Debbie Hubbard has been volunteering for most of her life and is currently sharing her time and skills with four diverse organizations. She has spent most of her life on Treaty 6 territory in north central Saskatchewan and Alberta, moving to 麻豆AV in 2016 with her husband. Debbie loves to travel and has travelled extensively globally. She also volunteered for three months as a human rights observer in Palestine. As she is retired, she feels she has the time to share, but she also recognizes that everyone needs productive activity.
鈥淚鈥檝e been blessed and gifted in my life and part of my responsibility as a citizen and a person of faith is to give back,鈥� explains Debbie. 鈥淢y life has been changed by the people I meet and the interactions we have.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 very involved with Amnesty International - Okanagan and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East 鈥� Okanagan,鈥� says Debbie. 鈥淚 am also very involved in reconciliation work through my church and my husband鈥檚 Rotary Club. At Metro Community I work in the Hygiene Center doing laundry for people who live outside.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e learned that I鈥檓 very privileged and I鈥檝e taken some of my privilege and abundance in my life for granted,鈥� states Debbie. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that everybody that I serve at Metro needs community and compassion and also have a great sense of humour so they make me laugh a lot.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e learned to not take myself and the situations in my life so seriously,鈥� adds Debbie. 鈥淚鈥檝e also learned that that I should say thank you more often to the people who serve me in my everyday life.
I鈥檝e been volunteering at Metro for over two years and can only count a few times that I have not been thanked for doing laundry.鈥�
Debbie鈥檚 commitment to her community is evident on so many levels. She facilitates Truth & Reconciliation Circles where groups of people meet to read and discuss the Truth & Reconciliation Committee鈥檚 report and the 94 Calls to Action. As part of Amnesty International-Okanagan she and others are passionate about upholding and protecting human right both locally and globally and they are active hosting a variety of events in the community every year to promote this message.
Debbie credits volunteering with helping her to not take herself and the situations in her life so seriously and encourages everyone to step out into the community to help. 鈥淛ust start. Find one issue or organisation that you鈥檙e curious about, look around you and find an opportunity.鈥� To find your opportunity to volunteer, check out www.volunteerconnector.org or contact us at KCR Community Resources (www.kcr.ca). We are happy to help you find the right position for you.
Dorothee Birker is the communications and development coordinator for KCR Community Resources. If you are interested in sharing your volunteer or organizational news, please contact Dorothee at dorothee@kcr.ca.
Like us on and follow us on .
