🌊 Waves of Compassion: Honoring Healthcare Volunteers at Bingemans

  Last Wednesday, I had the profound honor of attending the Volunteer Recognition Dinner at Bingemans Catering & Conference Centre—and it was more than a dinner. It was a celebration of humanity.

✨ From the warm greetings to the laughter between tables, from the kind reflections shared by hospital leaders to the humbling list of names read aloud for 5, 10, 15, 20, and even 45 YEARS of volunteer service—every moment spoke volumes about the heart of healthcare.

💬 “You are the heart of healthcare,” someone said that night—and those words still echo in my mind.

🎤 What the Night Taught Me

🩺 Healthcare is not just about clinical knowledge. / 💙 It's about compassion.

🙌 It's about showing up.  / 🌱 It's about choosing people, even when no one is watching.

Whether you're offering a warm blanket in the ER, guiding a nervous patient to registration, or simply listening to someone in pain—volunteers are the first face of care. 

 

 
👏 Service Milestones We Celebrated

Milestone Volunteers Recognized

5 Years Tina Alari, Evelyn Franticello, Sue Hallman, and others

10 Years Elizabeth Blue, Sharon Dott, Stella Gortson...

15 Years Susan Logo, Carleen Miller, Heather Moats...

20 Years Joanne Bulisowski, Megan Carlos...

25+ Years Betty Ann Scott, Rose Meyer, Gail Roach, Ermgard G.

45 Years Paulette O’Grady ❤️

Each name = countless hours of walking, caring, comforting, and guiding.

🌟 Leadership Reflections

🗣️ “Volunteering changed my life at 14 as a candy striper. It became my why.”

🗣️ “Volunteers are the first people patients meet… and the ones they never forget.”

🗣️ “You give time and talent, our greatest gifts as humans.”

These weren’t just speeches—they were heartfelt acknowledgments that brought the room to tears.

 

💌 To Every Volunteer:

You didn’t just sign up to help. 

You chose to stay.

You chose to smile when it was hard.

You gave time—the one thing we never get back.

For that, you deserve more than applause. You deserve every bit of gratitude our community can give. 💐

 

 

🧭 For Newcomers in Healthcare

If you’re starting your journey—whether as a volunteer, international student, PR hopeful, or healthcare graduate:

👣 Start with small steps.  

📍 Follow your heart into service. 

 🧩 You don’t need perfection—you just need presence.

 

🛠️ Resources to Get Started

Pathway Who It’s For Where to Begin

Volunteer Roles (Hospitals/Clinics) Newcomers, students, career explorers Check local hospital websites or Volunteer.ca 

Personal Support Worker (PSW) Newcomers in patient care https://www.northerncollege.ca/program/personal-support-worker/

Healthcare Admin Jobs International grads, career switchers https://ca.indeed.com/q-healthcare-l-timmins,-on-jobs.html

PR Pathways via Healthcare Immigrants, PR seekers https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html 

 

🙌 Call to Action

Are you a healthcare volunteer or professional?

Were you inspired by someone who gave back without asking for anything in return?

Tag them. Thank them. Share your own story.

🧵 Let’s flood LinkedIn with stories of service, hope, and human connection.

  

 

With gratitude,

Dr. Dhruv Bhikadiya

Healthcare Volunteer | Medical Officer | Healthcare Admin Grad

 📍Kitchener, ON 

#HealthcareHeroes #VolunteerRecognition #BingemansDinner #HeartOfHealthcare #PatientCare #HealthcareLeadership #CanadaVolunteers #ImmigrantVoices #CompassionInAction #WavesOfChange #LinkedInForGood