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Why do you do the things you do?

by Emily Hatcher, Resource Development, Halifax & Region MFRC

Ever wonder where really busy people find the time to do some of the things they do?  Why do some people spend countless hours working in a garden, or fixing an antique car? Or why do some people donate their time and skills to volunteer for different organizations and causes? Maybe the answer is simple; people genuinely care and enjoy doing these things. For Michelle West, a long-standing board member with the Halifax & Region Military Family Resource Centre (Halifax & Region MFRC), enjoying her time with the organization is just one of the many reasons why she has been a dedicated and committed volunteer for the past nine years.

Michelle joined the MFRC Board of Directors in November 2001 shortly after moving to Nova Scotia. As a military spouse and former CF member, joining the board was a perfect fit for her and a great opportunity to meet new people and connect with other military spouses. A stay-at-home mother of six at the time, Michelle was looking to put some of her talents, skills and expertise to use for a good cause.

After only one year, Michelle was elected as Vice Chair and spent three years in this role. She was elected as Board Chair in 2005 and served a three year term during a very pivotal and crucial time for the MFRC. Michelle took on the daunting and emotional challenge of stewarding the amalgamation of the Halifax and Shearwater MFRCs to form the Halifax & Region MFRC.

“Michelle brought a no nonsense style of leadership and provided a true sense of direction to the Board at the time. Her leadership really made a difference during the amalgamation. Michelle saw the big picture and throughout a very challenging time she really inspired everyone to keep the organization’s mission and vision clearly in sight. It was because of this quality she successfully lead the board through the transition years, which is critical to our success today,” says Carolyn O’Malley, current Board Chair of the MFRC. 

Balancing a busy CF family life, work and volunteering with the board was always a juggling act, “I was very fortunate and I am still fortunate today to have an extremely supportive family. As a military family, my husband and children understand why it is so important for me to volunteer with the MFRC and make a difference in the military community. We have been through military postings and deployments so they are aware of the MFRC and what the organization does for families,” says West.

Aside from trying to balance her busy life, Michelle also played an active volunteer role within her local community of Beaver Bank. She was a member of the Steering Committee for the Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre and after its construction joined their board as secretary. Today she continues to actively volunteer with the Centre and at local community events in Beaver Bank including Canada Day celebrations and Breakfast with Santa.

Michelle served as the Advisor to the Chair with the Halifax & Region MFRC. Sadly she but left board on June 16 to focus on other aspects of her life. Michelle has invested nine years with the Halifax & Region MFRC and plans to focus on her family and busy career with Imperial Oil. “I am a firm believer that everyone has their time and that new people have value to add to the board. I want to give new board members the opportunity to contribute and grow like I did for so many years. I have helped many military families during some very significant events and just to know that I have made a difference in their lives is probably one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve experienced,” says West.

Michelle brought caring, commitment, dedication and excellent leadership to the Halifax & Region MFRC, as well as her wealth of expertise and skills. “My only wish for Michelle is that she takes her commitment and her passion for what she supports to another organization because she has so much to offer. Our loss is truly someone else’s gain and I would like to personally thank her for everything she has done for me and the board," says O’Malley.

So maybe the answer to why people do some of the things they do isn’t that simple. For Michelle, she volunteered for many different reasons and the MFRC has been fortunate to have had her as a board member in all of her roles. We would like to wish Michelle good luck in all of her future endeavours and truly thank her for everything she has contributed to military families and the military community. She is just one of many CF families who are the strength behind the uniform!