CAMH volunteers receive provincial honours

Province honours CAMH volunteers with Annual Volunteer Service Awards

Each year, more than 5 million volunteers help make Ontario a better place to live. In June, the Province of Ontario honoured 208 volunteers from the Toronto region at the Annual Volunteer Service Award; among them were six of CAMH’s very own.

CAMH’s Niles Patel (centre) receives his five-year service award from Michael Chan, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges.

Niles Patel was recognized for his five years of service at CAMH. Most recently, Niles volunteered with the Telephone Support Line offering informal support to those who are struggling with mental health or addiction issues. His commitment and passion for his volunteer work caught the attention of the staff at CAMH’s McLaughlin Information Centre, and Niles soon moved from the ranks of volunteer to a staff member there.

Also recognized were the volunteers at the Family Resource Centre. Annick Aubert, Ana Herman, Joan MacDonald, and Elsa Southam have been volunteering with the Family Resource Centre since its inception 11 years ago. These volunteers use their personal experience to support and help families and friends to navigate the emotional and sometimes stressful journey of loving and/or caring for someone with a mental health and/or addiction issue. They offer an invaluable service at CAMH and we congratulate them on this award.

Volunteers from the CAMH Family Resource Centre Joan McDonald, Annick Aubert and Elsa Southam received 10-year Service Awards.

Former staff member and current volunteer at the Suits Me Fine Boutique Pauline Hill also garnered an award for her commitment to helping clients. She joined CAMH Volunteer Resources soon after she retired and has been helping clients find clothes and shoes with the Suits Me Fine program since its beginnings as the Clothesline 15 years ago.

CAMH congratulates the award winners and thanks the more than 700 volunteers working across the organization for their commitment and efforts.