Do You Volunteer?

Volunteering has always been a constant element in my life. When I was 12 years old, my mother brought me to a fundraiser at the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), and I fell in love with the place. I enjoyed assisting the residents, who were not only blind but developmentally handicapped.

My favourite position at the CNIB was taking the blind kids (they were in their late teens-20s) to the SPCA to meet the cats with the hopes of adopting one. We would sit on the floor in a big room and play with cats. Wonderful job, eh?
But it was the look on those kids’ faces when the cat would come to them. It was like sunshine, which made me feel great that I could be a part of this. If they didn’t feel like that cat was right for them, they would try another. Most would adopt one, and I’d accompany them home and help them set up the cat dishes and the litter box in a safe place.

Every time, in the evening around 9 p.m., I’d get a call from them and they’d whisper, “She’s on my lap and she’s purring.”

I cried every time. Those kids suffered. They knew they were blind and developmentally delayed, but they were smart, hard-working people who never complained about their lot in life, just how to make it better. Most were working toward living independently.

My greatest moment was when a blind friend got a guide dog. I met her in Long Island, NY, at a guide dog facility. She always walked with a cane, looking down, with a constant frown. When she got a dog, she walked with her head held high and smiling from ear to ear. What a brilliant transformation over a very special dog.

Now, I must get to my news. My new novel, Murder at the Canadian National Exhibition, is in its final stages and will be released on Monday, August 4th. I’ll be revealing the cover in my next newsletter.

My excellent marketer has developed a QR Code. If you download it, you will be the first to know when it’s for sale on Amazon.

I will be featured in The New Canadian Stories magazine for their June issue. www.thenewcanadianstories.ca

It’s a real magazine which will be mailed to you. It’s filled with people’s short stories, and you can carry it everywhere. The first 1300 words of my first chapter will be printed along with an interview.
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I hope you check it out!
Have fun,
Patty