Why I volunteer - and how you can get involved too

I’ve always been passionate about giving back wherever I can. What can I say? I really do want to make a difference before I die. When I was teenager, for example, I volunteered many hours at hospitals, spending time with children who were ill or helping out healthcare professionals with their patients. I don’t say all this to make myself look good, by the way. I just know how much it’s meant to me when I’ve had a kind word or a caring hand, and when I can, I just want to pay it forward.

Now that I’m a pelvic health physiotherapist, I’m feeling that call to give back in my area of expertise. Turns out, there’s a significant need for health care services of all kinds for people who are in a lower socioeconomic circumstance and are disadvantaged when it comes to access to care. (Yep, even in Canada.) That’s why, since I’ve moved back to Vancouver,  I’ve been volunteering my pelvic health physio services to people who can’t access my speciality care because of cost or other factors, despite needing them desperately. These clients include people who are homeless and living in shelters while pregnant, and people who have recently fought substance abuse. Some have left abusive relationships and are seeking postpartum care, while other people became pregnant due to sexual violence. Each of these people has a story to tell, and they all deserve the very best care we can offer them.

I can’t even begin to tell you how impactful and meaningful these hours of volunteering have been to me. I love my job as a pelvic health physiotherapist and a clinic owner, but I became a health care worker because I wanted to help other people and care for them. Volunteering like this is what keeps me going, and makes me realize we can help each other. There is hope in this world, even in small gestures like taking an afternoon off work and giving a few hours of time to serve someone else.

I’d love to have you join me! Whether you’re a healthcare worker or just someone who feels moved by this need, I’d love to build a volunteer community together. If you’re interested, email me or DM me on Instagram and we’ll get connected. There’s so much work to be done, and I’d love to do it together.