On November 10, 2020, Circle of Care volunteers were celebrated and recognized at our Volunteer Recognition Event. The event, which has always been held in-person in previous years, was moved to a virtual format for the first time.
The event recognized the years of service of our volunteers, and featured a motivational talk by guest speaker Paul Rosen.
Paul spoke about how he discovered sledge hockey after a right leg amputation when he was 39. After intense training, he went on to win a gold medal for Canada at the 2006 Turin Paralympics as their goaltender. He became a celebrated athlete – his mask was displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and he received a Diamond Jubilee Medal. But Paul had developed an addiction to pain killers and alcohol and slipped into deep depression, even while putting on a brave face to continue giving motivational talks. After a failed suicide attempt, Paul hit rock bottom. He shared, with refreshing openness, his struggles with addiction and mental health, and how volunteerism helped turn his life around.
You can read more about Paul and his story here.
Thank you to Paul for sharing his story with us, and thank you to our outstanding and amazing volunteers for the incredible work they do in the community.
