What do you do to be involved in the community?
Diane
I do things for causes I care about. I care about lot about the environment, food security, and swimming safety. There is some overlap in these activities.
For the environment, I cycle as much as possible for transportation, and volunteer with a safe cycling organization.
Food security (with a healthy dose of environment thrown in) involves volunteering with a food harvesting organization as well as contributing to two community garden plots. The local food bank benefits from both.
For swimming safety, I volunteer as a swim angel for a local open water event, as well as teaching swimming (paid, but still a choice of how to spend my retirement).
Oh, and I organize coffee hour at my church, because the community runs better with coffee and conversation.
Christine
I run (as a volunteer) a community arts organization that I founded in 2005. We focus on creating opportunities for people to play with their creativity and for artists to connect with their audiences.
I also donate time and skills to other organizations.
And I have big ‘Mom energy’ so I am one of those people checking to see if strangers are ok and helping parents and seniors at the supermarket.
I’m very much of the opinion that we are all in this together and we need to look out for one another.
Sam
I don’t do a lot of community things here in Guelph as I’m mostly too busy with my role as Dean of Arts at the university. But I am connected to the community in a bunch of ways through my dean’s role. For example, in that capacity I chair the board of the Art Gallery of Guelph.
I am a member of the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation (GCAT) and a member of the Guelph Community Boating Club.
Speaking of bikes and Guelph, I’m also looking forward to our annual Pride Ride coming up soon. Oh, and Sarah and I do some charity bike riding each summer. You can join us this year as we ride with the Spinning Wheels Relay to help raise funds for Parkinsons Canada.
Martha
Giving back to the community is important to me. I have volunteered for many years as a board member for various groups promoting mental health, craft and professional communications. I’ve served as a general director, a treasurer, vice-president and president of various groups. I bake a lot so at least twice a year I donate cakes to fundraisers as I cannot stand selling tickets.
I’m wrapping up my last volunteer gig in the next two months and I am going to take a few months to assess what I want to do in the future.
Catherine
I do a lot of volunteer and donation work for my church and surrounding community, activities for the LGBTQ students at my university (lately holding a card-making event this spring). Since January 20, I resumed attending some meetings and demonstrations to advocate for democratic principles and freedom from tyranny (as well as donating to organizations and individuals doing this work). All of us know people who are in immediate need, and I try to help through Go Fund Me, other private donations, giving clothes and household goods when it comes up. I am so lucky to be as secure as I am, and it is thanks to my community that I flourish. Helping others is a welcome responsibility.
