It's just a natural fit for a local retired teacher to volunteer to be a choir director, tutor, and leader of a kids club at her church.
Joyce Burkitt, who turns 80 in the spring, has decided to take a step back in all her volunteer jobs and let someone else take over the prep and organizational aspects.
I think for me - like music - volunteering gives you life. It inspires you and lifts you up.
After about 17 years, Burkitt found someone else to take over the job of choir director for the Gospel Singers, which branched out from the Rainbow Singers, now known as the Forever Young Chorus, at the Elder Citizens Recreation Association (ECRA).
Burkitt is also a member of the Forever Young Chorus.
"As members of those groups we sing in seniors homes and churches, at community events, and put two shows on a year at ECRA to raise money for the centre," said Burkitt.
It was surprisingly easy for Burkitt to let go of the reins of the Gospel Singers even after so many years.
"It's kind of like my baby and I don't want to see it die if something happens to me and I'm almost 80," said Burkitt. "I just want to stop doing all the prep. There's a lot of preparation for choirs. You have to look for the music, you have to provide copies, you organize the concerts and make sure everything is in place. It takes a lot of organizational skills. I don't want any of the things I volunteer to do to fall apart when I'm gone."
Now she just shows up like the rest of the members of the choir to sing at rehearsal and during performances around the community.
"Now I get to visit with the rest of the choir before we start to sing and I am really enjoying it," said Burkitt.
Burkitt first heard the choir when they came to entertain the Christian Seniors, a group for which she was president for 17 years. She just stepped down from those duties in January and is still a member today.
For her kids club leadership duties, she has to do lesson prep, come up with the music they will be singing, and provide the snack.
"I want to be involved but I don't want it to depend on me," said Burkitt, who's celebrating 58 years of marriage to Charles on Dec. 20. "I don't want any of this stuff to fall apart when I'm gone."
Burkitt firmly believes she has kept her youthfulness by enthusiastically volunteering and is still willing to be a helper and continue to volunteer just in a different capacity.
"I don't want to be doing nothing," said Burkitt, who started volunteer tutoring for students in English in Grades 2 and 3 and 7 about a year and a half ago.
At the Prince George Evangelical Free Church, Burkitt has also volunteered for years.
"At church I started teaching Sunday school, then I became a junior church leader, taught a kids' choir, Pioneer Girls, Awana Club, and I teach in the Good News Club which is now called the Kids Zone," said Burkitt.
Why is volunteering so important?
"Somebody has to do it," laughed Burkitt. "I think for me - like music - volunteering gives you life. It inspires you and lifts you up. I can come to choir practice so tired I can hardly put one foot in front of the other and when I leave I think 'oh, I feel good' and it's the same feeling I get when I'm teaching the kids."
Flip through The Citizen's Volunteer City series, featuring stand-out volunteers in Prince George:
