The hospital can be a difficult place for families, but one Maritimer is helping to make people smile, even during the hard times.
Jim Nickle has been volunteering at the IWK Health Centre since 2007. He helps people find their way around the hospital, but he’s more than just a volunteer; he’s also a source of support to every family he encounters.
Nicole Mahar and her daughter Jacqueline have been coming to the IWK for the past few years. They say a visit just isn’t the same without saying ‘hi’ to Jim Nickle.
“When we first came here we had a hard time figuring out where we needed to go so Jim was fantastic in getting us to where we needed to go,” says Mahar.
She and her daughter are just two of the thousands of people who use the health centre each year, and Jim is one of the volunteers who greet them with a smile.
“It’s just for me, a very fulfilling place to be,” he says.
Nickle volunteered at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto before moving to Halifax in 2007, when he started helping out at the IWK.
“It’s kind of a payback to society,” he says. “I’m fortunate enough to have healthy kids and haven’t had to use the health system and I’m in a position now where I can give back and spend some hours here.”
From giving guided tours to ambassadors and visiting dignitaries, to providing directions to patients’ families, there is no job too big or small for the dedicated volunteer.
“He has a very amazing touch and I think that’s why people love him so much,” says Steve Ashton.
“Almost everyday I have people coming back saying ‘thank you’ and I know they don’t always know or remember my name, but hopefully I’ve made their day a little brighter,” says Nickle.
Congratulations to Jim Nickle, our Maritimer of the Week!
If you know someone deserving of our Maritimer of the Week award, we want to hear about it.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, the nature of the good deed they’ve done, or what part of the region they live in – we want your ideas!
Please send your nomination to:
maritimer@ctv.ca
or
Maritimer of the Week
P.O. Box 1653
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 2Z4
