VOLUNTEERING IN OTTAWA By Felicity Garrard
Felicity Garrard
“ A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another”. Kahlil Gibran
The word “volunteer” is derived from the Latin voluntas - “free will” and, according to the dictionary, has a range of meanings from a part-time soldier… to an uninvited plant in the garden! However, the French translation “bénévole” is much more specific in suggesting the compassionate aspect of volunteerism – the act of helping others without regard for monetary reward. The desire to help one’s fellow man, or at least to lend a hand when a need arises, is a universal human trait, probably harking back to a time when survival depended on a high level of cooperation with the tribal group or pack.