Message from the Chair by Cindy Gonsalves
The first COVID-19 wave was just over a year ago and roughly six months later the second wave came, just as the experts had warned. Living in Toronto and the Peel Region has meant no haircuts for over five months, no family visits and supporting our local businesses through on-line or curbside pickup for most of the year.
And then the warnings of the third wave started ringing louder. Steve Joordens, a University of Toronto Professor of Psychology has stated that, “the vaccine will give us the mental strength to endure the third wave”.
But we don’t need to use just our mental strength to get through this next phase, we can use our social networks to help as well. Carleton University relational scientist, Cheryl Harasymchuk suggests, “shifting the focus on what you can do for others”.
And isn’t that what CSAE Trillium members do, each and every day? We work for organizations whose missions are just that – making lives better through serving their communities. But we couldn’t do it alone. We do this through the support of our volunteers.
And how fortunate we are that on April 21st, we will be honouring the volunteer award nominees in our network and across CSAE at our live, on-line awards celebrations, Oscar-Awards style. In a year that has been so hard for so many, we saw a record number of CSAE Trillium nominees. So, while we celebrate the nominees, let’s also give thanks to those who took the time to recognize the outstanding volunteer contributions of others through their nominations.
If you’re missing your CSAE friends, there are plenty of on-line opportunities to re-connect. Trillium has an upcoming Feel Good Friday lunch hour event on May 7th. Looking for more, check out the CSAE Event calendar where just about weekly you can find a Network hosting a “Chat and Cheer”, a “Coffee and Conversation”, or a “What’s Brewing” on-line session. All are welcome.
As you’re waiting your turn for the vaccination, use your Trillium Network to get you through this third wave – it will do you a world of good.
Cindy Gonsalves
Chair, Trillium Council
