Everyday
Hero Barb Bender By Marissa Landry
Barb Bender, president of the Hospital Auxiliary at Regina’s Pasqua Hospital, has one regret - that she didn’t start volunteering pre-retirement. Bender shares, “Throughout my nursing career, I knew of Hospital Auxiliaries. But, because I worked full-
time shift work, I thought I could not commit to anything more than my work, family, and home. I now wish I had joined earlier and volunteered what I could manage then.” Taking early retirement after 38 years as a Registered Nurse, Bender continues to
“The Hospital Auxiliary‘s goal is to work together to enhance patient comfort and care through volunteering to assist patients and to raise funds for hospital equipment” work casually at the Saskatchewan Healthline. The remainder of her time is invested in the Auxiliary, where Bender feels a renewed sense of fulfillment. According to Bender, “Volunteering keeps me young and active and out with people. It keeps me happy and healthy with a purpose that returns more rewards for me than I can ever give to someone else.” After two years as the Auxiliary Vice-President, Bender recently started her two year term as President. The confident and obviously driven Bender divulges one of her main focuses during her term as president is to promote volunteerism. “There are amazing opportunities in our world today for people to make life better for others, opportunities that cost volunteers only time, thought and caring. My time is the most precious gift I have to give, and I give it freely and willingly. I am thankful to be able to do so.”
2 Minutes North on Highway #6 Regina, Sk. Phone: 306.525.4260 22 |
FOR SASKATCHEWAN WOMEN | VOL. 2 ISSUE 2, FEBRUARY 2013
The dedication Bender has for volunteering has deep roots. Born into a volunteer-oriented family, Bender’s 87 year old mother continued, as she had for decades, knitting various items to donate to the Lloydminster Hospital Auxiliary. There was also a neighbour recalls Bender that impacted her life. “She encouraged me to apply for a scholarship from the Hospital Auxiliary when I applied to attend the University Of Saskatchewan School Of Nursing. In 1966, when I graduated from High School in Marshall, Saskatchewan, I was awarded the Joan Bellward Memorial Scholarship from the Lloydminster Hospital Auxiliary. To this day, each year the Joan Bellward Memorial Scholarship is given out, to the Lloydminster Hospital Auxiliary also gives their own scholarship to another stu-