Whether it's preparing a late-night snack for staff, answering phones or affixing luggage tags, Isobel Watkinson has been a fixture at The Salvation Army's Jackson's Point Camp in Ontario for more than three decades.

Known affectionately as “Auntie” to campers and staffers alike, Isobel is a member of The Salvation Army born and bred in England. She met and married a member of the Army's Canadian Staff Band and moved to Canada.

“We arrived in July and I found myself at Jackson's Point weeks later,” Isobel says. “This is my 33rd year here, and I love it!"

Isobel has been at Jackson's for so long that campers she helped out years ago are now part of the staff. “It's one of the best parts of what I do, to see the wonderful adults the kids I knew have become.”

“There is no doubt that Isobel is energized by her volunteer work with young people,” says Captain Tiffany Marshall, a public relations officer for The Salvation Army's Canada and Bermuda Territory. “You only have to watch her in action to see her passion and dedication for young people and Jackson's Point Camp as a whole. She has a sparkle in her eye as she talks about the excitement of watching young people develop their skills and grow in their relationship with God.

“The kind of impact that one caring individual can have on others is amazing!”

Asked why she labours so unselfishly for so many, Isobel replies, “Volunteering is my way of serving and giving back to God, as He has given me so much.”