The IWK Health Centre in Halifax provides care to women, children, youth, and families in the Maritime provinces.
In order for the hospital to be able to maintain its standard of care, they rely heavily on volunteers. Almost 1,000 people donate their time to the IWK, including Brandon d’Eon who volunteers in the emergency department.
“Most of my time is spent trying to find things for the children to do while they are here, something to occupy their time while they are feeling not so great,” says Brandon. “I hand out a lot of toys, I play with a lot of kids.”
Brandon says it’s not just the children who need his help.
“We also try to tend to the family’s needs as well. Sometimes parents come in after a long time of dealing with a child who has been sick and they just need a break. So we give them a little break so they can go get a bite to eat or a coffee.”
Brandon has volunteered at the IWK for almost eight years and has held a variety of roles at the health centre.
“Brandon is always willing to step up, to contribute,” says Kylene Mellor, volunteer resources manager. “There’s been two departments that he has volunteered with that have actually hired him on short-term contracts because the staff just really respect and appreciate him. He’s just always willing to go above and beyond with a smile and a caring heart.”
Brandon says volunteering at the IWK is a rewarding experience and he enjoys helping the families.
“It’s an amazing place to volunteer. I just enjoy it so much and it’s such a great way to give back to the community.”
Congratulations to Brandon d’Eon, our Maritimer of the Month!
If you know someone deserving of our Maritimer of the Month 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:
or
Maritimer of the Month
P.O. Box 1653
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 2Z4
