*This week is National Volunteer Week, a time for the Canadian Red Cross to recognize our dedicated volunteers who donate their time and talents from coast to coast . Over the course of the week we will use this blog to share stories about our volunteers and the amazing work they do --a small sample of the outstanding individuals across the country.
North Bay, Ontario branch volunteer, Ken Cowie, always goes the extra mile for Red Cross – literally!
His car is not even a year-old and has about 45,000 km on it. Most of the mileage is time he has spent volunteering with Red Cross. He considers each kilometre as a donation to a cause that is important to him.
Most days, he drives 45 minutes to North Bay to help out with the branch’s transportation program which provides rides to the doctor or other appointments for seniors or other members of the community. He happily drives clients from North Bay to Sudbury, an hour away, for medical appointments, no questions asked.
“I really enjoy picking up the seniors because some of them are lonely and want someone to talk to,” he says. “What I like is they are so appreciative of the Red Cross. They can’t believe the Red Cross offers this service.”
As a member of the disaster management team, Ken has also responded to several disasters in the area, providing comfort and support to families in their moment of need. Sometimes you can find Ken out on the road in the middle of the night driving from his home in Mattawa to help a family who has lost everything in a house fire in Sturgeon Falls – a community 75 minutes away in good weather.
“As long as they want to talk we are a shoulder,” he says. “I am really appreciative of that part of it.”