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VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS
Celebrating National Volunteer Week
April 12 to April 18, 2015
“Just as ripples spread out when a
single pebble is dropped into water, the
actions of individuals can have far-
reaching effects.” - Dalai Lama
With Heartfelt Thanks
This is it, my last message to Kitchener Public Library volunteers! It has been a privilege
working with you. Never have I met such a dedicated group of volunteers. I admire your
passion for library service and commitment to providing excellent service.
In my last In Touch article I wrote about my retirement and feeling a great sense of accomplishment. I have
every reason to be proud. The Library is one of the City’s most valued services. That’s thanks to the great
volunteers and staff who work at Kitchener Public Library.
Some may think that the Central Library renovation project was our greatest success of the past decade. I truly
believe it’s the work volunteers and staff do every day that is our greatest achievement. You change lives.
Thank you for giving Kitchener Public Library the precious gift of your time. Best wishes to all of you.
With heartfelt thanks,
Sonia Lewis
CEO, Kitchener Public Library
National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week will be celebrated April 12
to April 18 this year, to thank the 13.3 million
volunteers across Canada for the time and energy
they contribute to causes that benefit our
communities.
Volunteer action is like a stone thrown in a lake: its
ripple effect has a direct impact on our community.
Kitchener Public Library volunteers are part of the
ripple effect! Your actions touch many lives and
make Kitchener Public Library a vibrant place where
community connects. Thank you!
Areas of Service
Administration
special events | assistance | organize
Children’s Program Assistant
craft prep | hands on help | smiles
Information Displays
community | bulletin boards | notices
French Immersion Tutor
homework help | conversation | bilingual
Gardener
inviting atmosphere | green | garden space
Internet Orientations
one-on-one | introduction | computer concepts
Library Board
lead | plan | policy | advocate
Reading Buddies
emergent readers | fun books | read aloud
Resume Coach
consultation | employment | CV | advise
Shelf Reader
dewey | collections | alphabetical order
Tech Tutor
tech savvy youth | digital media | demo
Toy Library
clean | sort | games | play
Visiting Library
select books | share joy of reading
Youth Advisory Council
engagement | teen programs | award-winning
By the numbers...
Total # of volunteer hours in 2014 = 8,278
Economic value of volunteers = $206,950.00*
Total # of volunteers (year-round) = 256
Summer Teen volunteers = 90
Special Event volunteers = 90
Soldier Card volunteers = 80
Total # of volunteers in 2014 = 516
*Estimated economic value of volunteers in Canada = $25.00/hour
Carlos Benevides
When he’s not behind the microphone at 91.5 The Beat, Carlos Benevides
can often be found at Kitchener Public Library.
The charismatic, energetic radio host has been a Reading Buddy volunteer
for about two years. Reading Buddies work one-on-one with children who
can read, but need a little more practise.
Carlos found his way to our doors through a zany radio experiment a few
years ago: 30 Deeds in 30 Days. He volunteered at a different local organi-
zation every day for 30 days in a row, sharing his experiences with radio
listeners and writing about it too.
His goal was to highlight how easy it is to make a difference, once you’ve
found the right volunteer position among the many opportunities available.
It was fellow radio colleague and library board member Mike Farwell who
suggested he give Reading Buddies a try.
“I love kids and reading is very important to me, so it’s the perfect fit,”
Carlos says. “It’s one day a week for one hour. That’s all you need to make
an impact.”
His last Reading Buddy was seven years old, and English was not his first
language. He struggled at first, but by the end of the eight-week session, he
became more confident and comfortable with reading.
“I was really impressed and inspired by the little guy,” Carlos says. “I think I
get more out of it than the people I’m helping. I love spending time with
people. I’m getting a more rewarding experience than anyone else.”
Maca Suazo
Maca Suazo has a long and deep connection to libraries and literature. In her
native country of Chile, patrons were not allowed to browse, but had to
request books that were kept in locked glass cases. Her mother travelled by
train to access books to read aloud to Maca.
When she came to Canada in 1998, she was amazed first by library at York
University, where her husband was a student, and then by the Toronto Pub-
lic Library, with its thousands of picture books and books in Spanish for her
daughters.
She moved to Kitchener seven years ago and now volunteers as a shelf read-
er at Central Library. Shelf readers make sure our collection is tidy and that
every item is filed in its proper place, so customers can always find what
they’re looking for. It’s a fulfilling and flexible volunteer role for Maca. She
lives within walking distance and generally comes in for about an hour a
week, at any time that works for her. She takes care of a specific section of
the fiction collection, and with her friend Fiorella Benini, also makes sure the
Spanish collection is in top shape.
