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Our volunteer driver, Margaret
Margaret had always known that she would find a way to give back to her local community in retirement. It was about eight years ago when she retired from a managerial position at Telus and was in search of the right volunteer opportunity for her. She describes becoming involved with Burnaby Seniors' Transportation as something that was meant to be.
One morning she simply opened up a local newspaper and saw an advertisement expressing the need for volunteers to drive local seniors to medical-related appointments. She had always enjoyed being in the company of seniors so she immediately knew that it was the opportunity that she had been looking for.
Eight years later, Margaret is still an eager volunteer and an advocate for Burnaby Seniors' Transportation. Margaret favours Burnaby Seniors' Transportation as her volunteer organization of choice because of the flexibility it offers. She says, “I am able to choose when I volunteer, so that I can work around the rest of my busy schedule. And I also know that if I’m not available for a drive one day, [Burnaby Community Connections] will find someone else for the senior”.
According to Margaret, one of the benefits to seniors participating in the service is that they become friends with the driver. She emphasizes that for some seniors, driving to a medical appointment with a driver may be the only social contact they have in the day.
When asked about whether Burnaby Seniors' Transportation will remain in her future, she answers: “There’s no question about it.” She goes on to say, “It’s such a wonderful service; the seniors are so pleasant, so you really feel like your contributing. And who knows, I might need the service myself sometime in the future”.
In addition to volunteering for Burnaby Seniors' Transportation, Margaret keeps active by gardening regularly and traveling to destinations such as Chile and Australia.
If you are in need of the Burnaby Seniors' Transportation services, or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer driver, please contact Burnaby Community Connections at 604-299-5778 ext 23. |
