Helpful people are happy people: volunteer
Dabee has volunteered for 24 organizations
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/08/2018 (2838 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Want to know the key to happiness? Ask Derek Dabee.
“If you look at happy people, they’re also helpful people,” he says.
The 64-year-old Maples resident should know. Over the past 35 years, he has volunteered with 24 different organizations.
A passionate cricket and tennis player, a number of Dabee’s volunteer commitments include community centres that support youth involvement in sports.
By his count, Dabee has assisted in repairing or building two cricket pitches, two baseball diamonds, eight hockey rinks, 10 basketball courts and 18 tennis courts.
“Be a good neighbour and be helpful,” he says. “That’s my mantra.”
Born and raised in Guyana, a Caribbean country on the northern mainland of South America, Dabee’s outlook on life was heavily influenced by his mother, Tara.
Dabee describes his mother, a former sewing teacher, as a distinguished leader and dedicated volunteer at her temple and all community events.
“She could never say no to getting involved,” he says. “She was the go-to lady.”
Thanks to his mother’s influence, Dabee began volunteering as a teenager at school events and as president of his school’s student council.
He moved to Winnipeg when he was 19 to study agriculture at the University of Manitoba.
Eventually, his focus shifted and he graduated with a degree in sociology.
Afterward, he worked for the provincial government until 2012.
Along the way, Dabee learned of Canada’s rich tradition of volunteerism. This inspired him to get involved in the community.
Dabee has volunteered in each of the three Winnipeg neighbourhoods he has lived in.
He currently volunteers at the Maples Community Centre, where he is board president, as well as with the Philippine Basketball Association Winnipeg and the Garden City Nets tennis club.
In the past, Dabee volunteered for 16 years at the Burton Cummings Community Centre, where he was the founding president.
He used to volunteer with the Caribbean Canada Heart Health Education, a non-profit that promotes cardiovascular health in Canada and internationally.
Other past volunteer commitments include the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre, Folklorama, the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Manitoba Cricket Association and the Council of Caribbean Organizations of Manitoba.
“For me, volunteering is a lifestyle,” Dabee says. “It’s an excellent way to contribute to our communities, and the rewards are priceless.”
His wife, Sandy, is understanding and supportive of his many endeavours.
“She is OK with my community involvements, as long as I complete my household chores,” he says with a laugh.
When he isn’t working as a school board trustee in the Seven Oaks School Division or volunteering, Dabee enjoys playing sports, reading and attending community events.
He also spends time with his mother, who moved to Winnipeg in 1980 and will celebrate her 94th birthday next month.
Dabee is thankful for the hundreds of volunteers he has been able to work alongside over the past 35 years, and encourages everyone to consider getting involved with their local community centre.
“The pleasure and the satisfaction of volunteering is tremendous,” he says.
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.
Volunteers needed
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 volunteermanitoba.ca or call 204-477-5180.
Thin Air, the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, is looking for volunteers to fill an assortment of roles at various events. The festival, from Sept. 21 to Sept. 29, is an opportunity for high school and university students or anyone else interested in interacting with the Canadian literary community. The festival is particularly in need of drivers to shuttle writers to and from various locations, so if you have a driver’s licence and an outstanding record, please sign up. To register, go to thinairwinnipeg.ca/volunteer or email volunteer@thinairwinnipeg.com for more information.
Volunteer and celebrate Nuit Blanche at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on Sept. 29. Ninety volunteers are needed for a variety of assignments. Day, early and late shifts are available, and orientation/training is provided. To apply, email volunteer@wag.ca before Sept. 8.
The Canadian Red Cross is looking for people to join its team of dedicated volunteers who are prepared to help people impacted by disasters such as forest fires and floods. For more information, go to redcross.ca/volunteer, call 204-982-7330 or email vrs@redcross.ca.
Manitoba Mutts is seeking a designer to create graphics to support marketing and public relations materials. Must have experience with design programs. Four to six hours per week. The organization is also seeking a web developer to help maintain and update the website, which is WordPress-based. The position is six-plus hours per week and is shared with another developer. Manitoba Mutts is also seeking a marketing assistant to create graphic concepts and key messaging for ongoing programs and fundraising projects. (This includes adoptables and supporting businesses.) Four to six hours per week. To apply for any of these positions, email recruit@manitobamutts.org.
Habitat for Humanity Manitoba needs volunteers to help build a four-plex at 1860 Logan Ave. until Sept. 14. You must be 16 or older; all skill levels welcome. Habitat builds Tuesdays through Fridays, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and provides everything you need, including steel-toed boots, hard hats and tools. To learn more, go to habitat.mb.ca, or sign up at habitatmbca.volunteerhub.com.
Manitoba Riding for the Disabled, a therapeutic horseback-riding program for children with disabilities, is seeking volunteers to act as horse leaders or side walkers. A mandatory orientation will take place Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at West Wind Stables in Oak Bluff. Volunteers must be 14 years or older. Horse experience is necessary to be a leader but not required to be a side walker. For more information, go online to mrda.ca or phone 925-5905.
The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg is a long-term facility providing care for 84 residents since 1965. The board of directors is seeking board members, including the officer position of treasurer/finance chair. Members will contribute to the strategic direction and governance of this accredited facility within the framework provided by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. This is a minimum three-year term, starting in January, with the option to continue for another term. Send all expressions of interest and relevant credentials to CEO Sharon Wilms at swilms@tchw.com. For more information, call her at 204-453-4663, ext. 203.
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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