“The Spanish section is great because it includes both the fiction and non-
fiction, but I can finish it in one day,” Maca says.
Maca recommends author Isabelle Allende for anyone interested in Chilean
writing. Chilean writers have a strong tradition of including elements of
magical realism in their works. “We believe that magic is possible,” Maca
says.
Maca is also an artist whose exhibit, Library Love, was the first show to be
mounted in the Art Gallery at Central Library after our reopening last year.
The exhibit was made up of 30 large, vibrant pieces, all with a library or
literature theme.
Shelley Zettler & Anthony Cashin
Sonia Lewis & Kirk Hawthorne
Sherry Erb
Veronica Naas
Liz Reuss
Judy Ward
Jack Pym
Gabrielle Last
Madison Erb
Left: Sonia Lewis; Mary Blott,
Kerri Begley, Trinity Fraser-Sintic
Kitchener Youth Award Winner
Maddie Fielding is one amazing teen. She’s been volunteering with us here
at the library for more than three years, and cheerfully tackles any task we
give her.
If you’ve been to any of our major public events, you’ve probably seen her
smiling face: she’s helped out at Kidspark, Family Literacy Day, and the
Word on the Street Festival, and our community Kids Club.
She also comes to Central Library every week, where she offers administra-
tive support, helping out our volunteer services department and supporting
children’s programs.
Maddie is also a dedicated volunteer and community member in many other
areas: she’s a member of the YMCA Leadership Core, a volunteer with a
breakfast program at a local school, an athlete and an excellent student at
Bluevale Collegiate Institute. Last summer, she helped to build a school in
Kenya with Free the Children, and she is currently working toward earning a
Duke of Edinburgh Award, and won a Kitchener Youth Action Council award
in 2014.
Thanks for all your hard work, Maddie!
And the award goes to…
The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards recognize individual volunteers for continuous years of dedicated
service to an organization. Congratulations to the following library volunteers who were this year’s award
recipients:
Lorena Diaconescu (youth; 2+ years) Marg Reid (5 years)
Madison Erb (youth; 2+ years) Elaine Smith (5 years)
Sierra Erb (youth; 2+ years) Kathy Telfer (5 years)
Madelaine Fielding (youth; 2+ years) Karen Buhr (10 years)
Mallory Haggith (youth; 2+ years) Kirk Hawthorne (10 years)
Maegan Lockhart (youth; 2+ years) Darla Budan (15 years)
Susan Campbell (5 years) Marg Lewis (15 years)
Kim Cluthe (5 years) Marg van Lingen (15 years)
Sabina Franzen (5 years) Marg McGee (20 years)
Eleanore Moore (5 years) Beverly Houston (30 years)
Pam Moore (30 years)
Together, these individuals volunteered a total of 182 years to Kitchener Public Library. WOW!
YOU’RE INVITED TO AN OPEN HOUSE!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
4 - 7 PM | Sweet treats and beverages served | Library tours available
Volunteer Services Office | Lower Level
7 - 8 PM | Enjoy music the Progressive Jazz Repertoire with Dave Wiffen Quintet
Auditorium | Lower Level
Central Library | 85 Queen Street North, Kitchener ON
519.743.0271 ext. 222
Volunteer Faves: Books We Love!
