Every volunteer has a reason...This is Chantelle's
Every volunteer has a reason...This is Chantelle's
Like most charities and not-for-profits, Waypoint has a group of tremendous
volunteers. Their work in the gift shop, on our patient units and at special events provides an invaluable service to the hospital and our patients. What sets Waypoint’s special event volunteers apart is the fact that most of them are also Waypoint staff. After working all week they are still more than willing to donate their personal time to help run our fundraising events, ultimately benefiting our patients.
One of those volunteers is Chantelle Shervill. By day, she is the Manager of Medical Affairs, working in the office of our Psychiatrist-in-Chief, but after work hours, she is a fundraising volunteer extraordinaire.
It all started with Chantelle’s desire to make a difference – in her life and the lives of others.
In 2012, Chantelle had a goal to become healthier, and took advantage of several offerings from Waypoint’s Wellness Program to help her along that path. It was a learn to run clinic that really changed her life and led her on a path to becoming a life-long runner.
Chantelle discovered that running made her happy, provided much needed stress release and helped her get physically and mentally well. And she knew it likely would not have happened if this opportunity hadn’t been offered through work.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without the gift of Waypoint’s Wellness Program, and so I wanted to do something to give back.”
Chantelle launched her Move to Give Campaign in 2016. She planned to raise funds and awareness in support of Waypoint by running the Niagara Falls International Marathon. She shared her training on a blog and donations poured in from all over the province – and in the end, Chantelle raised nearly $2,000 for patient care.
But Chantelle didn’t just concentrate on that one campaign, while training for her own marathon she also helped plan Waypoint’s own Mental Health in Motion – a run, walk, yoga event in September, helping the hospital raise an additional $16,000.
Like most of our volunteers, Chantelle continues to give her time on a regular basis, and most recently helped out at our annual fundraising dinner An Evening with Séan McCann.
When asked why she volunteers she shares, “I believe wholeheartedly in the care we provide to our patients, families and staff. It is my belief that if every single person helped in some small way, that collectively we can have a huge impact.” She also encourages others to give it a try saying the time you give comes back to you two-fold in seeing the difference you can make in someone’s life.