PAUL’S LABOUR OF LOVE

Paul is a gentle person whose love of God, and his fellow human beings, shines through in all that he does. He is certified as both a Pastoral Care Worker and a Palliative Care Worker and we, at The Ottawa Mission, are benefitting from his expertise in both areas.

Paul has given the gift of his time every week for the past few years as a volunteer at The Mission’s Hospice. He visits with people who are chronically ill or in palliative care, and each visit is as unique as the individual. Sometimes he prays with them, sometimes he brings magazines and other items they have requested, but many, many times he just listens. And in listening, he says, he often gains new insights that help him in his own life and enrich his faith.

When asked what brought him to The Mission as a volunteer, Paul candidly shares that he is 35 years into his own recovery journey. His empathy for the people served by The Mission is grounded in his own personal experience, in his gratitude for his life, and in his desire to give back. As Paul says, “If I make one spark of a difference, then I have done my job.” And, in fact, The Mission is just one of many organizations that Paul gives his time to as a volunteer.

Supported and coached by his “wonderful wife Lise” – herself a Palliative Care nurse – Paul has carved a special place in the community, at The Ottawa Mission, and in the hearts of the people he helps. Thank you, Paul, for all that you do.