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Finding purpose through supporting others, Cold Lake volunteer recognized as role model

‘When I'm asked to help a person, unbeknownst to them, they are giving me back a sense of purpose and the fuel to keep going,’ says Cold Lake resident and recipient of the Northern Lights Volunteer Recognition award, Anita Rorke.
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Cold Lake resident, Anita Rorke received the Northern Lights Volunteer Recognition award from the Province of Alberta on Feb. 17, for her 25 plus years of volunteer work with Cold Lake Victims Services as well as Cold Lake and District FCSS and Cold Lake Palliative Care. Photo supplied.

COLD LAKE – Arriving in Canada in the late 1980s, Anita Rorke followed her husband, a Canadian solider, from Germany, where she was born and raised, all the way to Cold Lake.  

“I met my husband overseas when he was posted,” Rorke tells Lakeland This Week. “We came here in 1989 and never left.” 

The move was a blessing she says, allowing her to put down roots in a new country and begin forming long-lasting connections with the people around her. 

Over the last three decades Rorke has walked along a path dedicated to volunteerism and community building. 

“Having a person sleep better just for a simple conversation, or to connect with them – there's no price tag you can attach to that. That's what I think fuels my passion for my volunteer work,” she says. 

In February, Rorke was recognized by the Province of Alberta for her outstanding volunteer work over the last 25 years in the Cold Lake area for supporting victims of crime, as well as those who have experienced a sudden tragedy.  

She was awarded the Northern Lights Volunteer Recognition award. 

Rorke is a person who simply makes a difference in the community. However, what began her journey of community outreach may be surprising. 

Nearly 27 years ago, Rorke was a witness to a serious crime and relied on Victims Services to help her through the court and healing process following the incident. 

“It was just amazing how much of a difference that made to have somebody on your side,” she says. Once she worked her way through her own healing journey, Rorke contacted the organization asking how she could volunteer.  

“I believe in giving back to your community, and Cold Lake was basically my first home away from home,” she says, adding that working with Victims Services is a great equalizer.  

After having a terrible day or what she calls “a princess moment,” Rorke can find herself “cross(ing) paths with an individual who is having a traumatic experience. And it just simply puts everything in perspective for me... and so, it's really always been the equalizer for me.” 

Rorke is also rewarded for her volunteer work in unexpected ways.  

“Sometimes, I meet the most amazing people on the worst day of their lives. And because we are a small community, Bonnyville and Cold Lake, when I see them a little while later – holding their head up proud and they have done their healing, it just makes me aware of how resilient the human spirit is with some help in tragic times,” expresses Rorke. “I get such an enrichment out of that.” 

In many ways, being a woman has been a benefit to her role working with victims and vulnerable people. And while it may be a biased stereotype, she says “(Women) do have the privilege of giving life, maintaining life, and nurturing life... and that alone is an incredible privilege in my opinion.” 

A hug with consent speaks a million words, she adds. 

The majority of Rorke’s volunteer work has been with Cold Lake Victims Services, but over the years she has applied her knowledge and skills to volunteering with the Cold Lake and District FCSS and Cold Lake Palliative Care. 

“I've been really blessed having a lot of my resources at hand that I can contribute to help others. It’s almost like volunteer work runs into the other and I can give my resources freely to those who need it, because all of those resources are really free,” she says. "I'm able to pay forward my training to others in need, especially when it comes to women.” 

Rorke’s legacy of volunteer work has many in the Cold Lake community identify her as a role model. This she says, keeps her honest. 

“To me, being a role model is a give and take. It gives me a humbling and appreciative feeling that I made a difference in a community member’s life. But in the same instance it's also keeping me on the straight and narrow and makes me aware that if people look up to me – I need to do my best.” 

Overall, she says no time spent working in the community has been a waste.  

“I don't really keep track of time when it comes to volunteering because I am a firm believer that the good Lord puts us where we belong.” 

She continued, “It's been an absolute honour and privilege to belong to this family that we call volunteers... I hope that if nothing else, I can get the message out that volunteering is absolutely rewarding, and it can be a life changer.” 

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