THUNDER BAY – Volunteers like Maria Bilyk are the backbone of the city.
The 89-year-old has been freely giving of her time for nearly 70 years, in her younger days often leaving the house seven days a week to volunteer.
She’s slowed down a little in her golden years, but on Monday, the start of Volunteer Week, said it’s still just as invigorating as it was in the post-war days.
“I get just as must out of it as I contribute. I have a reason to get up in the morning and I have to get ready because I’ve got something meaningful to do each and every day,” Bilyk said.
At present she’s a volunteer at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and in 2013 was given a Provincial Volunteer Award for 65 years at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she began her volunteer career in 1948.
“I just wanted to something to do, but it sort of snowballed,” she said, taking part in a flag-raising ceremony at city hall to kick off Volunteer Week.
Bilyk is one of thousands of people in Thunder Bay who donate their time to keep the city glued together.
Volunteers touch just about every aspect of people’s lives, said Brendan Carlin, president of the Thunder Bay Association of Volunteer Administrators.
“Some of the organizations, the charities and sports organizations as well, couldn’t exist without volunteers,” said Carlin, who also works at the Regional Food Distribution Association, where four or five staffers are supplemented by a host of volunteers.
“We have $3.5 million worth of food that come in and out of our building every year ... There’s no way we could do that ourselves.”
It’s really all about finding a cause that moves you and offering to help out, he said, encouraging those on the fence to give volunteering a try.
“There are many people who work a 9-to-5 job all of their lives and if they’re retired they may want to do something meaningful and continue contributing to the community. They can do that by volunteering,” Carlin said.
“If people are looking for meaningful things to do, whether you’re retired or you’re a student who has some time after school, volunteering is a great way to do that.”
