Clickin' across Canada
November 3, 2003
By Cam Tait
Joyce Sawchuk wears a big plastic button on the left side of her vest
that boldly says "ASK ME". Over the 2 1/2 years that Joyce has been a
Volunteer Airport Ambassador at Edmonton International, she told The
Edmonton Journal, she has answered many questions: where the washrooms
are, where the luggage comes out, where to buy flowers, where the bank
machines are, and where to catch a cab. But there was one time she was
stumped by a passenger who asked who had won the 1953 World Series. Joyce
quickly called the main information booth at the airport and someone went
and looked up the information on the Internet. Joyce is one of 93 volunteers
who lend a hand to airport visitors, coming or going. "We just try to
make people visiting to the airports feel comfortable - just like at home,"
she says. Whenever she can, she takes a person to the place where they
are going rather than just giving directions. "I learn something new every
day," she says. "I found out the New York Yankees won the World Series
in 1953 in five games."
***
Sex and drugs were a big part of Stephanie Alexandra's high school days.
She shared her story with Keith Morgan of the Vancouver Province.
A turning point came when one of Stephanie's best friends of eight years
just picked up and left her. That inspired her to become an outreach volunteer
with Leave Out ViolencE (LOVE). The Vancouver branch of the youth-driven
group visited Stephanie's school. It spoke to her so much that she wanted
to get involved. She just returned from visiting a number of high schools.
For further information visit www.leaveoutviolence.com.
***
Trina Heal is making history at the United Way of Saskatoon, and perhaps
Canada. She very well could be then youngest chair of any United Way campaign
in Canada. Trina, 34, told Ned Powers of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix
how a friend invited her to get involved with United Way. After a decade,
she joined the campaign cabinet in 1998 and climbed her way to president.
And she has accepted a great challenge: to raise $2.5 million, the highest
ever in Saskatoon United Way history. She moved to Saskatoon from Wishart,
Sask. in 1987 to attend the University of Saskatchewan. She feels the
United Way is an easy sell. "The Community Fund is a great place for your
dollars because they go to the areas with the greatest needs," Trina told
the StarPhoenix. "There's an interesting feeling to the whole process.
Once you feel affected by the cause, it is easy to be indoctrinated and
you plunge deeper into it. And with each plunge, you increase the capacity
for care to a wider circle."
Do you know of someone who deserves to be in CharityVillage's Spotlight?
Send us their name, telephone number and details about their community involvement
to cam@charityvillage.com.
