VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
At WE Seniors, we’re fortunate to have an incredible group of people you’ve likely met, spoken with, or received help from at one time or another — our volunteers. We thought you might enjoy learning a little more about them: what inspired them to volunteer with us, what brought them here, and the experiences they’ve had as part of our community.
This month we spotlight volunteer Karen Moodie. Karen has been a long time volunteer at the centre and started with us 2010 and has helped out in our kitchen, with friendly phone calls and is a regular at our front desk.
What do you think are your three greatest strengths?
Friendly, easy to talk to. Good communication skills. Very conscientious.
If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
Omnilingualism – being able to understand and speak any language or have a photographic / eidetic memory.
What made you want to volunteer at our centre?
I was looking for a volunteer opportunity after I retired in 2004. WSAC was hosting a flu clinic in the fall of 2008 and were looking for volunteers. I volunteered to help out one evening and met a staff member who encouraged me to get involved with a new event he was starting up. I did and have volunteered there ever since. Started off hosting coffee talks, worked in the kitchen as a cashier and with food prep and have worked at the reception desk since 2012. I have also assisted with special events and friendly phone calls during covid.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Raising my son.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I played recreational ice hockey from the age of 39 to 68.
What did you do before retiring?
Worked as a budget analyst at the University of Alberta.
What is your favourite thing about volunteering at our centre?
I enjoy interacting with people and helping them in any way I can. I have found that socializing is such an important aspect of life so I like to encourage people to join the centre. Having a weekly commitment brings some structure to any week and the many duties we perform keep me mentally stimulated.