‘If everyone gives a little, we all benefit a lot,’ says Christy, who volunteers with her husband, Bill
- These columns are written by staff from The Lighthouse to help the community better understand people experiencing homelessness and those who support them. This column appears every other Monday.
In Orillia, generosity is more than just a word — it’s a way of life.
As a non-profit, The Lighthouse sees this in action every day. Whether it’s through time, talents or financial support, the people of this community step up to care for people who are experiencing homelessness.
Two people who have a significant impact in our community are Christy and Bill. For the past four years, this dedicated couple has been a vital part of The Lighthouse volunteer team. Their commitment and compassion demonstrate a vibrant belief in the power of community.
The first year after Christy retired, Bill and Christy took time to travel and enjoy their newfound freedom. But it didn’t take long for Christy to feel something was missing.
“My closets were cleaned out, but I wasn’t getting my people fix, so I started looking for things to do and applied to be a volunteer at The Lighthouse,” she said. “When I heard back, The Lighthouse was ready for us to get involved in setting things up before participants came to the new shelter on Queen Street.”
Christy initially became involved by volunteering in the kitchen, and then shifted to the welcome desk and began helping in the housing office and with administration. She’s also been involved on committees for The Lighthouse’s fundraising events (Coldest Night of the Year, the gala and the golf tournament) and at booths representing The Lighthouse in the community.
“Despite the challenges of not always being able to change the situations people are in, the environment is great,” Christy shared. “The people who work here, the volunteers who come — it’s a very supportive environment. You feel like you’re in a good space.”
Bill started volunteering shortly after Christy.
“My wife told me to come because I needed something to do,” he said with a smile. “I’m here for physical fitness. I need something that is going to get me up in the morning so that I’m around for a long time yet. I want to be active.”
Bill started volunteering on the maintenance team in addition to helping out with errands and events as needed. Now, he’s mostly involved in the kitchen, including picking up a weekly bread donation from one of our community partners, COBS Bread Bakery.
“The good thing is that The Lighthouse is flexible enough and there are a variety of roles, so anyone can find a way to volunteer,” Christy said. “There is some aspect that you can help in your community, and you can find it here, whether it’s indoor, outdoor, behind the scenes, or with people or not. There’s something for every personality.”
As their interests and health have changed, so have their volunteer roles. Together, they now give about 30 hours each week at The Lighthouse, a remarkable gift of time.
Volunteering together has long been part of Bill’s and Christy’s lives, and they’ve been involved in a variety of organizations.
“We have fun, and we love it. The Lighthouse is a strong community support. It’s not just for the people who are staying here.”
They are glad to be part of the difference The Lighthouse is making in the community, and they are involved in training new volunteers in the organization.
“We wear the volunteer shirts with pride, and we’re always happy to talk to people about The Lighthouse. We do good work here.”
When asked what they’ve learned about homelessness since they started volunteering, Bill shared, “It’s such a complex issue that it makes it hard to solve.”
“You don’t realize all the complexities until you start to listen to the stories. It’s deeper than I thought. I mostly thought it was just because of addiction, but there are so many other factors,” Christy added. “Homelessness is a community issue that needs to be addressed more broadly. It’s not one area that can fix it — money, government, social workers, or doctors. We all have to be involved, and we have to have the support systems, mental health supports, finances, and housing available for people. Each person’s situation is different. There are some people that you wouldn’t ever expect to be on the homelessness spectrum, and yet they’re really struggling, and sometimes silently.”
To anyone who is considering getting involved, Bill and Christy encourage them to do it.
“I think it’s really important for everyone to give a little bit for their community. If everyone gives a little, we all benefit a lot,” Christy said.
“We have time to give,” Bill said, “and you take something from it, too.”
“We have made great new friends from being here with the other volunteers and staff,” Christy added.
At The Lighthouse, we are deeply grateful for volunteers like Christy and Bill. Their dedication is helping to build a thriving community in Orillia where everyone has hope, home and a future.
Interested in volunteering? Reach out to Donna, volunteer supervisor, at donna@orillialighthouse.ca.
Linda Goodall is the former executive director at The Lighthouse. For further information contact Dale Rowe, Executive Director at dale@orillialighthouse.ca
Rosemary Petersen is the managing director at The Lighthouse and can be reached at rosemary@orillialighthouse.ca.