Volunteer Profiles

Marina

Getting involved can be as simple as making a choice to give back and that is what Marina did when she started volunteering at Travellers Lodge in March. Contributing to her community has always really important and she was inspired to dedicate some of her time to volunteering by a friend. She was drawn to the Lodge's warm environment and friendly atmosphere. Her time at the Lodge allows the Elders to stay in contact with the outside world and help them deal with the isolation that is so common with dementia.

One of Marina's favourite things about volunteering at the Lodge so far has been her ability to spend time one-on-one with the Elders. This allows her to bond with Elders and have them share parts of their lives with her. She has learned quickly that everyone has a story to tell and they want to share that with a listening ear. Marina is thankful that the Lodge staff work so well with the volunteers and truly appreciate the time they spend. At the end of the day Marina has felt like she has made a difference in someone's life and that puts a smile on her face.

While not at the Lodge Marina is a mother of two teenage boys, an avid reader and she also keeps herself busy with artwork and crafting.


Matt	Not every 33 year old would be as dedicated as Matt to giving back to the community, but he has made it an integral part of his life. Matt has been volunteering his time at Travellers Lodge for a year and it is a very special part of his week. He really enjoys the atmosphere at NTL and how a small gesture can make an Elder's day that much better. Matt knows that not every Elder at NTL gets regular visitors, so he brings the outside life to them. He spends the time forging a relationship with them, listening to stories and sharing his life. Matt takes Elders for walks and looks through photo albums with Elders, allowing them to remember parts of the past. Matt is a history buff and enjoys researching and reading about history. He actively listens as Elders share their own stories and these adept listening skills have earned him admirers at the Lodge who eagerly await his arrival. Matt is wise beyond his 33 years he knows the Elders who live at Travellers Lodge deserve respect and dignity. His work at NTL has encouraged him to go back to school to potentially pursue a career working with people as a Community Support Worker.

George Nanaimo Travellers Lodge Board Member	When many of us are watching playoff hockey or spending time with our families, George Baker is doing service for NTL by volunteering at the Bingo Hall, something he has done for 15 years. He can be found with a warm smile on his face at Harbour City Bingo where he helps with the operation of evening bingo. Whether it is handing out or picking up cards, helping the staff or picking up garbage George hasn't missed a day! That kind of dedication and volunteerism is hard to find and so we take our hats off to someone who single handedly helped us raise $22,000 a year from Bingo funds that go directly to support art and horticultural therapy at Travellers Lodge. "I feel a real sense of local pride helping out with such an amazing organization like Travellers Lodge, as a born and raised Nanaimo boy giving back is important to me. I know what a difficult disease dementia can be; I saw my father and my brother develop forms of the disease and it changed who they were." In the mid 1990s George joined the Nanaimo Travellers Lodge Society board and still sits on the board. He has been retired for 12 years and enjoys spending time in his extensive vegetable garden that he tends on his 10-acre property. He also keeps busy spending time with his wife and three children. George's dedication and service to NTL and the people with dementia served by NTL is a true gift to our community.

Solveig Queen Margaret's Student	Solveig, 13, has been regularly volunteering her Saturday's since the fall to bake with the residents, help with the fitness program and card bingo The Elders at NTL have gotten used to having this vibrant grade eight student around and wait for her at the door on Saturday. Travellers Lodge keeps her busy on the weekend and it is important for her to share her interests and talents with the Elders. She recently shared her love of dance by doing a performance at the Lodge. Solvieg really looks forward to the way the Elders faces light up when she comes to volunteer. The more time she spends with them she realizes that everyone has an interesting story to tell about their life experiences or their family, she learns a lot from them.

Jakeob Woodlands Student	Jakeob, a grade nine Woodlands student, has been volunteering at Nanaimo Travellers Lodge (NTL) for almost a year, visiting twice a week with the Elders who call the Lodge home. He was drawn to volunteering at a young age working with kids with autism. His dedication to NTL has been an inspiration for other young volunteers looking for a place to get involved. Jakeob is a talented musician who plays piano, guitar and trumpet; he brings these talents and his kind nature to NTL every week. Although generations separate him from the Elders, he is able to meld seamlessly into the Lodge, where he greets Elders by name and knows many of their stories. He is very intuitive and can identify when the Elders are confused or agitated. Jakeob encourages Elders to leave their rooms to play cards, listen to music, play bingo or toss a ball. When he plays the piano in the dining room, a crowd gathers to enjoy the music. Jakeob's favourite part of coming to the Lodge is interacting with the Elders and seeing the very real difference that his visits make. The small moments of joy he is able to generate are evident and he knows they go a long way to making Elders' days a bit sunnier. Volunteering is different every time for Jakeob and he adapts to whatever situation may arise, always offering Elders suggestions on activities, never forcing them to do something they don't want to do. Jakeob is a familiar face at the Lodge and we appreciate the time he dedicates to NTL.

Bob Nanaimo Travellers Lodge Board Member	Bob has donated his time to the Nanaimo Travellers Lodge (NTL) board for three years. Bob is currently dedicating his time to helping NTL come even closer to its goal of opening a new facility, Eden Gardens. His countless hours of working with the board have been an integral part to seeing this important community project come to life. Like many people on NTL's board and in the community, Bob has been touched by dementia with the diagnosis of elderly relatives. But then a close friend of his was diagnosed with early onset dementia at age 55 and later succumbed to the disease at 60-an extremely eye-opening and tragic experience that had a huge impact on Bob. Bob feels privileged to give back to the community; along with his work with NTL he is extremely active in several volunteer and community organizations. He is a 15-year member and past director of the Rotary Club of Nanaimo (downtown club) and he is the director of the local organization known as Alianza (Canada-Comitancillo Alliance for Rural Health), an organization that supports health in rural Guatemala by working with the indigenous Mayan population. He spent four weeks there in 2009 volunteering his time working on the ground. Bob is the branch manager for TDCanadaTrust at Terminal Park Mall in Nanaimo. He has called Nanaimo home for 20 years and has two teenage children. In his leisure time Bob likes to spend time outdoors on beautiful Vancouver Island. He is an avid mountain biker and skier; he also enjoys hiking Mt. Benson in the fall and picking Chanterelles.