Only 18 months ago, Rana Ahmed was leaving her home in Egypt to study at the University of Manitoba. This week, she’s receiving recognition for her volunteer work.
Ahmed is one of the people being celebrated at the 40th annual Volunteer Awards Thursday at Club Regent Event Centre.
This year’s awards will recognize more than two dozen outstanding volunteers from across the province.
Rana Ahmed is one of the people being celebrated at the 40th annual Volunteer Awards Thursday at Club Regent Event Centre. (Supplied)
Ahmed will receive the RBC Bright Future Award for her work as a social media co-ordinator for the World University Service of Canada’s student refugee program.
The program pairs refugee students with young Canadian students who help support them as they adjust to university.
Ahmed, who is working on a master of science in microbiology, started volunteering with the organization last June.
She’s also volunteered with peer mentorship programs on campus and a language exchange program, helped at the campus food bank and participated in a walk-a-thon to raise awareness about childhood cancer.
“I’m obsessed with volunteer work,” she says, adding it’s an expression of her Muslim faith. “I enjoy helping others and seeing others happy.”
Ahmed wasn’t expecting to receive the award.
“I was over the moon when I got the email,” she says. “It’s motivation for me to do more and more for the community.”
Judy Dikkema and Marlaine Willborn weren’t expecting an award, either.
The two friends will receive the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Community Changemakers Award in recognition of the leadership they give to the meal and outreach team at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Fort Richmond.
Dikkema almost deleted the email notifying her about the award, because she didn’t recognize the sender.
“I was flabbergasted,” she says, describing how she felt when she read the email. “Now, I’m humbled.”
Twice a month, Dikkema, Willborn and their team deliver 75 meals to the Urban, a Lutheran ministry on Arlington Street.
“It feels like it’s time to give back in my life and this was a great place to do that,” Willborn says.
“I also feel that we’ve brought our church to a common purpose,” adds Dikkema, noting that the outreach team has the entire congregation’s support. “There’s a huge number of people in our congregation that volunteer in these various initiatives and there doesn’t seem to be hesitation to do that.”
The Volunteer Awards are important because they celebrate the winners’ commitment and passion, Volunteer Manitoba executive director Ashley Seymour says.
“Some of these folks go above and beyond to serve their community day after day,” she says. “It’s important for us to make sure these folks are recognized for the work that they do.”
Thursday will mark the first in-person ceremony since 2019. It coincides with National Volunteer Week, which is on now until Saturday.
This year’s award winners range from high school students to senior citizens.
“There’s a wide variety of folks and we’re really excited to celebrate them all,” Seymour says.
For a list of this year’s winners, visit http://wfp.to/yrb.
If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.