National Volunteer Week Profile: Loretto Goddue

Topics: National, British Columbia and Yukon, Volunteer
April 08, 2014

This week, the Canadian Red Cross celebrates all volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 6-12, 2014.   
 
Ninety-year-old Loretto Goddue started volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross in 1996, a year after her husband passed away. One of Loretto’s friends volunteered with the Red Cross at the time and suggested that she get involved. Loretto then began offering her services, helping with accounting at the Red Cross office in Victoria, British Columbia.
 
A few years later, Loretto joined Red Cross staff as the office’s accountant. She resumed this role until three years ago, when she suffered a stroke that left her partially blind.
 
However, that hasn’t stopped Loretto from volunteering with the Red Cross. Today, she continues to volunteer about an hour each day. Her duties have shifted from accounting to more administrative tasks, such as folding newsletters that keep donors informed of Red Cross activities and distributing mail for the office.  
 
“Loretto is just an amazing woman and so inspirational,” says Kimberley Nemrava, Canadian Red Cross Director for British Columbia and Yukon.
 
“I enjoy going there every day,” says Loretto. “It’s part of my life and there’s no way I’d give it up,” she adds.
 
It is because of volunteers like Loretto, that the Canadian Red Cross is able to deliver services to the most vulnerable communities from coast to coast across Canada.

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