Volunteering more is something that’s been on my mind for a while. When I was younger, I use to volunteer every week at a seniors home – I was in charge of fetching seniors from their rooms and bringing them down to bingo night, where I then I had the fun job of rolling the cage of balls and calling out the bingo numbers..”B2, I24, O48″. With life getting a lot busier, volunteering fell by the way side. So when Telus messaged me to tell me about their Million Hours of Giving movement, I knew I wanted to be involved and help spread the word as a TELUS Advocate this year.

This year, they’re pledging a #MillionHours of Giving – the goal is to volunteer a million hours in communities across the country for Canada’s 150th anniversary. It’s a pretty ambitious goal, which is why TELUS is inviting YOU to join the pledge. The first step is making the pledge, you can start as little as one hour of your time – whether it’s to make a greener planet, a healthier Canada, educating youth or building a stronger community.

Giving isn’t new for TELUS. In 2016, they gave over $42 million from support cause campaigns to funding grassroots initiatives to lending a hand in humanitarian relief both home and abroad. Learn more here. And during the TELUS Days of Giving in 2016, they volunteered a total of 417,000 hours, which included 131, 818 pounds of food sorted at food banks and 12,000 children receiving new backpacks and supplies.

I took my pledge towards the million hours by helping beautify the gardens at Dr. Peter Aids Centre in Vancouver – Dr. Peter Aids Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to support innovative health care at the Dr. Peter Aids Centre, BC’s only HIV day health program and 24-hour nursing care residence. The staff at Dr. Peter Aids Centre us helping in the garden meant the hours saved, could be spent on other tasks within the centre.

Part of the morning was spent pulling the weeds (once we figured out what they looked like!) with the big team that showed up to help, including Caitlin Hall from the TELUS social & media relations team.

My favourite sassy YouTuber and fellow TELUS Advocate Josh Rimer created a pretty planter. Volunteering is also a great group activity, there’s power in numbers. Make a date with a friend or two or three.

We Give Where We Live

Now, it’s your turn! Think about what you’re passionate about or who in your community could use a helping hand. Even if it’s just an hour, you’re making a difference and trust me, volunteering gives back to you, just as much as you give to them – that warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing that you’re contributing is something special.

Take the pledge now at telus.com/millionhours 

As a TELUS Advocate this year I’ll be sharing stories in partnership with TELUS. All opinions are my own.