Volunteer of the Month, Colleen Gemmell Sponsored by Royal Oak by Peri Hayes
It was approximately five years ago when Colleen Gemmell attended a fundraising event for The INN St. Thomas- Elgin, during which she spoke with representatives and realized her place in this space as a local volunteer: “I believe that, in this country, no one should go hungry.” As Colleen passionately describes, “My role at The INN has always been in the kitchen, preparing meals. I initially started working the lunch shift, however, I quickly moved to the dinner shift. For the past many years, I have been on the Tuesday dinner crew which consists of myself and three other dedicated volunteers. We prepare the meal, serve it to the guests and then wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen after dinner service. Working the dinner shift only takes about three hours out of my week, but it can mean everything to someone who has nothing. The guests at The INN are truly appreciative of the volunteers.” “Volunteering at The INN has been an extremely gratifying experience for me. We live in a difficult and often unkind world. I truly believe that those of us who are able, need to step up and lend a hand to help those who are struggling. There are several reasons why homelessness is reaching unprecedented levels in our society, and it’s not always through the fault of those who find themselves in these unfortunate situations. I believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.” Located at 10 Princess Ave, Colleen highlights her com- munity service fulfillment: “For anyone who is considering volunteering at The INN or at any of the many charitable organizations in this community, I would say just go out and give it a try. You might be surprised at how good it makes you feel. I never leave The INN after a dinner shift when I don’t feel like I have made a small difference in someone’s life. Embracing those interested in joining their team, there are several volunteer opportunities at The INN which are highlighted by Colleen, who voices, “Whether it is in the
kitchen preparing meals or sorting donations, volunteers are always welcome. I have worked the dinner shift with the same people for the past several years, and now consider them to be my friends.” Colleen candidly concludes, “I have been very fortunate in my life, in that I have never found myself in a situation where I didn’t know where my next meal would come from or when I might have a safe, warm place to sleep at night. Getting to know many of the guests at The INN has given me a small bit of insight into their lives. I’d like to think that the little bit that I am able to do, helps to give them some comfort, some peace, some hope.”
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Page 4 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • July-August 2025
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