Volunteering Throughout Life
People often think volunteering means giving something up, but often people find they actually gain through the experience! This concept has no better example than Ray. For Ray, volunteering isn’t just a way to give back, it’s a way of life, and it’s been that way for over 50 years. He shares, “My wife and I taught our kids that we give back. As simple as that.”
Now semi-retired and living in Duncan, Ray still finds joy in the small-town rhythm; chatting with people at the coffee shop, cracking jokes, and making sure those in need feel seen. As a social person, volunteering provides him with an outlet to engage with the community and continue doing the good work he’s always loved. “I need to talk to people. That’s who I am,” he smiles. It’s about connection. It always has been.
Ray has supported the community throughout his life, from being one of the first 20 supporters of Greenpeace in Vancouver, to coaching softball and soccer, as well as taking part in Scouts and Cubs. He is now actively supporting various events such as the recent Homeless Nights event, and programs including United Way BC’s Emergency Transit Assistance Program (ETAP), delivering free transit tickets to local agencies.
Having only started volunteering for United Way BC’s ETAP in September 2024, Ray has already contributed 21 hours to supporting the program! Ray supports the ETAP based out of United Way BC’s Central and Northern Vancouver Island office in Nanaimo. This program provides transit vouchers to agencies and allows people in need to use public transportation for emergency needs, employment, education, medical, dental, social recreation, food, and shelter.
Supporting the Community
When he’s out making deliveries to local agencies he feels like “the Candy Man,” not for sweets, but for the way he delivers something just as meaningful: free transit tickets, a smile, and encouragement. “I might only be in their life for a split second, just long enough to say, ‘You’re doing something good. Keep going.’”
He’s seen the challenges his community faces, and he approaches people in need not with judgment, but with compassion. He recalls one evening giving a man a pair of clean socks and a juice box instead of money. “He went away happy, it was worth about a hundred thousand bucks,” Ray shares. “All you want to do is enhance what they’ve got. Can you do it?”
Ray carries this mentality when it comes to volunteering, it doesn’t need to be grand or complicated. His advice? Keep it simple, but show up. “Even just a few hours a month makes a difference. Just put your hand up and see what happens,” he encourages.
At the heart of it, Ray doesn’t do this for recognition or reward. “At the end of the day, you go to bed tired because you did something good,” he shares. He believes we all have a role to play, and he’s quick to remind people that making a positive impact doesn’t require a resume or a paycheck. It just takes heart, “you only go around once. You better do it right.”
Continuing the Kindness
Into his retirement, he continues his passion for volunteering and uses it as a way to stay active, “some people get to retirement and stop. But me? I’m not going to stop.” Ray has chosen a path of movement, community, and kindness throughout his life. “Volunteering is an active way of participating without taking too much time or effort. But the results? They’re outstanding,” he smiles.
Ray’s message is clear: volunteering matters, and not just to the people being helped but to the volunteers themselves. “It’s good for your heart, and it’s good for the community.” He hopes more people will follow suit. “People think they don’t have time. But you could volunteer at a music festival, an art show, something you’d enjoy. Just start.”
In the larger picture, volunteering with United Way BC has brought Ray fulfillment, “I’m not rich, but I’m happy. And that’s more important.”