Volunteer Profiles
Why volunteer?
There is no single correct answer to this question. Volunteering is a very personal experience
and only you can decide if it is for you or not. I can only share my own experiences.
After working in the IT industry for more than 15 years, and the final few years living with Parkinson’s,
18 months ago I finally came to the hard conclusion that it was time to on go full time disability.
The first year was difficult decompressing from the stress of work and trying to find a purpose for the future.
It was then I contacted the Parkinson’s Society of Southern Alberta (PSSA) to offer my services in re-writing the current PSSA website.
The new staff at the PSSA was very open to this proposal and we were able to find a volunteering
opportunity that suited my skills and filled a growing requirement for PSSA now and in the future.
The reason I first entered the IT industry was the passion I had for developing software.
That passion has now returned and I am much happier to be able to continue doing some development without the stress
and pressure from a work-related environment.
I am able to work at home, work at my own pace with realist and flexible deadlines. I feel that I am now able
to give back to the community and to PSSA in my own special way.
If you are thinking of volunteering, then talk to PSSA and find the right fit between your skills and
the needs of the Society. If it's a skill that you have a passion for then you will probably be much happier
volunteering in a flexible, enjoyable environment. Don’t be afraid to think "outside of the box" and talk to PSSA,
as you may offer something that the PSSA may not have thought was available given the current labor market in Alberta.
Every Day You Can Do Something Better
We were thrilled when Dana Heise agreed to volunteer with PSSA to
help us organize the Hope Conference 2008. She is the Marketing and
Communications Coordinator for Mount Royal College. Her father has
Parkinson’s so her affiliation with us is a personal one.
Her motivation was straightforward, “how can I help support an association
that may help my Dad?”. Her father was diagnosed with both
Parkinson’s and Diabetes and she decided to help PSSA because of the
impact the disease will have on her father’s quality of life and also
because her skill set was needed.
She found the Hope conference to be a perfect fit with her own interests. She loves the thrill of witnessing
plans come together and pulled off flawlessly. She is also not one to walk away from a challenge in that,
“it’s more fun to do something great with a restricted budget”.
With volunteering Dana is able to live her motto of “every day you can do something better”. She is hoping
that by sharing her story she encourages other people to donate their expertise and time because, “it can help
the bottom line of the Society and help the organization do more.”