Rosebridge Manor volunteer an ‘ambassador’ for home
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Kathleen Empey has volunteered at Rosebridge Manor in Jasper for 26 years.

The 87-year-old retired nurse says she doesn’t know what she would do if she would do if she couldn’t be a volunteer.

“It’s wonderful,” Empey says when asked how she enjoys her work. “It is something I would really miss if I couldn’t do it. As long as I am able, I will do it. I really enjoy it.”

National Volunteer Week is being held from April 15-21. The day is aimed at acknowledging Canadians who give their time to help others in their communities. The week will be honoured by a number of events held from coast to coast.

Long-term care homes are always seeking volunteers. With so many people in the workforce, Empey says care homes rely heavily on retired people to serve as volunteers.

One problem facing a home like Rosebridge, Empey says, is that it’s located in a small village. Jasper is about 90 km south of Ottawa, and Empey says that many of the home’s volunteers have to drive in from surrounding areas. However, she notes that once people start volunteering the drive into town is worth it.

“If people got interested in it, they wouldn’t mind the drive,” she says.

Empey acknowledges that some people are wary about volunteering in long-term care homes because of the work it involves.

“A lady said to me ‘I don’t know how you do it,’” she says. “I told her that some day it could be me in the home.”

Kathy Barr, Rosebridge’s life enrichment co-ordinator, says Empey – like all volunteers – is a valuable asset to the home.

“I can always count on her being there for staff and residents,” she says. “She’s a positive influence in the home. She’s a great ambassador for Rosebridge.”

Barr points out that Empey has a unique gift when it comes to getting residents to participate in activities. She says some residents don’t like to attend activities, but when Empey asks them to attend they often change their minds.

“Kathleen will go ask them and the next thing you know we’ll see her wheeling the person in,” she says.

While Empey is grateful there is a week set aside to honour volunteers, she emphasizes that she doesn’t volunteer to receive recognition. The recognition she gets, she says, comes from making residents at the long-term care home happy.

“I don’t do it for recognition,” she says. “If I bring a smile to a resident’s face, that’s my recognition.”

Anyone interested in volunteering at Rosebridge Manor can call the home for information at (613) 283-5471.