September Volunteer Honour Roll

Neil-Erine Palmaria

Neil is one of those volunteers who leaves a mark at the place he has been to.

Neil (Top right). Photo courtesy of Andy.

He is super comfortable with everyone and is great at making friends. For someone as young as him, Neil is super mature and very understanding at the projects. He is able to assess the needs at a project and act accordingly to provide his help. Although Neil has only been with Youth Central for a small time, he has created some everlasting memories. Neil not only brings an aura of positivity with him, he also inspires other volunteers around him to interact and have fun. He is a joy to be at projects. He absolutely deserves this recognition and I hope he receives even more in the future. Good job 🙂 – Sree

Neil creates a positive and inviting atmosphere for everyone. He is confident with who he is and I am proud of him for taking the initiative to create positive change for the LGTBQ community in his school by starting a Gay-Straight Alliance. Furthermore, I am happy to see him as a writer for Youth Are Awesome and I feel like it is a great platform for him to share his perspective. He already demonstrates leadership, but I feel that as time goes on, he will only develop more as a leader and role model for others. – Richard

Neil brings such a positive energy to his projects. Not only is he excited and happy to be there and help, but he encourages others as well. I was very impressed with how comfortable he made everybody feel during the Help the City of Calgary Be a Little Greener project. Even with such a big project, he was able to make personal connections with everybody there, and really promoted the bonding of the whole group. I have not had too many opportunities to work with Neil, but I hope to work with him again in the future! – Madison

Neil is a remarkable volunteer. He has a very mature and approachable demeanor. Neil is always finding new and innovative ways for a project to go smoother. I appreciate everything that Neil has done for the team – it has been awesome. Keep up the amazing work! – Bhu

Josh Lee

I was impressed with how mature he was for his age and his growth that he has shown through the projects.

Photo courtesy of Melanie.

I had the opportunity to spend time with Josh throughout the Between Friends summer camp since we were in the same group. He is mature for his age and through his interactions with the campers, I saw him gradually grow more comfortable and become more of a leader. He was paired up with the more challenging campers, but he handled it with patience and enjoyed getting to know the campers. He demonstrates maturity and leadership and I am always glad to have his help for a project. – Richard

Having had the opportunity of working with Josh, I would like to echo the sentiments of the other TLs of his maturity at projects. He is focused on his tasks and has the great ability to be able to work independently and in a team. Thank you, Josh, for your good work! – Melanie 

Josh was a great help for the Bag Stuffing shift. He was quick to understand the workings of the project and understand where help was needed and act accordingly. He used to be quiet in the beginning, but I was glad to find him starting to talk to other volunteers and would also coach them on what to do. I loved that he was flexible with the tasks and was often eager to do a few of them. Josh was the kind of volunteer you could ask to work independently or in a group and would put the same kind of effort into both. I enjoyed working with him, and I truly believe he deserves this recognition. Good job Josh! – Sree

Photo courtesy of Melanie.

Rachel Mazalo

Rachel is a dedicated volunteer and I always love having her at my projects.

Photo courtesy of Rachel.

Rachel brings a positive energy to the group and is able to make the best out of the situation. I am grateful for the incredible opportunity to have worked with her and to see what a strong volunteer she is. She is a remarkable force in the volunteer community, and I am excited to see what else is in store for her in the future. Great job, Rachel, thank you for keeping me on my toes and being a pleasure to work with! – Melanie 

While she volunteers for a variety of projects, she is truly an expert when it comes to volunteering at Salvation Army to help serve lunch. Since she is familiar with all of the tasks in the kitchen, she takes leadership to help out wherever it is needed. Through her consistent commitment to volunteering at Salvation Army, she has built up a close connection with the chefs and they all appreciate having her there. She truly understands the importance of helping the homeless and her contribution deserves to be recognized. – Richard

I find that she always makes an effort to get to know her fellow volunteers and shares her easy-going positive attitude. Rachel doesn’t shy away from hard work. She’s always a pleasure to have at projects. – Paula

Photo courtesy of Bhu.

I am always happy to see Rachel’s name on my list of volunteers for a project. I have had her multiple times for Salvation Army, and she is such a great volunteer to have around. She knows the project very well and is therefore always ready to take on a leadership role and help her fellow volunteers. She always makes the effort to get to know people and create genuine relationships with her peers. I met Rachel on my first shadowing shift and she made a lasting impression right away. Thank you, Rachel, for all your dedication and hard work. I hope to have you on one of my projects again soon! – Madison

Rachel is an awesome volunteer. I have gotten to know her over the year. She has grown so much. She uses her volunteering experience to welcome and work with newer volunteers. I have seen her set-up and be a role model in many scenarios. Thank you for helping our newer Youth Central community feel comfortable! – Bhu

Rachel (2nd from the left). Photo courtesy of Richard.