Written by Ryan Charles Parker / Photo courtesy of Mckenna Causey

This is a story about dedication. A long chronicle of helping for the sake of others. A tale of self-sacrifice. An unfinished history of giving without any care of material reward or personal recognition.

For Mckenna, charitable work began early in her life. “The first notable time I began volunteering was when I was 8. I asked my friends for money instead of presents for my 9th birthday to buy sleeping bags and food vouchers for the homeless. That year we had a really cold winter and my little brain couldn’t fathom that there were people who actually had to sleep outside in the cold and didn’t have a warm house to go home to.”

But her contribution to the less fortunate didn’t end there. 3 years ago, RBC introduced an initiative for Canada’s 150th birthday wherein they provided $150 to people with an eye to using it for charity, in whatever method they chose. Mckenna was one of the recipients. And she made that money count. As Gloria Dersken, Executive Director for Central Alberta Victim & Witness Support and Mckenna’s nominator told me, “She challenged others in the community to do-nate $150 and due to her efforts raised over $12,000 which was donated to the Red Deer Health Foundation to purchase a much needed Billi Soft LED Photother-apy set for NICU.”

Raising that much money from just $150 takes a sustained effort and a good deal of dedication and goodwill. But that is just the type of person Mckenna is: always looking for a way to help.

Mckenna has been a volunteer with Gloria at Alberta Victim & Witness Support since February of 2018 and explains her role in the organization, “The main thing I do as an advocate is go out to call outs. The majority are (next of kin) notifications or suicides, and occasionally car accidents. I also go into the office and call victims of crime and tragedy…to see how they are doing. While I’m in the office I make care packages that we give out to victims with information on future supports, symptoms of grieving, the role of the medical examiner, etc. This sup-port is more being there for someone to talk to and making sure they aren’t alone during a difficult time, compared to raising money for a cause.”

This is not easy work. Needless to say, much of it is grim. It takes a big heart to be able to do such labour and not be negatively affected by it during day-to-day life. But Mckenna walks this tightrope with ease. As Gloria said, “…she has pursued this volunteer role with relentless perse-verance. She responds to crisis calls, attends training, meetings, and vari-ous events on behalf of VSU, all done with her same cheerful attitude.”

With that much on her plate, she informed me of an initiative she is now taking part of. ” Recently, I’ve been raising money to create care packages for children in the Oncology Unit at the Alberta Children’s Hos-pital. Two of my friends and I made it possible for people to “sponsor a box”. It was $50 to sponsor a box, and you could pick the age group you’d like the box to go to. We have since raised enough for 50 boxes/packages filled with things from books to puzzles to board games to toothbrushes to blankets and socks. We also had many wonderful people make hand-made items to donate to the boxes and some classrooms have decorated the boxes!” The only task that remains for this project is to fill the pack-ages with the goods that have been so graciously donated.

Oh, and she is attending college and works part-time.

Needless to say, Mckenna is overwhelmingly deserving of the award of Volunteer of the Month from Volunteer Central.

Keep up the good work. The world is a better place for having you in it.

If you know a volunteer, nominate them for Volunteer Central’s Volunteer of the Month here: https://bit.ly/30E38qd

India Part 2- Terrific photos help you experience the Taj Mahal and Ganges. This is the second in a four-part series on India

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Constructed of ivory marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, the Taj Mahal is described as the world’s most perfect building. The Taj does not disappoint.

the Taj Mahal is described as the world’s most perfect building

The grand mausoleum is best viewed in the early morning light, but some important foreign politico was in town so the grounds were closed to us plebeians. We had to view the edifice from Agra Fort, which lies across the Yamuna River.

sharing the Taj Mahal with friendly locals

Still, the ancient site in the hazy distance was stunning, with its four tall minarets framing the gigantic domed tomb. In 1658, after a succession battle, Shah Jahan’s son had his father imprisoned in the Fort. The elder Shah was forced to live out his existence with a distant, tantalizing, maddening view of his beloved wife’s final resting place.

cows come first in India

a boy selling funerary votives

The Taj Mahal grounds re-opened to the great unwashed later that afternoon – affording us the opportunity to avoid the morning crowd. As the sun set, we were able to quietly enjoy this architectural wonder with an intimate gathering of… about 10,000 souls. Did I mention India has a lot of people? (see Part 1 of the series.)

“India? Are you nuts? Join Gerry for part 1 of his series on India.

What’s the scoop Anoop?

Every morning, before he could open his mouth to explain where we were going and what we’d see, eat and do that day, we’d greet our guide Anoop Singhal with a preemptive, “What’s the scoop, Anoop?” Then he’d regale us with the remarkable things we were to consume – visually and gastronomically – that day.

A family happily camped in the streets of Varanasi.

And throughout the adventure, with ceremonial kirpan rattling by his side, driver Devinder Singh navigated us safely through the byways of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, his horn a constant presence, firmly announcing our arrival in every hamlet, village and town.

Varanasi Pilgrims

When we flew to Varanasi to visit the sacred waters of the Ganges, Singh Ji drove through the night, met us at the airport and safely delivered us to our luxurious accommodation.

It was on the short drive into Varanasi that we saw our first corpse.

Supplicants bathe in the sacred GangesIt is the desire of every devout Hindu to be cremated along the banks of the Ganges River, ashes then spread into the sacred water. Such a fortuitous departure from life enhances the deceased’s opportunity to be transported to heaven and escape the cycle of reincarnation, rebirth.

What we had seen on the way into town was a body, brightly wrapped in funerary attire, drawn in an open cart and bound for a wooden funeral pyre.

Funeral Pyres on the banks of the Ganges

Late that afternoon, after navigating Varanasi’s warren-like alleyways and descending the stone steps of Manikarnika Ghat to the riverbank, we rowed quietly out into the soft Ganges current. Orange flames danced from a score of burning pyres, each mimicking the brilliant Indian sunset.

an offering for the river gods

Downstream, supplicants released floating offerings of lit candles set in yellow marigolds, while men and women – pilgrims from all over India – stepped into the water to cleanse themselves and sip the holy elixir.

garlands of marigolds

Despite encouragement from the locals we did not partake in the ritual of drinking directly from the blessed Ganges. A Canadian doctor I met on a scenic point overlooking the river warned that to do so was to invite, “the 30 day, 30 pound diet.”

As darkness descended we drifted silently, watching a growing multitude of funerary blazes illuminate the shore. The effect was ethereal, apocalyptic.

In the morning the mood at breakfast was somber. Our time with Mr. Singh and our wonderful guide Anoop was over. We were headed to Mumbai to begin the next leg of our journey. Before we left for the airport, Anoop Ji surprised us with a private yoga session in the garden of the Taj Gateway, our fabulous Varanasi hotel.

a colourful scene on the Ganges

end of along day

After a lot of “ohms”, some deep breathing and much stretching, the yogi insisted we finish the session with a laugh – literally. So, we all forced a grin that morphed to a chuckle and eventually became a contagious guffaw. Soon the whole group was howling with a genuine, fall on your yoga mat, belly laugh.

The mood had swung and we were all smiles as we boarded the plane for Mumbai.

Next time: the slums of Mumbai.

If you go: Explore India from Vancouver B.C., www.exploreindia.ca, capably and professionally handled all aspects of our private month-long tour – air and land travel, hotels, meals, guides, drivers, entrance fees and activities – for one all-inclusive price.

“India? Are you nuts?” Join Gerry for Part 1 of his series on India.

Thanks to Rod Kennedy and Kennedy Wealth Management and Ing and McKee Insurance for helping to make this series possible.  Please support them.

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