albert Alliance Church. Tickets are $20. Call 780-459-6666.
Valerie Spink
Valerie Spink might be the greatest friend the St. Albert Public Library has.
As president of Friends of the St. Albert Public Library for the last eight years, Spink has helped turn more than a few pages with her involvement, from organizing fundraisers and projects to manning the library's booth at the St. Albert trade fair to help promote the library's services.
Specifically, Spink has chaired and organized the library's 50th Anniversary Memory Sharing project, in which teens interviewed seniors about the past, organized the Reel Monday movie series as to help raise funds, supervised volunteers for the library's Christmas Around the World program, worked numerous casinos and dished up her share of cookies, cake, juice and hot dogs during the library's special events.
Outside the library, she has teamed up with the Red Cross, working with youth in the Respect Ed program, where she advocates for healthy relationships between young people. Using the Internet communication program Skype, she's also helping teach English to someone who recently immigrated to Canada from Afghanistan.
According to her nomination application, "Valerie Spink is a tireless, resourceful advocate for the library and her community. She is forever helping out in one way or the other."
Walter Carroll
Walter Carroll is a familiar face at the Lo-Se-Ca Foundation.
His involvement with the organization, which helps individuals with developmental disabilities, dates back nine years when he first agreed to join the foundation's board of directors. After four years he was elected president and is now serving his fourth year.
Carroll is seemingly everywhere at the Lo-Se-Ca Foundation. His nomination application states that he has never missed a fundraising event, celebration or important meeting. He helps set up silent auctions, organizes the archive room on his days off and helps deliver gifts to people in the foundation's care on Christmas Eve.
He has helped lead and support numerous fundraisers, including casinos, silent auctions, the bowl-a-thon and planned giving events. He helped co-ordinate the foundation's purchase of a new group home and accessible bus, and is always on hand when to greet visitors such as politicians or help correct a plumbing problem in one of the group homes.
"Walter Carroll is one of those people whose spirit always comes shining through and there is no mistaking the kindness, respect, humility, joy and love that his spirit is comprised of," says his nomination form.
Michelle Guest-Moore
"As I sit down to write all the volunteer activities Michelle Guest-Moore does, I think to myself, 'where do I begin,'" one of her nominators writes in a letter.
The nomination application begins with Guest-Moore's work for the last 18 years as a leader and organizer for Girl Guides of Canada, including the Pathfinders program. She has also worked for the last five years as a leader and organizer with Scouts Canada.
She is a constant presence at both école Secondaire Saint Marguerite d'Youville (ESSMY) and école Father Jan, helping out with field trips, providing last minute assistance where required, and for the last five years, working on the Father Jan school yearbook (she makes sure every child at the school has two pictures in the book). Since September she has also served as a secretary at ESSMY.
But mostly Guest-Moore helps out wherever it's needed, whenever it's needed. When a tobogganing trip by one school class was at risk because of a lack of supervision, Guest-Moore stepped in at the last minute. When a mother of one of her Girl Guides was recovering from surgery, Guest-Moore stepped in with meals, as well as arranging car pools and rides to and from school for the woman's daughter.
"Michelle is kind, loving, compassionate, caring, giving, dependable, responsible, reliable, energetic, dedicated, hard-working, committed and a wonderful all-round person," states a letter attached to her nomination form.
Murray Barker
Murray Barker is a familiar sight in St. Albert, often seen roaming the city in his electric wheelchair. But his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) hasn't stopped him – it's only propelled him forward.
Years ago Barker was a policeman and he's drawn on that experience to serve on St. Albert's Youth Justice Committee, where many young people who come into contact with law enforcement are referred. Barker has repeatedly demonstrated a knack for establishing a strong rapport with the youth sent to the committee, with parents and even young people following up with him after their obligations have been fulfilled.
He is also a constant presence at the St. Albert Senior Citizens' Club, dressing as Santa Claus for Santa's Breakfast, acting as an insurance liaison, acting as a photographer for the elder abuse committee, assisting with legal matters, helping the volunteer co-ordinator and calling club members to inform them of upcoming events.
He has also chipped as a member of the SEE St. Albert Tourism Committee, helping produce the city's tourism master plan and helping the St. Albert Historical Society address accessibility issues for individuals with mobility challenges, specifically the installation of an elevator at the Little White School.
"Murray volunteers for other organizations besides youth justice, but you would never know it because when he is with us, his whole focus is the youth we are working with," stated one reference letter.
Wendy Stiver
When the St. Albert chapter of Special Olympics calls, Wendy Stiver answers.
The list of what she has done and continues to do for the organization is long and tireless – she chairs the board of the local chapter, as well as helps co-ordinate and supervise all eight sports it offers to individuals with developmental disabilities.
She is present at every bingo and casino, and attends all weekly sports to offer encouragement and support. She helps athletes get to and from events, accompanies them to tournaments locally, provincially and nationally and hosts monthly dances for them. In total, on both a formal and informal basis, Special Olympics estimates that Stiver dedicates 360 days per year to her volunteer work, despite working full-time.
In 2000 Stiver was recognized as one of the Baha'i community's Women of Distinction. She was also a nominee for Volunteer Citizen of the Year in 2006 and received a Centennial Medal from the provincial government.
"She takes great pride in volunteering to support our wonderful community, but in particular the St. Albert Special Olympic athletes who face significant personal challenges each and every day," her nomination form states.
