We are celebrating the contributions of our volunteers across Canada, during National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).
“We would not be able to do what we do without the support and dedication of hundreds of volunteers across Canada, many of whom are bladder cancer patients, survivors and caregivers,” says Kerry Abbott, BCC’s National Program Director. “We’re also fortunate to have doctors and retired nurses who freely dedicate their time, knowledge and experience toward fulfilling our mission.”
We want to thank all of our volunteers for the difference they make in the lives of those living with a bladder cancer diagnosis. One of our many dedicated volunteers is Tom Eremondi, who has been instrumental in helping BCC with many of our communications. Says Tom:
“Three years ago, I had a red lemon incident. I saw my family doctor, who sent me to a urologist for cystoscopy. On February 7, 2017, I heard those dreadful words: ‘You have tumours.’ I was terrified that first week. I thought every ache, every spasm was the cancer spreading through me. A professional communicator for 32 years, I did what I always do. I went to the Internet to learn more.
One of the first websites I found was Bladder Cancer Canada. In the forums, I saw an article that changed everything. The writer described having tubes shoved up his wazoo! A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders: I realized I didn’t need to be so serious; I could approach bladder cancer the way I do everything – with humour. You see, I’m also a professional goofball.
After the tumours were removed and awesomely determined to be low-grade and non-invasive, I continued to joke my way through recovery. I also wanted to give back to BCC so I did my first volunteering by joining the BCC walk in fall, 2017. I wanted to continue serving so I applied to be a volunteer last year. The fine folks in the office looked at my resume and asked if I could help with communications. Now that’s my jam. I’m fortunate in my current job with a hospital foundation to attend an annual conference for fundraising communicators. I’ve learned from some of the brightest wordsmiths on the planet and achieved great success from it. I’m glad to share that knowledge where I can.
There are three things I look for in every volunteer role. I want to feel I’m making a difference. I also want to hang with awesome people. And I want to have fun. With BCC, I’ve checked all those boxes. I look forward to serving more in the years to come.”
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Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. We need more people like you to help us make an impact in our mission to support Canadians affected by bladder cancer, increase awareness and fund more research. Whether you’re looking to volunteer for a few hours per month, or you want to get involved in an even bigger way, we have a need that you can fulfill.
If you’re ready to get started, please complete and submit our Application Form here.
