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Spotlight on Volunteers

Robyn Magee - WOW—can you believe it’s finally happened? Pathways is pleased to announce the appointment of Robyn Magee (those of you who volunteered for Pathways to Wine, know her very well!) as our new VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR. She did such an absolutely fabulous job on Pathways to Wine that the board and staff at Pathways couldn’t bear to see her go! Learn more about her! With a teaching background (University of Saskatchewan – Teacher’s College - Saskatoon), Robyn has become a professional volunteer.  She has been involved in many organizations such as Big Sisters, Huntley Youth Services, numerous school councils and guilds, Interguild, teaching assistant, Cubs/Scouts, Whitchurch Stouffville Food Bank (co-founder), food bank network, Hospice, Special Olympics York Region, Stouffville Strawberry Festival and Markham Stouffville Hospital. Her main interest is in helping families and youth.  With this in mind, Robyn came to Pathways through the Outreach Committee of the Olive Branch Church to help where needed. After working with Pat Lee as Co-chair volunteer coordinator of Pathways to Wine, Robyn was delighted when she was asked to stay. Her philosophy to life is very simple – put more in the glass than you take out. Every service organization needs volunteers so her mandate is to make volunteering a positive experience for all.  Everyone is encouraged to contact her with any ideas or suggestions regarding volunteers.

Ann Boyle -in her own words

I have been involved with Pathways for 14 years…… This is the story of the “How’s the Why’s and the Wherefore’s” of that involvement. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin!!!! Once upon a time an Early Childhood Educator (ECE.) worked in a local nursery school. Upon the completion of 20 happy and challenging years she left….and sat around for one year…...missing all the little ones and their parents and her staff, thinking about what she could do next. When lo and behold, in the Markham newspaper, there appeared an invitation from an agency called “The Markham Neighbourhood Support Services,” asking for volunteers to help in a Parent Child Resource Centre. (P.C.R.C.) What a wonderful opportunity,” Volunteering is an excellent Way to Grow” exclaimed the E.C.E. practitioner, and she immediately applied for the position. And the rest, as they say, is history! That was May 1994. I was thrilled to find this programme that had the “stay at home parent” as its focus. Parenting is often a lonely, challenging, and yes, scary time for young parents. Help offered to them in the form of opportunities for their children to mix with other children, learning important skills as they go, and having fun, and for the parents (or anyone who has the responsibility for caring for children in their early years) to meet other adults and receive support in a caring and stress free environment, often pays dividends down the road. The caregiver is more relaxed, knowing that support is at hand, the children are happier as they look forward to going to their play group every week. Every one wins! After approximately one year volunteering in this much needed and well supported community programme, a job   opportunity arose there, so I applied for the position of programme coordinator. How lucky can a person be? A wonderful community service, which I wholeheartedly support, small children whom I love, young parents to interact with and support on their journey as they enhance their parenting skills and fantastic staff to work with. WOW!  That was in 1995.  After nine happy and fulfilling years of working, (and playing!!) in the Early Learning Centre for the agency now called Pathways at the 70 Main St Markham site. I retired. TAH DAH! Over the years the names and the locations have changed, but the focus on early childhood development, enhancing  parenting skills, helping and supporting, has not. So here I am, back at the beginning of my story……. I have been volunteering (again) for the past 5 years, on a part time basis, helping Pathways to fulfill their mandate to the        community……….. Caring for Children, Youth and Families of York Region. On a personal note. I immigrated to Canada in 1968 with my husband Terry. We moved to Markham in 1971, when the population was 16,000! We have four children, six grandchildren, with another one expected in July. Lucky 7! Hurrah for babies, they are a great way to grow people!! And that’s all folks.

Susan Climo, found her way to helping out at Home Base in the fall of 2007 through the best route possible:  a hearty personal recommendation!   Susan is a student at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, enrolled in their four-year M.Div. (Masters of Divinity) program, which leads to ordained ministry in the Lutheran church.  Currently in her third year of  studies, she is completing a nine-month full-time internship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Richmond Hill.  One key component of that internship is a commitment of one half-day weekly to social ministry in the wider community; two members at St. Paul’s are volunteers at Home Base, and the congregation collects food and  toiletries for the centre year-round, so it seemed only natural for Susan to follow the whole church’s lead and get involved herself. Susan spends every Monday afternoon at Home Base, and she tells us this weekly visit has become a very satisfying and fun part of her routine.  While she’s there she enjoys helping with the weekly grocery shopping, preparing dinner, and just relaxing with the centre’s clients and staff, watching movies or playing pool (very badly!)  “There’s a real sense of community at Home Base – you can tell the staff care about the youth who come in,” Susan tells us.  “That’s what I most value, and that’s what keeps me coming back every week.”  When she has free time (a rare thing for a seminary student), Susan can be found at home with her husband and their two sweet, rambunctious dogs.  She enjoys singing, listening to jazz music, cheering on her beloved Toronto Blue Jays and practicing her newfound passion – tap dancing!