We need to encourage people to volunteer and remove perceptions of “fear” that drive people away from this behaviour.
I remember years ago deciding I was going to pick up garbage along a street because nobody else was doing it. It appeared unloved. I remember and acknowledge the courage that it took to do so.
I remember that my biggest perceived fear was that of retaliation from the unions. I remember being motivated by seeing the seniors who walk Mount Douglas Park and Beach Drive in the early morning hours with their small garbage bags and safety gloves, picking up the debris. They had pride in their community. They had purpose.
I remember beginning my weekly garbage/graffiti walk in the early morning, years ago, and discovered that it gave me this same sense of purpose, this sense of helping to make a difference, this sense of connection. Indeed, it brought me deep and satisfying joy.
After a time, it started to feel like those weekly sojourns were almost becoming my church, my “church of community,” service, giving back, quiet leadership.
I remember the first time someone yelled out their car window and said thank you that it evoked an incredibly deep emotion in me and I started to cry. And I remember thinking: Why are our citizens in Victoria not as engaged as others? Why are we fearful?
I will never forget the day when a City of Victoria garbage-truck driver was driving down Bay Street in the early-morning hours and saw me struggling with an overloaded garbage bag. I remember him pulling over and removing it from me. He wasn’t worried that I was taking his job. He was grateful that I was pitching in.
I remember the profound joy that belonging to my neighbourhood anti-ivy league brought me. I remember after four years of volunteering with newfound, now lifelong, friends that the city started to assist us with our efforts.
I remember thinking “times, they are a-changin’.” It brought me hope.
How can we encourage and sustain this behaviour of working together? I thought of putting a tab on my website saying: “What did you do for your community today?” Perhaps I could then respond with a thank you, some encouragement and spread the word of the quiet, silent acts of neighbourhood generosity. (Tragically, I am an absolute luddite and I never did this.)
I remember my 2011 campaign slogan: “Engage, encourage, empower,” a call to action to say thank you to people who volunteer their energy and talents for the betterment of Victoria.
Recent headlines concern me, but today is a new beginning. I hope the city will see the importance of these acts of volunteerism and encourage it. Enable and empower us to work together to make this the best place that it can be. Thank us.
Fear eats away at community. Hope builds it. Say thank you when you witness random acts of volunteerism. We need to change the perception of “scarcity” in our city and move to “abundance.” I believe deeply that by working together we can achieve this.
Shellie Gudgeon is a business owner and former Victoria city councillor.
A Christmas challenge: At this time of year, the best gift is the one you give to someone else. What have you done to make our city a better place? Tell us about it, and we will print a selection of the responses in the Times Colonist.
