Meet Marcia: Volunteer Making A Difference

Retirement opened a door for Marcia, and she walked straight through it toward the kids who needed her most. A grandmother of nine, a crocheter of handbags, and a veteran of her church nursery, Marcia has never been someone who sits still for long. So when she finished her career with the City of Hamilton, she went looking for something with purpose. A few friends who had volunteered with CityKidz pointed her in the right direction, and early last year, she showed up. She hasn’t stopped since.

Marcia volunteers twice over: Thursday home visits on Route 82, and Saturday bus runs whenever she can make it. It’s on those home visits where she gets to know the kids as full human beings. Checking in on how their week went, hearing what happened at school, sitting with their stories. “Most of them are excited to tell you what happened,” she says. There’s something quietly powerful about an adult showing up at a child’s door just to listen, especially for kids who don’t always have that at home.

On the Saturday bus, she keeps her eyes open for the quiet ones. A child sitting alone, a new face not sure where to look. Marcia goes and sits with them. She makes introductions and gets conversations going. Nothing dramatic, just the steady, patient work of helping a kid feel like they belong.

What keeps her coming back is the gap CityKidz works to close. She sees it clearly: the relationships, the social opportunities, the sense of inclusion these kids gain access to in ways they might not find elsewhere. “It helps the kids,” she says.

Her advice to anyone thinking about volunteering? Come. You’ll find the experience changes you too.

These kids are waiting for someone to show up for them. Maybe that someone is you. Find your place as a CityKidz volunteer today.