2013 Volunteer Awards Gala

Last night I was able to attend the second annual Volunteer Gala at Algonquin College. It was a beautiful, fun, and inspirational night. The event took place in the Student Commons which was completely transformed. All the orange chairs were pushed aside to setup a stage, tables and chairs. 

Before

After

The tables

All the tables featured beautiful centerpieces, linen and super modern chairs. I just loved how the space transformed!

I almost forgot to mention the food! It was all very good I defiantly did not go home hungry.There was a salad, then a chicken dish, and finished off with a delicious chocolate and strawberry cake for desert!  For the full menu and a list of winners please visit the SAO’s website. 

The evening was hosted by Brains4Breakfast, DJ Dario Petruzzi. After the meal he had a great speech about volunteering where he used a pool analogy to explain the different types of volunteers.

•  Those who are totally immerse
• Those who  wade in the waters they are half in and half out
• Those that wait on the edge and jump in after their friends
•  Those that walk by and think it’s lame 

Personally I would consider myself as a wader, half in half out. I became more active in volunteering since I started at Algonquin College, and after the gala I am motivated to continue helping out and volunteering as much as I can. I have meet a lot of great people and I hope to keep doing it all my life.

A group at the photo booth. 

 With such a formal atmosphere the night was far from stuffy with great music, an entertaining photo booth, and an impromptu performance by the Dominican Experience group. Even president Kent MacDonald took part in some of the fun.

There was also an announcement about the co-curricular record. This new record will allow students to track, record, and print their volunteer and leadership involvement affiliated with the college. This is an official document that will complement your transcript. To learn more about the co-curricular record visit the website and attend the official launch in the Student Commons April 8 at 11 a.m.

I just want to say congratulations to all the winners and nominees, and thank you for making Algonquin College a fun, exciting place to be.  Your volunteer efforts have brought celebrities to the school, introduced us to different cultures, and helped others explore Ottawa, so thank you.

I noticed an interesting trend that half of the winners got their start as student leaders, and take part in the community projects hosted by the SAO.  There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer and get involved on campus. If you put your self out there you never know what good will come from it, who knows you could be a winner at next year’s volunteer gala.

- SAO blogger Sarah Raphael  

Community Projects March

I expected to walk into this community project and hear another great life story from an elder like last time. But, this time I was taught how to mold my own story and gained some direction and clarity about my next steps after graduation this spring. I never expected to learn so much about myself during this volunteer project, but I did.

Sarah and Nora with journaling workshop leader Beryl.

This was a very different experience from the last volunteer session with seniors. I found that we were opening up to each other in a completely different way, and sharing our life experiences around a hobby. I was placed in a group that focused on journaling.

The journaling session was led by Beryl. She had us think and discuss what the word legacy meant to us. To her it meant “living my life every day so that people know who I am”. I have really never thought about life this way and she asked us to think, if I were gone tomorrow will the people in my life remember what I was truly like?

Students in the music section preforming what they learned.

It sparked a lot of interesting conversations about the differences between youth and seniors, life lessons, and life journeys. Beryl stated one thing she has noticed is how youth tend to live more externally worrying about looks, actions, and possessions. In contrast seniors live more internally thinking about their life, regrets, changes that could be made, and the memories that they leave behind.

To open our minds we did some journaling exercises where we were timed and had to write everything that came to mind when we saw different photos.  The next exercise we were asked to select a card and answer the question written on it. I was surprised that they question I chose was closely related to my life. For the last exercise we paired up and had to tell our partner what our legacy would be. I found this really difficult and I realized I was not used to talking to someone for two minutes straight with no interruptions. We then wrote our answers down and placed them in a sealed envelope to read at a later date. I’m not sure if I’ll ever read that letter, but I’m glad I wrote it.

Students in the scrapbooking workshop.

There were two other groups that explored different hobbies with exercises lead by other seniors. One group discussed music while another group explored scrapbooking. I was really glad I had the chance to see what everyone did in their groups, and it looked like everyone enjoyed this hobby fair as much as I did.

This opportunity was made possible by the SAO and HelpAgeCanada. They are a not-for-profit organization committed to bettering the lives of seniors across Canada. One of its’ goals is to create more opportunities for youth and seniors to spend time together, and that is where this month’s Community Project comes in. Also, I'd like to send a special thank you to The Utilitarian House for having us and sharing their hobbies!

There are different Community Projects every month with the SAO to get students involved in Volunteer opportunities around Ottawa. Don’t miss your chance to give back and add unique experiences to your resume and your life.

- SAO Blogger Sarah Raphael 

Welcome Home Dominican Experience!

On Tuesday I took a tour of the Dominican Experience students display in the student commons. It looks like they all enjoyed themselves completely! I had a great time talking to the students about their trip, the people they met, and the things they learned. All of the students I talked to had a great time and said that the trip really changed their perspective on life. it was funny to see that they were almost just as excited to hang out with each other as they were to share their experience.

"I thought I was going to change the kids but they changed me. I learned to be happy with what I have because they are happy and they have a lot less then I do," says Jordon MacLean a Dominican Experience participant.

The students were working in a Dominican school teaching English, health, art, and physical activity to various groups of local children. School runs for half the day, so around noon our students would received a new batch of kids. They were each responsible for running differently themed stations to focus on different skills with the children. Some students were group leaders, and ushered groups of children from station to station.

One of the students bought a Dominican flag from the market and had all the other students on the trip sign it and write messages. He had the flag on display in the student commons. It was really cool to read the comments and it's such a great idea for a unique souvenir for a life changing trip! I may have to borrow that idea if I ever get to go on a trip like this. There were great displays that really showed how much fun they had and how they have come together as a group

I know when they first left they were very nervous, excited, and anxious. It was great to see that they had fun and that this experience is something they will carry forward in their lives. Some of them were talking about doing it again next year, and all of them have caught the travel bug.

From talking to them and see what they brought back it's obvious that this was a huge part of their college experience and they highly recommend this for other students.

To hear more about their experiences check out the Dominican Experience blog!

- SAO blogger Sarah Raphael