Feature -- by Karen Rocznik

So, just who are some of Calgary's helping hands? You know, those dedicated souls who donate some of their time to helping others? Well, I found out they are everybody - from professional athletes to high school students - and range in age from 17 to 70. Either way, they all have one thing in common - they believe in the spirit of volunteering.

Rick Tabaracci - Goalie, Calgary Flames

Rick Tabaracci, or 'Taby', as he's known to many sports fans, has been volunteering with The Children's Hospital reading program since November. Unlike many 'celebrities' who lend their name to a charity or volunteer their time for the odd media event, Taby prefers to do a lot of his work away from the spotlight. He says visiting the kids can make a real difference in their lives. It's a feeling he fondly remembers as a young boy growing up in Toronto idolizing his hockey heroes. "You never lose sight of the fact that you are a role model for many kids. I remember hanging out in front of the Maple Leaf Gardens waiting for players to give an autograph and meeting them. It was a nice feeling. And when I visit the kids I want to make sure they leave with the same type of feeling."

Stephanie Sealy - Grade 11 student, St. Mary's High School

In the summer of grade nine Stephanie Sealy did something that would change her life forever. Persuaded by her mother, Sealy joined the Youth Volunteer Corps of Calgary. She started working at the Zoo doing routine clean-up duties, but eventually got more involved with feeding the animals and listening in on lectures. Her next project was a little more challenging. She worked at the Alberta Safe House Society, a shelter for youth, which made her parents a little uncomfortable. Sealy, however, enjoyed the experience. "I made friends and had a good time." Since her first few volunteer experiences, Sealy has worked at Canada Day festivals and Mozart on the Mountain. Last year, she and four friends shaved their heads to raise money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Their bald heads had an impact on the school as they were able to raise $5,000 for the cause. Currently, Sealy is organizing an 'empty bowls' fundraiser for Feed the Hungry, whereby people buy tickets to a dinner and then take home a bowl made by the students. She has also applied to volunteer with AIDS Calgary. Sealy says in the future she would like to pursue a career in eco-biology, but doubts she will ever give up volunteering. "It gives me a good feeling. I don't know why; I guess it's because you're helping people."

Vivian Lee - Anchor/Reporter, A-Channel

Every week night, Vivian Lee beams into thousands of Calgary homes delivering the latest breaking news. But what many Calgarians don't realize is that Lee is quite active off camera as well. Lee says she started getting involved with volunteering early on in her career working at the cable station in Ottawa. After completing her journalism program at Carleton University, Lee found a job with a local TV station. At this time, she became involved with the Feed the Hungry program working in a soup kitchen. Since her arrival in Calgary in the fall, Lee has donated her time to speaking with the University of Calgary's Chinese Students' Association and The Sien Loc Society, an organization which provides services for seniors in the Chinese community, book lending and English Language programs. While the Sien Loc Society offered to pay her for her time, Lee refused. "It's my personal policy, I don't want to charge for anything that I do." Lee says that she has been impressed with the positive attitude toward volunteering in Calgary. She says the city's 'volunteer spirit' has made her aware of the sense of responsibility that comes from being a public figure. "I think that it's important for people who are that visible to show that they do care about the community they are covering; that they're not just there for a job or for celebrity purposes or whatever."

Jennifer - Grade 12 student, Father Lacombe High School

Imagine handling issues such as relationship problems, drug abuse and teen suicide every week. But, for Jennifer, a volunteer at Teen Line, a crisis line for teens at the Distress Centre/Drug Centre, it's what she enjoys doing. Jennifer, who only wanted her first name used to protect her anonymity, says she was drawn to the teen help line because of her curiosity in psychology. "I was interested in being a psychologist before, but I did have other alternatives too, and when I started volunteering here I thought it would be great for me to figure out if this is something I really do enjoy and can handle as a career. After being here, my ambitions to be a psychologist are a lot stronger now." While some of the calls, especially the rare suicide problems, can be enough to bring anyone down, Jennifer remains optimistic and positive. "You do get the difficult situations where you think 'oh what am I going to say?' But we're here to listen. We're here to help them out the best way that we can." Jennifer says she receives a lot of support at the center. She says she can talk to other volunteers or her supervisor, Lorraine Stauffer, if a problem is too difficult for her to handle on her own. The center also offers counseling to any teens who find they need some extra help. Teen Line is staffed by 20 volunteers and recruits new staff five times a year. Stauffer cautions that volunteering at Teen Line does require a certain type of personality. "They have to be non-judgmental, caring, a teenager, level-headed and also need two references," she says. While Jennifer says her 60 hours of training was "intense", it was well worth it. "It's a great experience. After leaving here I feel really good. I feel like I've made a difference, even if it's one person, it's enough." If you would like to get involved with Teen Line contact Lorraine Stauffer at 264-8337. Teen Line can be reached at 264-8336 (TEEN)

Len McPhail - Volunteer, Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Len McPhail is living proof that it is never too late to start volunteering. Five and a half years ago, Len lost his sight. At that time he became a client of the CNIB, but little did he know how this would change his live indefinitely. Len's volunteering began when he was asked to be a co-facilitator of a seniors support group at the CNIB. Since then, McPhail's volunteer portfolio has grown substantially. He frequently councils people who are depressed about losing their sight, helps with orientating new volunteers and attends schools where he talks to children about what it's like not to see. He says he gets asked a lot of questions about his white cane and how he does simple tasks like eating. McPhail and his wife Barb, also participate with the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind. Recently, McPhail has also added public speaking to his volunteer repertoire. He speaks on behalf of the CNIB and United Way to raise money and awareness. He says he doesn't give any canned speeches because he couldn't read them anyway. "Whatever I say comes out of my mind. It comes from here," McPhail says as he thumps his fist on his heart. While always active in his children's life as a volunteer coach for little league, McPhail, who will be 70 in May, says his one regret is that he didn't start volunteering sooner in life. "There's a satisfaction in knowing you are helping someone worse off that you are. It's a shame that it took my losing my sight to realize that."