Halifax resident and retired banker Ron Goyer wasn't new to volunteering. He had spent years donating his time to service clubs and being a mentor through Big Brother. But when his father—who lived in the Salvation Army seniors' home in Saskatoon—passed away, Goyer decided to volunteer at the Centre of Hope in Halifax as a means of saying “thanks” to the Army for the quality care his father received.
For the past three years, Goyer has spent his Thursdays sorting goods and packing food in preparation for an average of 40 clients who visit the centre's food bank on Mondays and Fridays.
“It's rewarding to volunteer because you meet a lot of people and it makes you appreciate the things you have in life,” says Goyer. “People of all ages come to the centre for different programs and I'm glad to contribute in some way to help them.
“My hope is that they can, one day, get themselves back on their feet and will no longer require our services. Some have done that and return to volunteer because they appreciate what the centre has done for them.”
On September 11, 2001, two airplanes hit the World Trade Center in New York City, while a third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing almost 3,000 people and injuring thousands more. With U.S. airspace closed following the terrorist attack, 38 airplanes landed in Gander, N.L., where Salvationist Claude Elliott was mayor.
The Salvation Army appears in a new episode of Historica Canada’s iconic Heritage Minute series, highlighting the generous response of Gander, N.L., in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. In the wake of the tragedy, American airspace was promptly closed, leaving thousands of airline passengers stranded in Gander. The
Ron Goyer with his supervisor, Alex MacDonald
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