The motivation that drives Heart and Stroke volunteers

January 18, 2018 at 2:58 pm

Volunteers for Heart and Stroke helped new and returning volunteers get canvassing packages Photo by Robert Champagne

BELLEVILLE – The Heart and Stroke Foundation went looking for more local volunteers in Belleville on Wednesday night.

The foundation held a rally at St. Theresa’s Catholic High School.

In the Belleville area there are approximately 500 volunteers according to Cory Watkins, the area manager for Kingston and Belleville. There are about 1100 in total under his responsibility.

QNet News wanted to know what motivates people to volunteer for the Heart and Stroke foundation.

Marg O’Hara has been a volunteer for 34 years. She helped to start the Heart and Stroke organization in Belleville.

“I realized how much it helps people,” said O’Hara about her motivation to start volunteering.

“I have been canvassing every year, my same street […] and people look for me.”

Over her 34 year tenure as a volunteer there may of been many accomplishments, but her greatest accomplishment is “seeing people get the held they need.”

“I just lost my brother-in-law on Christmas day, he was 41 when he had his first heart attack, 42 when he had his bypass and he died in his 79th year. With all the research and medication that they came up with and all the different things that they do […] it really helps and it was nice that my sister-in-law got to have him for so many years.”

We also spoke with the Belleville area coordinator, Sandra Barnes, to learn her motivations behind volunteering for Heart and Stroke.

“There is a very personal story about that,” said Barnes.

“My Dad had a heart attack when he was only 48, as a result he had brain damage, it was a global brain injury.”

“The second reason was my husband, he had a sudden cardiac arrest while we were square dancing and as a result he too was in hospital for a few years. He passed away just three years ago.”