Blog  October 7, 2011

At Evergreen all volunteers are part of the családi (family)!

Volunteer családi (family) Maggie and Viktor with their son, Dominik (Photo: Maggie & Viktor)

Individuals come to Evergreen as volunteers throughout the year and build relationships with the public, staff and other volunteers—growing a large and vibrant community. Sometimes, volunteers even get their own families involved!

One such family, Maggie, Viktor and their son Dominik, have been largely responsible for the upkeep and animation of Chimney Court on Sundays since July. They bike down every weekend, rain or shine. Maggie helps maintain the gardens, Viktor stewards our site composting and Dominik is often found sharing his knowledge of clay, wood, cob and other structures with anyone around who will listen.

The trio moved to Canada just over a year ago from Hungary (via Spain for two years) and were first introduced to Evergreen during one of Dominik’s school field trips to Evergreen Brick Works. They’ve been hooked ever since.

“In our spare time we like to ride our bikes here. And I run 6 km in the park everyday!” says Maggie.

Volunteering as a family not only keeps them close to nature, but close together—something they had not experienced back home.

“In our country, volunteer work is not so common, almost non-existent,” Viktor explains. “We heard about this opportunity here in Canada first, and it’s a fantastic thing!”

Dominik, just starting Grade 6, is great at getting other kids excited about our outdoor classroom by sharing his knowledge of different plants, animals and secret spots. It was because of his enthusiasm and dedication as a volunteer with his family that he found himself enrolled in our Green City Adventure Camp at the end of August as a first time camper!

“My favourite experience was when we opened up a dead bird and we examined it with Great Blue Heron (Camp Counsellor Lee),” said Dominik. “Every day I learned a lot of interesting and useful things. Thank you EBW for this wonderful week, I will never forget it!”

Maggie, Viktor and Dominik have already rooted themselves as an active family in Toronto and show how volunteering in your city can be healthy, educational and fun. They are excited to be involved with outdoor winter programming, continuing to improve their English and meeting new people.

For this family, getting others excited about the outdoors and appreciating nature just comes naturally. Or, as Maggie puts it, “volunteering is good for our soul.”

Want to get your family and friends involved in volunteering? Email ebw@evergreen.ca to learn more about opportunities for the whole family.