Muireann Meiklejohn is a passionate community person who is originally from Penticton but has lived in Kelowna for the past four years and our community is richer for this.
A professional musician with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and a music teacher at the Kelowna Community Music School, Muireann is also doing their Community Support Worker training and volunteers at a variety of organizations, including the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, SOAR Project and Solidarity Sundays. They are also a doting cat mom of three and they tend to wear their heart on their sleeve.
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Solidarity Sundays is a mutual aid collective that gathers every Sunday to prepare and distribute food packages, drinks, safe substance use kits and clothing to deliver to unhoused neighbours in Tent City.
含羞草研究社淚 have been at Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society since November,含羞草研究社� explains Muireann. 含羞草研究社淚 got involved there because I wanted to make a difference in the community and gain some experience before starting my Community Support Worker training program this past January.含羞草研究社� I also recently joined the board of directors of The SOAR Project, an organization which provides research and advocacy for survivors of intimate partner violence and brain injury.含羞草研究社�
Volunteering fills Muireann含羞草研究社檚 heart up and they encourage others to volunteer, stating that 含羞草研究社淚f you can spare the time, do it. You含羞草研究社檒l be glad you did.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 have so many more strong and useful skills, than I thought before I started volunteering,含羞草研究社� explains Muireann. 含羞草研究社淲omen and other marginalized genders often underestimate ourselves because the world underestimates us. However, we challenge that in ourselves, we have to try, because we are worth it.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 important to remember that you can have a real impact on the world every day,含羞草研究社� continues Muireann. 含羞草研究社淲ith volunteering, it can help to put your ego into the background and to bring forward the innate compassion that every person has.含羞草研究社�
If you are searching for an opportunity to fill your heart up by volunteering, check out the for your next opportunity. If, like Muireann, you enjoy reading, then Niteo Africa is looking for Reading Mentors and Project Literacy is needing Reading Tutors. Maybe social justice is your passion, much like Muireann含羞草研究社檚, then volunteering with Kelowna Gospel Mission may have the right role for you. They are needing Food Prep and Food Truck Cashiers, as well as Outreach Worker volunteers. And for those that love animals, Elderdog or Spark may have the perfect role for you. Spark is SPARK is a registered charity that facilitates healing and wholeness through guided therapeutic encounters with horses. They are a growing organization that regularly needs volunteers who can work independently to help with day to day chores, yard care, maintenance and our social media.
Dorothee Birker is the communications & development manager for KCR Community Resources.
