For about eight years, Brenda Mentis has been a steady presence at the Canadian Red Cross service centre in Truro, Nova Scotia. Not only does she assist people in her community by loaning them health equipment through the HELP program, but she does something else that’s just as important: she listens.
“People come in to the Red Cross to pick up equipment and they tell me their stories. Some people are lonely... everybody has a story and needs someone to listen to them,” says Brenda.
She has only positive things to say about her experience as a volunteer, from the friendships she has formed with staff and volunteers to the appreciative comments she receives from people who are thankful they can borrow equipment from the HELP program. “I just love it here. Everyone is so friendly and helpful!”
At first she wasn’t sure she could learn how to use the computer system, but with time, she has become much more comfortable with technology, so much so that she's helping train new volunteers. Brenda has also made new friends along the way and feels at home at the Red Cross.
Her volunteer involvement isn’t limited to the Red Cross; she’s also actively involved in her church and serves on the board of a local organization for people with disabilities.