LAC LA BICHE – For close to two decades, Lac La Biche resident Alice Thompson has been a familiar face around the community, volunteering with various organizations and events.
“I have volunteered pretty much everywhere here,” Thompson said. “It’s just something I do to keep busy and keep from being bored.”
Since moving to Lac La Biche from Fort McMurray 18 years ago, Thompson has been involved with several groups, including the Hope Haven women’s shelter and the Lakeland Out of the Elements Shelter Society (LOESS). She also spent over a decade volunteering with the annual Festival of Trees celebration, has served as a director with the Road to Hope Foundation for 11 years, and was a director with the Lac La Biche Agricultural Society.
Thompson was part of a group of community residents who were instrumental in getting LOESS up and running.
“When I first started with the Lakeland Out of the Elements shelter, it didn’t even have a name yet. It was just a bunch of us that got together to try and deal with the addictions and homelessness on the streets, and that’s where it grew from,” she explained.
These days, Thompson does all her volunteer work with the Lac La Biche Heritage Society, where she is a director with the seniors’ centre.
Each year, Thompson helps with collecting donations of items or money to purchase the prizes that are given out at the Lac La Biche Heritage Society’s annual Christmas banquet.
She also oversees another annual event that is held at the seniors’ centre, the bake auction, which takes place in June as part of activities for Alberta Seniors Week.
Thompson organizes the event and arranges for people to come in with baked goods that are auctioned off by auctioneer Blake Nashim.
Helping with putting on the bake auction is a lot of fun, and the event brings folks together, said Thompson.
“People enjoy the camaraderie that comes with the auction as well as getting the baking,” she said.
Thompson can also occasionally be found inside the kitchen at the Lac La Biche Heritage Society, where she lends her time and talents making desserts, setting up tables for events, and cleaning up.
“I’ve been designated as the dessert maker some of the time,” she stated.
As for what she gets out of volunteering, Thompson stated that she enjoys being around people, helping them, and ensuring that they’re having a good time.
“I enjoy making people have fun . . . if they’re having fun, and participating, that gives me joy,” she said.
It is important that people step up to volunteer, according to Thompson.
“Without volunteers, there’s a lot of things that would never take place.”
National Volunteer Week took place from April 27 to May 3.
