VIDEO: Volunteering, What's the Point? - A Digital Story by Steven

Digital Story co-created with Kristy Wolfe

Former Board Chair, Steven Scott, shares his experience with the Canmore Hospital Foundation.

Video Transcript:

I joined the Canmore Hospital Foundation knowing nothing. Going in with no expectations was the best thing I could have done.

Growing up in Toronto my dad always made sure to volunteer for any of the teams that my brother or I played on. When the local community needed someone to step up in the winter ,to flood the community outdoor rink, he was there for that. I don’t think I understood at the time that this was “volunteering,” this was just being a dad in my eyes.

Fast forward, I began my career in the world of finance and investing. I always liked numbers and I enjoyed learning about people. I took my skill with numbers and used it to provide solutions for people with financial worries who didn’t know what to do. 

My first experience volunteering in Canmore, that my company encouraged me to do, showed me that there was a real, intangible, benefit to volunteering. I didn’t want to just sign up for the first thing that came along. What I wanted was something that would make a difference in the community, but also be something that I believed in.

I have a client who is a big volunteer in the community who believes in giving back. He was on the board of the Canmore Hospital Foundation and he approached me to see if I would consider joining the board. He knew the board really didn’t have anyone with a knowledge of investing and it would be an important perspective as the foundation grew.

This was a cause I believed in, I could be passionate about, and would have an impact on every member of the Canmore community, from cradle to grave.

After accepting a board position I got a crash course in the provincial health care system. I moved from trustee to secretary to Chair of the board in three short years. When I look back on the time I have put in it amazes me to think of where we started and how far we have come. As a group we have accomplished things that many would have thought impossible.

Organizations like the Canmore Hospital Foundation thrive on the strength of their volunteers and the rewards repay you tenfold over the effort you put in. 

When my final term has come to a close my hope is there are two or three members of the community who will step up to take my place. 

Is this your time?