As a boy who had to face many challenges at home, Brodan Thiel needed a male role model to help him deal with confidence and self-esteem problems.
“I had an absent father, and so basically my mom sought out different avenues in the community, and Big Brothers is obviously one of the best,” he said.
Years later as a student in Quest University, the former little brother decided that he wanted to switch roles and become a mentor himself.
Big Brothers is a non-profit organization that helps connect male mentors with younger boys who need a positive influence in their lives.
Thiel is one example of the many people who will hopefully get some recognition during the national Volunteer Week from April 23 to 29.
As part of the occasion, Squamish put on a breakfast where all volunteers were invited to join the mayor for a meal on April 24.
But before Thiel’s contributions began to earn him recognition in local media such as The Chief, the CBC and The Province, he was dogged by one question that would eventually shape his studies at Quest and his life as a teacher afterwards.
What is a role model?
For Thiel, it can look a lot like the person who helped boost his confidence when he was a boy.
“[He] basically guided me through my 13- and 14-year-old self and then getting through a lot of issues and opening up,” he said. “I got a lot out of it at the end of the day.”
It’s something that Thiel felt could often be in short supply in elementary schools.
While there are many positive female role models, he said, in his experience there aren’t a whole lot of male teachers, which can make things hard for boys who can’t find guidance in the house.
To this end, Thiel spent much of his time volunteering with Big Brothers in the Squamish area during his time as an undergrad student.
He has since moved on, having started his own non-profit called the Swishin’ Mission, which aims to empower youth through basketball.
“Give back through what your skills are, and society will flourish,” he said.
Older male role models are getting harder to come by, said Ann Marie McKenzie, community manager for Big Brothers Sea to Sky.
She thinks this may be the result of the economic downturn that began in 2008.
Men who were looking to keep their jobs were probably putting in extra hours in order to prove their worth, cutting down on the time they had to volunteer with organizations like Big Brothers, she said.
Fortunately, younger adults from Quest such as Thiel stepped in to help fill the gap.
But you don’t have to be young to get involved. Sometimes just being young at heart is enough.
After retiring from a storied career, which included 25 years as a school principal, Ian Kent decided that he’d like to find a way to stay active and keep helping the community.
So the Squamish resident channelled his love of winter sports into a volunteer position for the Whistler Olympic Park, where he’s been active for four years.
“I was looking for something I would enjoy doing in the winter,” said Kent. “I like being in the outdoors.”
People visiting the area may be able to find Kent stomping on freshly-fallen snow, helping pack it so it doesn’t sink under the weight of the first round of snowshoers.
Visitors may also be able to find him setting up ski jumps, and if they’re lucky enough to participate in a biathlon event, Kent might just be the one helping them load their rifles.
“I probably enjoy the biathlon because it’s so different,” he said, naming his favourite event to work as a volunteer.
Around 53 per cent of the seasonal Volunteer Ambassadors with Whistler Olympic Park come from Squamish.
But Kent’s not the only retiree helping out around town.
Gillian Callard has been doing her part to assist a local women’s shelter that provides emergency transitional housing for victims of abuse.
Callard started helping raise funds for Howe Sound Women’s Centre, in part, because an out-of-town relative had to use a women’s shelter.
“I’m tremendously grateful that this person had the opportunity to find somewhere like that when she needed it most,” she said.
With that in mind, Callard has been working at Pearl’s Value and Vintage for about 18 months.
The store sells used items, and the cash goes to fund the Howe Sound centre’s day-to-day operations.
One of the reasons she was drawn to working in the store was because she wanted to participate in the community and give back.
“I think community is an extremely important thing that we have to expand, and we’ve lost a tremendous amount,” said Callard. “I think we need to get back to old values.”
Callard can often be found patrolling the aisles, tidying things up and greeting customers. It’s a place that she believes helps bring out the best in her.
“To have a place such as Pearl’s where you go in – it’s almost like smiling for four hours,” she said.
And speaking of smiling, at the Sea to Sky SPCA, there are plenty of furry reasons to flash a grin.
Sandy Meggyesi, the community council chair of the organization, knows this after helping a batch of orphaned puppies through a rough time.
The six dogs were just shy of five weeks old when they were admitted during a night when the five-year SPCA volunteer was working.
“They were scared and unsure and we’d be bathing them one at a time,” she said. “Just to see them look up at you unsure of what’s going on and then finally start to relax a little when they’re in a nice warm towel and they’re clean...it kind of makes you feel okay.”
Four of the puppies cuddled up together and went to sleep shortly after, but two were so stressed out they couldn’t rest.
So Meggyesi took them in her arms, set them upon her chest and held them close until they relaxed enough to drift to sleep.
“I sat there for about an hour with a towel around them to keep them warm just so that they could have that peace, knowing that they were being held and that they were safe,” she said.
Meggyesi initially started volunteering because she was driven by a desire to show appreciation for the community.
Having had pets since she was a kid, she jumped at the idea of helping out at the SPCA after she heard an ad on the radio for the organization.
She felt that animals in particular needed her help because she believed they were more vulnerable.
“Between kids and animals, those are the ones who don’t really have a voice,” she said.
“They’re where they are because of what happens or what we do to them.”
Five years later, she’s still at it and it doesn’t seem like she has any intention of slowing down.
She’s been busy putting in up to 10 hours a week helping out in day-to-day operations and co-ordinating fundraising events such as Whiskers and Wine and Paws for a Cause.
“I know volunteering doesn’t seem as rewarding at times,” said Meggyesi. “But the pay-it-forward thing really, really resonates with me. It feels good. I just sometimes wish I had more hours in the day to do more.”
