GUELPH – For over 50 years, Guelph resident Peter Barrow has been searching for ways to stay connected to his community through his passion for volunteering.
PETER
BARROW
Barrow first began volunteering when he came to Guelph in 1969 from Ottawa and landed his first volunteer role with Big Brothers Big Sisters which he took part in for a number of years.
During that time, he was also president of the Guelph Little Theatre group. It was these roles that began a 50-year journey of volunteering in the community.
“I think one of the benefits of volunteering, of course, is that you do meet a lot of really wonderful people. You make friends, you make connections, and that was certainly true for me,” Barrow told the Advertiser.
In speaking with Barrow, his passion for volunteering was evident.
As an avid volunteer, over the years, Barrow has taken on roles with the Guelph YMCA, Canadian Red Cross, the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington, Hopewell Children’s Homes, the Elliot Community Long-term Care Home and the People and Information Network (PIN), among many others.
“So it’s been a very consistent and very important part of my life all the way through and I’ve really been incredibly lucky to have met so many fantastic people and to learn about so many different organizations and the challenges they face,” he said.
As a business and marketing consultant, part of his volunteering work, Barrow explained, has also been to work with non-profit groups through strategic planning.
Through that he’s done work with organizations like the Guelph Rowing Club and Hospice Wellington.
A major aspect of volunteering for Barrow, is being embedded in his community.
“That’s one of the huge aspects of volunteering, you do make wonderful friends, you get to learn and respect other people’s passions,” he explained.
“There are a lot of incredibly engaged and committed volunteers in Guelph and Wellington, definitely, in the whole county, it’s just quite amazing.”
Involvement with PIN
Having been involved with the founding of PIN, back when it was the Volunteer Centre of Guelph, Barrow has always been connected with PIN in one way or another.
He now sits on the board where he’s held the position for the past five years.
PIN executive director Kim Cusimano, who has worked at PIN for the last five years, said during her time working with Barrow, he’s been “a real proponent of community and volunteerism.
“He’s an absolute gem,” she said. “His heart is in supporting an engaged community and he does that with such a high level of support.”
During their time working together, Cusimano has seen Barrow take part in a number of committees as well as volunteer with various boards to help see organizations grow and prosper.
“And I would say for PIN, his support to the organization in a board service role is … a real opportunity to give and giving of leadership and mentorship and growth and development and Peter has really embodied that for the organization,” she said.
“His support, it was unwavering through the pandemic,” she added. “But I would say that he also just was inspiring of the entire organization from board and staff.
He really cares for the well-being of the staff and how the board functions at its highest governance level to be able to support the organization.
Cusimano added if anyone has the opportunity to meet Barrow, they will easily find themselves inspired by his words and his generosity.
“In the way that he speaks, his gift of communication really is inspiring,” she said.
Volunteering during the pandemic
Barrow said volunteering has also really helped himself and his wife to get through the past two years of the pandemic, as it has allowed them to stay busy and stay engaged with the community and the organizations they work with.
Asked if the pandemic slowed down his ability to volunteer, Barrow said in some cases he was busier than ever.
He noted there are some substantial challenges facing the volunteer sector, including attaining funding for many non-profits in the Guelph-Wellington area to ensure their sustainability and survival.
“I was personally involved in a lot of work around the whole issue of sustainability and funding,” Barrow explained.
“[Also] encouraging people to become volunteers,” he added. “A lot of people are really overburdened at the moment and maybe thinking that they need to step back from volunteering because they’re so overloaded.”
Barrow said he’s been helping organizations to maintain membership and encourage new volunteers and helping them figure out where to go next, which he said has been very helpful in keeping him busy.
The Guelph resident is currently still working with the Elliot Community and is looking forward to continuing his work with PIN once his term on the board is up next year.
His biggest work at the moment is with an organization – the Recovery Speaking Initiative – which is designed to provide advocacy, resources and support for men who were victims of sexual abuse and have subsequently struggled with addiction and depression.
Barrow currently acts as chair of the board for the start-up organization, which has been going for roughly 18 months.
As he gets older, Barrow said it’s really important for him to stay connected.
“I think volunteerism also gives you a balance in your life,” he explained.
“In one way, particularly if you’re working for organizations that are helping the disadvantaged, you really get a broader perspective of your own life and what’s important and what really matters from learning about how other people are living and the challenges they’re facing.
“And I think you broaden your own life experience tremendously.”
