Deanna Cardinal has volunteered all her life and it’s all about family connections that branch out into the community.
Mrs. Cardinal is a member of the Kookums’ Konnection at the Prince Native Friendship Centre and gathered recently with other ladies who are part of the grandmothers’ group who offer guidance and share their knowledge. They were creating ornaments to bring a little Christmas cheer to those in need.
Kookum means grandmother in Cree and the role of these volunteers falls into a traditional grandmother’s role where she will play with the little ones (in the early childhood education department), guide in tradition the young ones who need grounding (in the youth groups), assist with food security (at the food bank) because there’s nothing worse than an empty belly and then there’s even some craft creating of items that are gifted to those in need. It’s all part of the volunteering effort to lift up the community in need of assistance, teachings and guidance.
Mrs. Cardinal especially likes her volunteering time spent with the youth and the wee ones who are in the programs at the Friendship Centre.
“I like working with the youth and the little kids in the daycare,” Mrs. Cardinal said.
She also guides those young adults who are entering into the career development programs through the Native Friendship Centre.
And how often does she do these things?
“We come whenever they need us,” Mrs. Cardinal said.
Just like all the members of the Kookums’ Konnection, she is ready to serve at all times and each volunteers to their strengths and are tireless in their efforts.
Family history saw Mrs. Cardinal, her mother and grandmother volunteering together, doing pretty much everything together.
Mrs. Cardinal’s mom, Irene, and grandmother, Dorothy, have been gone for a while now and she just keeps going, doing the good work she does in honour of her family members, keeping them close to her heart.
“We were so close people would call us sisters,” Mrs. Cardinal recalled with a gentle smile on her face.
“We were three generations and people could see how close we were.”
And she will continue to carry on their volunteering legacy as long as she can.
