Quadra Village Community Centre’s (QVCC) Community Programs Coordinator Charmaine Koenig worked at the Garth Homer Society for two years and says leaving her casual position was a hard decision to make, until she realized she could take a little bit of Garth Homer (so to speak) with her.
“When some of the staff said they volunteered at QVCC, I took that as an opportunity to maintain a connection with a lot of Garth Homer clients,” she explains.
Charmaine oversees the food distribution and community support programs offered by QVCC, many of which are supported by Garth Homer volunteers Monday through Friday. For example, Monday sees Garth Homer’s Discovery team delivering baked goods and watering plants, while someone from the STARR program picks up and recycles bottles. The OPTIONS team cleans toys for QVCC’s out of school care program on Fridays. These are just some of the contributions GHS volunteers make at QVCC.
“They are helping out in so many different and amazing ways,” marvels Charmaine. “It’s really nice to have a team of people who are engaged and motivated to do this kind of work. [Our centre benefits from] that kind of energy.”
Volunteers have even given themselves a nickname, ‘the Garth Homies’, and are known for always wanting to do — and provide — more. One teaches QVCC staff sign-language as part of their visit. “Our community is better because of not just who they are, but because of their knowledge and expertise,” adds Charmaine.
Both Garth Homer Society and QVCC share similar visions and core values, making the partnership strong. Each strive for a world where everyone has the capacity, resources, support and opportunities to reach their potential.
