A life dedicated to building community starts during the formative years of childhood. We learn our values by example from our parents and grandparents. Many families in our area have set examples for the young people in their lives through their volunteerism at Boyle McCauley News. In some cases, the children have become volunteers themselves at the paper, while others are leading lives with community-minded values in other areas.

In the early days of the paper, the McKeon-Amerongen family helped out in many respects. Bob, featured in our last issue, is still actively involved as a carrier.

Kate Quinn and John Kolkman have also been involved with the paper for a very long time. Both are often contributors, and deliver each issue of the paper. Their two sons, while no longer living in McCauley, also used to help out with deliveries. As well, when Brendan and David became old enough they volunteered for the casinos that support the paper.

Laura and Ron Berezan both wrote for the paper. They and their children helped make McCauley a better place. Youngest daughter Mairin even used to write movie reviews for us. The entire clan moved to B.C. last year and they are very much missed.

The John-West family has lived in McCauley, Boyle Street, and now Norwood, but still deliver the paper for us. In the beginning, Liz and Geoff would take their infant children along with them. As their three girls got older, they would take a more active role in delivering the paper. We still love seeing them all at our volunteer appreciation events!

Larry and Betti Brockman and their boys are long-term volunteers as block carriers, serving on the board, and with our casinos.
Some of our newer volunteers are also continuing a long-standing tradition of role-modeling volunteerism for their children. Dan Glugosh and Grace Kuipers help keep us updated on the sports going on in the area (activities at the rink and soccer, respectively). Their two young boys are very involved in community sports and have also contributed their artwork to the paper.

Thank you to everyone who volunteers! Our community benefits immensely from your contributions.

Volunteerism definitely runs in the Nixon-Hermansen family – they have three generations of volunteers living within blocks of each other in McCauley. Tim Nixon has been on our board for a number of years (and was Chair for a couple of them) and is a block carrier who sometimes delivers the paper with one or more of his grandchildren in tow. His daughter Kylee is on our Editorial Committee, sometimes writes for us, and is also a block carrier. When she delivers the paper, she may be accompanied by any combination of her three young children and husband Nick, who has also been an occasional contributor and Ed Com member. Nick is also Vice President of the McCauley Community League.

Shauna Forsyth, a dedicated volunteer for our casinos, has recently been involved with the Friends of Church Street, and has helped organize the Sacred Heart Community Sober Dances. Her granddaughter Kiana even sings at the dances! Shauna served as the chair of Amity House and for the dance club. We could also count on her daughter Melany’s help whenever needed, prior to her moving to Calgary.

We know these families personally because of their involvement with BMC News. However, there are so many other families in our neighbourhood whose members volunteer in other areas. Thank you to everyone who volunteers! Our community benefits immensely from your contributions. And to all of you who volunteer all over the city, province, or country, bless you! Where would we be without volunteers?