Children's Hospital volunteer of 50 years encouraging others to help

A woman with five decades of volunteering with the Children's Hospital under her belt has no plans of quitting anytime soon.

The Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba turns 50 years old Monday. Barbara McLean, a proud Children's Hospital Guild member, remembers the changes.

"Without the Children's Hospital Foundations I mean we probably wouldn't have this world-class hospital that we have at the Health Sciences Centre Children's Hospital. And without the hospital, we are not able to eventually have strong adults," McLean says.

When McLean was 26-years-old, her aunt convinced her to volunteer with her for the guild. McLean, a new mother at the time and guild supporter, jumped at the chance to get out.

Fifty years later, McLean and her older aunt who is now 94-years-old, are still volunteering.

Barb McLean says she gets back more than she gives from volunteering. (Supplied)

"It actually was quite different because in order to be a member you had to commit to being in the hospital at least four times a month... plus you had to volunteer your time to the book market."

All year long they would, as still do, sort and mark books. Last year's book market was cancelled due to the pandemic.

While she understands people are busy, the volunteer is hopeful more young people will want to do some "grunt work" for the hospital.

"It is difficult to get young volunteers now, and I completely understand why but that is what we are trying to do. Just get more people, younger because everybody is ageing, and we have to get the younger ones coming up behind us."

Over the last year and a half there has seen a shift in needs, mostly due to the pandemic, she says. McLean would typically work at the Nearly New Shop on Portage Avenue but that has since closed due to the health orders restricting the guild-run store to one customer at a time.

McLean says she is inspired by her aunt, saying as long as she is physically able to and has her wits, she will keep volunteering.

"I think you get so much back from volunteering," McLean says.

In her decades of experience, McLean says she has not met a volunteer she did not like, saying if you give kindness, you get kindness."

In a statement from the foundation celebrating its 50th anniversary, Chair of the Board Dean Schinkel says "supporters and volunteers, from individuals to families to organizations, have been the heart of the Foundation’s success over these last 50 years."

The foundation's president and CEO Stefano Grande says community support has allowed them to continue to care for sick children in and around Manitoba.