Getting things done is reward enough

Page 4

When Laura McCallum first found out that she had been nominated and awarded the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal for 1997, she was really taken by surprise. It had just never occurred to her that anyone would recognize her work as a volunteer. Doing well had always been reward enough.

But more than 20 years of dedicated commitment to the people of her home community of Sandy Bay would not go unrecognized, an outstanding achievement in a province that has one of the highest rates of volunteerism in Canada.

Established in 1995, the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal has been awarded to 19 people who have shown outstanding service or exceptional community involvement, above and beyond the call of duty.

As one of six people to be honored this year, McCallum plans to take a well-earned break from her isolated northern community, to travel down south to Regina in late March and attend the award ceremonies.

A mother of four, including one very active hockey player, and fluent in both Plains Cree and English, she describes Sandy Bay as being "part town, part reservation." Volunteerism is a way of life, and there is a strong circle of people who work very well together.

As someone who is well known and respected for helping to promote healthy lifestyles for young people, she also likes to spend time with local Elders at cultural gatherings, feasts, picnics and outdoor festivities held especially for them that include lots of wild foods like berries, rice, fresh fish and smoked moosmeat.

She also spearheads a fundraising group which makes sure that each Elder is well taken care of at Christmas with gifts and a special get together.

"We have a good home care office that looks after basic health care needs, shopping and trips to the clinic, and I try to help out as much as I can," she said.

McCallum is also part of a group that focuses on providing culturally meaningful activities for Aboriginal youth, including winter and summer camps, sports and recreation, an after school drop-in centre and an outpatient rehabilitation service to address the realities of drug and alcohol addiction.

The drug awareness program also 'goes to camp,' she explained. "And we always get a really good turnout, something that the kids really seem to look forward to."

The winter camp, located 25 km outside of town, which can only be reached by boat, provides real life training in how to survive in the bush by fishing, trapping, making fires and shelters, smoking and cooking meat and baking bannock.

Run by the local volunteers, McCallum explained that all the hard work and commitment needed to run the camps really pays off.

"The big payoff is for the kids themselves, because they learn a lot, and next year it's up to them to show the younger ones, who look up to them as real role models."

"As adults, we are there in a support role, but it's mainly up to the kids."

Another important part of being a volunteer at Sandy Bay is helping to provide tough-love and traditional support in the sentencing circle; this is to try and come up with a way of keeping the younger generation out of jail. . . but at the same time making them take responsibility for what they have done.

"And it is a tough call," said McCallum, "trying to keep them out of the prison system."

Part of dealing with the problems faced by youth at the grassroots level has been met with a sports and recreation program and a drop-in centre that runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. after school.

Something that usually has a really good turnout, she said.

"In this small community of 800 people, it's important that they have a place to go and be with their friends all year around; where we as volunteers can help stop problems before they begin."

"Being a volunteer in Sandy Bay is a significant part of my life, one that's very challenging and lots of fun, knowing that we're doing the best we can for our own people," said McCallum.

"For me it's very worthwhile to be able to make things happen and withou a strong circle of people who come together to help a lot of good things wouldn't happen, and for me, that's reward enough."