Reading it forward
Book lover shares passion for power of imagination once a week with kids at West Broadway Youth Outreach
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/08/2023 (936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Anne Bolton volunteers her time reading with children — a fitting activity for a woman named after the main character in a famous children’s novel.
Bolton’s father read Anne of Green Gables, the classic tale about a red-haired girl’s adventures, when he was a child. He liked the book so much he vowed that if he ever had a daughter, he would name her after the titular character.
“I popped out and I had red hair, so it was a no-brainer,” Bolton says.
MIKE THIESSEN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Anne Bolton volunteers with the West Broadway Youth Outreach.
As a child, Bolton loved reading. The Anne books were favourites, along with titles by Thornton W. Burgess and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
The 73-year-old River Heights resident shares her passion for reading as a volunteer at West Broadway Youth Outreach, a drop-in recreational and life skills program for kids age four and older.
Bolton spends one afternoon each week reading with participants.
“Through reading, children discover the power of imagination,” she says. “I found as a child that an author’s imagination fuelled my own and I see that happen with children when they read.”
Volunteer opportunities
The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, please contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can assist you in finding an opportunity. To learn more about its programs and services, go to www.volunteermanitoba.ca or call 204-477-5180.
The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, please contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can assist you in finding an opportunity. To learn more about its programs and services, go to www.volunteermanitoba.ca or call 204-477-5180.
Willow Place needs volunteers to help with its shelter program by picking up and delivering donations from the community and businesses. The skills required include diplomacy, a positive attitude, good judgment and cultural competency. Volunteers must have a valid driver’s licence and provide recent criminal record checks, including vulnerable sector and adult and child abuse registry checks. (Willow Place can help volunteers obtain some of these checks at no cost through a training program required of all volunteers.) Volunteers might also have an opportunity to move into other areas, such as shelter support or community events. The time commitment is flexible, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with donation deliveries usually occurring on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Email shannonc@willowplace.ca by Sept. 12.
The Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba needs a bipolar support group facilitator. The organization provides peer support and other services to people affected by mood disorders. The facilitator will plan, guide and manage in-person peer support sessions. The ideal candidate should have lived or working experience with mental health, organizational and leadership skills, excellent interpersonal and listening skills, and English language proficiency. The time commitment is from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays. Email volunteer@moodmb.ca by Sept. 30.
The Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM) needs volunteers to help with its children’s, homework and sports programs. IRCOM strives to empower newcomer families to integrate into the wider community. Volunteers must be age 15 or older. Must undergo criminal record and child abuse registry checks. Apply online at http://wfp.to/NNJ by Oct. 31.
United for Literacy needs volunteers for its after-school program in Selkirk for students in grades 1-5. Volunteers will work with small groups on reading, writing and numeracy. Free training and additional support will be provided. Volunteers should enjoy working with children, be comfortable with diverse backgrounds and literacy levels, and be committed and reliable. A criminal record check is required, but the cost will be reimbursed. Apply by email at winnipeg@unitedforliteracy.ca or online at http://wfp.to/NNc by Jan. 31.
Volunteers are needed for Riding Mountain MS Bike, which is happening on Sept. 9. The ride begins and ends at Elkhorn Riding Adventures in Onanole. Volunteers are needed to help with every aspect of the event. Email Emma McGillis at emma.mcgillis@mscanada.ca before Sept. 7.
Indigenous Languages of Manitoba needs volunteers for their Honouring our Languages Gathering on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 at Lower Fort Garry. The goal is to ensure the survival and strength of Indigenous languages. Volunteers are needed for various roles such as answering basic questions, providing assistance to facilitators, helping elders, putting up signs, and registration. A positive attitude, cultural awareness and respectfulness are required. Email developer@ilmb.org before Sept. 10.
Nuit Blanche, Manitoba’s biggest contemporary arts and culture celebration, is happening on Sept. 23. Thousands of people will gather in downtown Winnipeg to celebrate and explore contemporary art. Register to volunteer at http://wfp.to/NHE by Sept. 18.
Oakview Place Extendicare needs volunteers for its Adopt a Grandparent program. This one-to-one program involves visiting residents and participating in activities such as games, walks and crafts, with a minimum of 20 minutes per resident visited. The ideal candidate should have good conversation skills, be able to motivate and encourage others and be self-motivated. Volunteers ages 14 and older are welcome. People who speak Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Spanish or Italian are encouraged to apply. Email jbabineau@extendicare.com or phone 204-888-3005 by Sept. 30.
Whyte Ridge Community Centre needs volunteers to help with the ongoing programs it offers in the community. Volunteers should email volunteer.services@whyteridge.ca and describe their talents. The deadline is Nov. 30.
Villa Cabrini needs lunch program volunteers to help provide customer service to seniors during mealtimes. Volunteers are responsible for taking orders, receiving payment, serving food, cleaning tables and tracking sales. Required skills include fluent English, basic math, a positive attitude and customer service experience. Must be 18 or older. The time commitment is daytime hours, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Email vcabrini@mymts.net by Jan. 1.
The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. When disaster strikes, you can help, and the Red Cross can show you how. Go to http://wfp.to/0pE, email volunteer@redcross.ca or call 1-844-818-2155.
Reading with children brings back good memories of the time Bolton spent reading with her mother and grandmother when she was young.
Occasionally, the retired lawyer brings a quilt for her and the children to sit on. It’s a blue quilt with a floral pattern that belonged to her mother.
A staff member recently snapped a picture of a child wrapped in the quilt, reading with Bolton.
“To see that boy who is so darling wrapped up in (my mother’s) quilt — that strikes deep within me,” Bolton says. “My mother was widowed at 33 with two children. She had to raise my brother and I and she did a great job of it. And she always had time to volunteer.”
Bolton’s mother taught her that in spite of the family’s loss, they were fortunate in life and should work to make the world a better place.
“She wasn’t an overtly religious woman … but one of the things she taught us was do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Bolton says.
Bolton started volunteering as a teenager, assisting with blood donor clinics and visiting care-home residents who didn’t have family.
In recent years, she has volunteered on a number of boards, including Direct Action in Support of Community Homes, which supports people with intellectual disabilities, and the Manitoba Community Services Council, a granting organization supporting non-profit community service organizations.
The grandmother of five, who was born and raised in Winnipeg and spent three years living in England and France, is passionate about theatre and sits on the board of directors at Theatre Projects Manitoba.
In her free time, she enjoys gardening, walking, cycling, reading and going to the theatre. She also loves cooking and spending time with her family.
Volunteering at West Broadway Youth Outreach is a valued social outlet for her.
“I love being with people, so yeah, reading to children is pretty nice,” she says.
The outreach program is looking for more volunteers. The organization offers a variety of programming, and matches volunteers to programs that suit their interests and abilities.
Anyone interested in getting involved can email wbyokidz@gmail.com, phone 204-774-0451, visit the organization in person (646 Portage Ave.) or apply online at westbroadwayyouthoutreach.com.
If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron.
Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron.
Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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