March 4, 2020
High school students Nick and Rohan prove that a passion for giving back to the community can start at any age.
Rohan started volunteering with St.Amant in 2015 when he was only 12 years old and Nick started in 2017 when he was 15.
Nick and Rohan are classmates at St. Paul’s High School and began volunteering with St.Amant to fulfill a credit they needed for school, they enjoyed the wide range of different experiences St.Amant offered and were eager to continue volunteering.
Volunteering at St.Amant is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people we support. This is something that makes Nick feel good about volunteering.
“Sometimes you’ll be doing big important things while you’re volunteering and sometimes it might be something as simple as doing a craft with someone or reading them a book, while that on a global scale might not make a huge difference, you know that it makes a difference to that person,” Nick said.
Rohan finds the community of volunteers at St.Amant inspiring.
“It’s amazing to see how many people from different walks of life come together at St.Amant to give their time graciously,” said Rohan.
He says he was passive when he first started volunteering. But after a longtime volunteer took Rohan under his wing and showed him how he could be more engaged, it made a huge impact on how he volunteers.
Rohan and Nick put their extensive experience volunteering to use when they were hired to work in Volunteer Services over the summer. They said the job was a great opportunity for them to work on their communication, time management and administrative skills.
The staff in Volunteer Services have nothing but amazing things to say about Nick and Rohan.
“They are the first to step up and lend a helping hand,” said Sarah Van Mackelbergh, Administrative Assistant for Volunteer Services.
The staff in Volunteer Services are impressed with the leadership skills and the initiative they have shown while working and volunteering at St.Amant. While working over the summer, Nick and Rohan would often stay after their shifts ended and volunteered.
After seeing a lack of volunteer-led programming in stabilization services, Nick decided to start developing a science program for the people supported there. The details of the program are still being worked out but he is excited to share his passion of science.
“I feel hopeful and optimistic because of how people we support will be included in society in the future and in their communities by the actions of these fine young men.” Said Bre Brown, Facilitator for Volunteer Services at St.Amant.
Nick is the student president at school and is in charge of organizing the annual charity walk.
Rohan loves organizing different types of drives. Over the holiday season, he organized a winter wear drive in support of the Sunshine House.
They are both students at St. Paul’s High School where they both participate in the Youth in Philanthropy committee. As members of this committee they decided to donate some of the funds they were given by the Winnipeg Foundation to the St.Amant Foundation.
They are both keen students with a passion for science and they both qualified for this summer’s Scholars Cup in Australia. Health Sciences is a subject they are both considering for their studies when they attend University. The University of Manitoba is top of mind for both of them so they can stay close to home and continue volunteering at St.Amant.