Every Piece of the Puzzle Plays a Part
It’s often said that a mother knows best, and that we learn important lessons and values from our parents along the way that become instilled in us when we’re older.
For John Holt, monthly donor with Hull Services since 2018, his mother taught him at a young age the value of volunteering and the impact of donating to causes that are important to you.
“Volunteerism was a huge part of my upbringing. My mom did extraordinary work, working with seniors, so even as a young child, I was taught to set aside time for volunteering – and when there wasn’t time for volunteering, to donate,” John says.
And after a meeting with a local business owner who told him about the important work Hull Services does, John attended our annual holiday fundraiser, Hullelujah, and followed that up with a campus tour going from building to building where he saw the work we do and knew he wanted to get involved.
“Ever since that tour, I’ve been fascinated by the work done at Hull and the opportunities given to people in each program,” John says, later paraphrasing a quote by Gandhi, ‘the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.’
How John acts and cares for the members of his community is a noble trait to have and one that plays an important role in supporting our work.
“I look at the work Hull is doing in giving people their lives back and helping build resilience and it gets to me.”
John has also had friends who have gone through similar challenges and struggles and transitional phases in their lives and so he has a soft spot for the work done by Hull.
John is continually motivated to stay involved with Hull because living in Calgary’s inner city, he sees the struggle and turmoil people face, and acknowledges the amount of work needed to help provide physical, emotional, and mental support to vulnerable people and help heal them from trauma faced in their lives.
“Unfortunately, we need 20 more Hulls.”
Over the years, John has spent time working closely with the Calgary Pride committee and does a fundraiser during Pride week to continue bringing awareness and funds to the LGBTQIA2S+ community, while establishing that his community is safe for everyone.
Knowing that as a donor he plays a role and is a piece of the puzzle means a lot to John and is why he has donated and spent so much time with organizations, communities, and causes that are important to him.
John has also done work in the Philippines helping build homes, as well as in Africa, and for him, to see the tangible end results of his efforts brings him immense pride.
Our Agency is grateful for John and his continued support throughout the years, and his support helps ensure that young people and families continue to receive access and care to help them in their resilience journey.
