Volunteering: A Daily Celebration

Volunteer driver Edith Wiega celebrates the arrival of a new Red Cross van, purchased thanks to an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant, with fellow volunteers John Robertson (right) and Board Chair Campbell Reeves.

When is a grant more than a grant?

When it’s a friendly face, a resource in a time of need, or a trusted friend—thanks to the effort and commitment of volunteers.

For over 37 years Edith Wiega has been such a volunteer, transporting isolated seniors and people with disabilities in Oakville.

Recounting how she first got “hooked” on volunteering for the Canadian Red Cross Society, back in 1966, she says simply, “They asked if anyone could drive, and I’ve been driving ever since.”

Edith and her Red Cross colleagues recently celebrated the newest member of the Red Cross fleet: a new van, purchased with a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. For Edith, volunteering is a daily celebration.

“I meet so many people in my community. We become like a second family to service users. When I drive people, they feel more secure— that’s very rewarding.”

After nearly four decades, Edith has no plans to stop volunteering any time soon. When asked how long she’ll continue, she proudly declares, “As long as God lets me and they don’t take my driver’s license away!”