I Am Part Of The Ripple Effect VOLUNTEERS | Bassem Abdelfattah | Hina Afzaal | Mehdi Al-Aoussi; Saif Al-Din | Patrick Allen | Carolyn
Anderson | Katherine Andrews | Teresa Arruda | Daniel Ayala | Lesa Balch | Lindsay Barbosa | Susan Barclay
| Victoria Barron | Pauline Bauman | Jill Bechard | Heather Bechtloff | Kerri Begley | Carlos Benevides |
Fiorella Benini | Mary Blott | Scott Blundon | Tim Blundon | Daniella Boronka | Mackenzie Botelho | Hayley
Brennan | Jenny Brooks | Karolina Brozy | Wayne Buchholtz | Vinnie Buchanan | Darla Budan | Karen Buhr |
Alison Bullock | Kelly Burwash | Jaime Cadman | Charlotte Cahill | Susan Campbell | Sydney Canning | Mae
Carroll | Anthony Cashin | Raina Marie Chamberlain | Kiara Chamberlaine | Kim Cluthe | Jessica Coulis |
Sylvia Crichton | Faye Culligan | Melinda Culp | Theron D'amico | Lorena Diaconescu | Emma Dmitruk-Gole |
Katherine Doerner | Shirley Doherty | Michelle Dow | Sylvie Drader | Beverly Drobot | Madison Erb | Sierra Erb
| Cory Ernst | Sara Faulhafer | Madelaine Fielding | Carol Filipowitsch | Natalie Fisk | Robert Fleming | Patricia
Foden | Tyra Forde | Sabina Franzen | Trinity Fraser-Sintic | Kathryn Frederick | Brooklyn Galer | Kelly Gallo-
way-Sealock | Mira Gerges | Alexandra Gerth | Mary Gingrich | Ann Goodhew | Sharon Gorni | Cathy Gregory |
Elizabeth Groen | Pam Gruetzmacher | Mallory Haggith | Sally Hahn | Christine Halbert | Jessica Halma |
Jason Han | Juliane Hartwig-Fisher | Kirk Hawthorne | Rahim Hegazy | John Heo | Alva Holland | Brenda
Holvey | Beverly Houston | Phany Im | Maureen Jackson | Emma Jewett | Cathy Johnson | Norma Johnston |
Cheryl Kaar | Bethany Karn | Andrij Karpets | Rashmeet Kaur | Noah Kavelman | Kali Kay | Meghan Kean |
Rebecca Kean | Riva Khadan | Helena Kleinsasser | Mike Langevin | Tracy Lapointe | Gabriele Last | Deanne
Leifso | Murielle Lemieux | Margaret Lewis | Maegan Lockhart | Cyndi Long | Brittany Loree Stroeder | Jodie
Mace | Wendy Macintosh | Rachael MacIntosh Douglas | Bruce MacVicar | Penny MacVicar | Trevor Mains |
Chantelle Mann | Sarah Marsh | Carrie Martens | Linda Martin | Sarah Mather | Gail McCormack | Janice
McDonald | Kendra McDonald | Caitlin McDonough | Marg McGee | Sherry McGlynn | Jacqueline McLaren |
Kelly McManus | Huguette Meinzinger | Filipe Mendes | Louise Merlihan | Allison Metcalfe | Phillip Miller |
Carrie-Lynn Millest | Don Milton | Eleanore Moore | Pam Moore | Lynne Moore-Fraser | Leslie Morgenson |
Cole Morrison | Sue Moses | Jenny Moulton | Amanda Mustard | Alexandra Mutlak | Veronica Naas | Amogh
Nayak | Nathan Nederpelt | Sharon Neville | Brian Otto | Stephanie Oue | Bob Pagan | Cheryl Parker | Bronwyn
Parkhill | Karen Parsons | Raluca Pasca | Oliver Pavia | Carolyn Pegg | Judy Penteker | Kali Persyn | Claire
Petro | Jane Pfeffer | Justin Pintar | Gail Prince | Maryanne Putros | Jack Pym | Marg Reid | Todd Rellinger | Liz
Reuss | Veronica Riauka | Kyle Richardson | Ruth Rosner | Olive Roth | Erin Rudland | Gord Salm | Sandra
Salter | Jennifer Sanders | Bettie Schuurman | Rai Scodras | Mary Jane Seabrook | Alois Seschel | Sylvia
Seschel | Janice Shantz | Nikhil Sharma | Nitin Sharma | Sue Siefried | Sasha Simine | Amardeep Singh |
Bhupinder Singh | Ivona Sipicki | Elaine Smith | Pat Smith | Eleanor Snyder | Maria Sokolova | Jennifer Sparks |
Rebecca Stevens-Green | Judy Strongman | Maca Suazo | Stephanie Tanner | Kathy Telfer | Paulette Thomp-
son | Christine Treichel | Anthony Trinh | Shelley Tsarfati | Kimberley Van Delst | Marg van Lingen | Asia van
Vliet | Tyko van Vliet | Olivia Vardy | Marc Verhoeve | Manuela Villegas | Annie Wang | Yin Wang | Judy Ward |
Mikaela Ward | Nancy Watt | Stayce Webber | Barbara Weber | Chris Williams | Edma Williams | Peter Wong |
Natasha Yates | Janet Young | Alexander Zafiris | Jansen Zhou | Katie Zhou | Dante Zikic | Sonya Zikic | Lynne
Zink | Thank you for your service!
Special thanks to the staff liaisons who work with directly with our
volunteers! Karen Ball-Pyatt | Karen Buhr | Janice Cotter | Bev Drobot | Gloria
Grigas | Kelly Irwin | Cheryl Jankowski | Sherri Jantzi | Gabriele Last | Emily
McLaughlin | Kevin Page | Dani Paschert-Ward | Julie Piatek | Leslie Rogers |
Janice Sachs | Robyn Vander Zee | Jennifer Webb | Karen Wylie |