Community Safety is an All-ages Event –
Like any family, our Hastings Sunrise CPC family works best with a mix of generations. The energy of our younger volunteers is balanced with the wisdom and life experience of our elders.
We invite you to meet three of our valued volunteers – retired from their careers but still happy to help make their community safer, cleaner and more liveable.
Lily Gee was a public librarian for 40 years. She was also vice-president of her family cleaning business, and worked at many historic sporting events, including the 2010 Olympics women’s ice hockey gold medal game, the men’s final, and the last game of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.
These days she enjoys her garden, photography, and quality time with family and friends.
But Lily is not one to take it easy. For years she has diligently supported other seniors through her local neighbourhood house. In 2019 she joined the HSCPC as a volunteer.
“Volunteering helps us seniors as well,” says Lily. “It helps us stay safe and connected to our communities, to learn new skills and develop old ones. This helps seniors feel confident and capable.”
The benefits include better mental and physical health. She helps younger volunteers develop people skills and good teamwork.
“A senior can help contribute life experience in all these areas. We are a generation that is filled with experience and education.”
Kathy Mangan retired from a desk job with a major technology company and now spends as much time as she can on her feet, hiking and exploring local and far-flung trails. She joined the HSCPC in 2019.
Kathy is an anchor on our Community Cleanup Program, leading litter cleanup and graffiti paint-out efforts. More recently she has jumped right into our Road Safety program, and is often seen on Speed Watch or Cell Watch deployments, showing how to set up equipment or document observations.
She has logged more hours than any other volunteer this year.
“Hastings Sunrise is a wonderful area,” says Kathy. “I got involved with volunteering to help keep it a welcoming, supportive community. I’m single, so it provides interactions with others of all ages. It’s great to be exposed to younger people, hearing their thoughts and plans and opinions.”
Sangam, a Montrealer, had a long career in frontline public health. She joined the HSCPC as a volunteer in 2019 after walking by the office and seeing a Speed Watch poster. She was waved into the office by two friendly volunteers.
A favourite memory happened early on in her time with us. “I attended a training event with bomb detection dogs. It was so cool watching the dogs busy at work. And then, when the handler released them, all of a sudden they played like puppies and ran after a ball.”
During almost 500 hours of volunteering she has participated in Citizens Patrol, Road Safety, and Outreach events. “I also really like volunteering with the VPD doing distracted driving enforcement. One time a VPD plainclothes officer was pretending to be drunk while actually looking in vehicles checking for distracted driving. That memory sticks with me.”
As with Lily and Kathy, Sangam enjoys working with younger volunteers. “Volunteering connects with what I have to offer. I am a senior and the vast majority of volunteers are in their 20s. A lot of them are doing it as part of applying for a policing career. I am not doing it for the same reasons. It’s not like I am about to become a cop.
This is my neighbourhood. I would like to participate in keeping it safe. I also think that I have a lot to offer those youngsters. I have life experience and I worked on the frontlines.”
To learn about our volunteer opportunities, stop by the office, phone, or email us!