For the last six years many people have received a food hamper thanks to the hamper packing skills of Oscar. Oscar is so dedicated to the idea of volunteering that his first shift here was on his birthday! You’d barely guess that he’s turning 72 years old this year, since he’s got the energy of a 20-year-old! In his time here he’s provided us with more than 1 600 hours of assistance, with almost 200 of those hours being this year alone! But Oscar does more than just pack hampers and keep busy in the warehouse; he also encourages his friends to come in to volunteer when he knows we’re short on help. He’s just an incredible help to our program and I hope you enjoy learning just a few facts about this wonderful volunteer!
How did you hear about House of Friendship?
“I was looking for something to do and this is the first place I saw: there was an ad in the House of Friendship newsletter that I read while in church one day.”
Why is volunteering important to you?
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I always thought about volunteering when I was younger but didn’t have the time. Now I want to give something back while I’m still healthy enough to do so.”
Are there any other programs that you volunteer or have volunteered with?
“I’ve helped pack and deliver Christmas hampers for the last four or five years.”
What’s your favourite job to do while volunteering at our program?
“Well that’s really hard to pick since I don’t mind doing anything really. I just like coming in here to help others however I can – it’s what I’m here for!”
What kind of activities or hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
“Well I’m an avid golfer and I like going out on my bicycle. Other than that I like spending time with my family (I’ve got lots of nieces and nephews) and friends.”
How many kilometers do you bike in an average year?
“In the last two years I’ve put on over 10 000 kilometers.”
Wow! Where do you go biking?
“We go anywhere and everywhere. I’ve got a group of friends that go out every week on trails and wherever else we feel like going, plus I’ll go biking just to get out of the house sometimes.”
Oscar has even biked in before coming to volunteer a few times this summer, which is incredible since he’s traveling from St. Jacobs. And we’re very glad he continues to travel to volunteer with our program since he’s helpful in so many ways to us. When he’s not packing hampers, he’s always looking for something to do – whether it’s stocking the shelves, bagging bulk food into smaller quantities, sweeping the floors, or any other task we can think of. So Oscar here is a big thank you for dedicating your time to helping so many others – you’ve got a warm and generous heart. I love that you always have a smile on your face, especially when we’re all horsing around in the warehouse! You’re a great person to have around and very hard-working so we’re very lucky to have you as a volunteer!
Tags: Christmas Hampers, hard work, Introduction, thank you, volunteers
December 17, 2010 at 10:08 am |
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Eric Boyd and Pam Salisbury, House of Friendship. House of Friendship said: meet Oscar http://bit.ly/dXCQOt a great @HOFKW volunteer! #kwawesome [...]
December 17, 2010 at 12:50 pm |
What about Crokinole? You can’t forget to mention one of Oscar’s true passions
December 19, 2010 at 10:46 pm |
Unfortunately he didn’t mention that in his interview…nor in any conversation I’ve ever had with him. I’ll have to ask him about that when he’s in to volunteer again!
December 17, 2010 at 9:03 pm |
Oscar is a real inspiration both as a volunteer and a cyclist
April 7, 2011 at 10:03 am |
[...] When I started I was just entering my retirement and wanted something to do, so my friend Oscar told me to inquire about volunteering. He told me about what types of work were available and we [...]