Quotes from Ontario
Gilda’s Club
“I remain in awe that so many TELUS team members care and give so much back to our communities. The welcoming and supportive environment provided by Gilda’s Club for families dealing with cancer was truly was inspiring for my daughter and I and we were thrilled to have the chance to help.”
Lloyd
“The facilities, amenities and thoughtfulness put into the clubhouse are superbly impressive (as we all mentioned on multiple occasions). I’ll certainly refer people to Gilda’s Club for support when they or a loved one are touched by cancer. I know my family would’ve used the Clubhouse when my Mother passed away 11 years ago. My brothers and father really could’ve used the down time as well as the resources your library has for support. My boys would’ve really enjoyed Noogieland, as well.”
Barb
“TDOS was an emotional experience for me this year. I volunteered to clean and organize Gilda’s Club in Barrie, which just opened to provide support for families going through cancer. Kristen, the program director, gave us a tour of the clubhouse before we got started. She showed us Noogie Land for kids, the art room, meditation room and the comfy couches in the rooms where people will gather for support meetings. As I wiped the brand new, empty cupboards in the kitchen with a group of TELUS employees, I remembered the way my grandma looked before she lay dying of lung cancer in a hospital bed. And then I remembered her years before, on the good days after she beat breast cancer, wearing a flowered, red scarf over her balding head, smiling and just plain happy to be alive. My grandma didn’t share her sad feelings, even near the end after the doctors had told her that she would die; she did not want to feel vulnerable. I’m not sure if she would have walked into a Gilda’s Club, but she might have if she knew there was an Always Something room, where people can go to be alone.
Later, as I cleaned drywall dust off the blinds, I remembered what Kristen had said about needing a clean environment for people with compromised immune systems. My mom-in-law, who I loved like a mom, battled with Leukemia for three years before she died. We couldn’t send flowers to her room in Princess Margaret because the germs or bugs might have made her sick while she was going through chemo.
My mom-in-law Judi didn’t seek formal support while she was fighting cancer. But when she was in the hospital, she got dressed every day, got out of bed and walked the halls with her IV. She visited other patients and encouraged them to do the same. If there was a Gilda’s Club in Barrie three years ago, I think she would have volunteered while she was in remission. Being part of that community would have helped her even when she wasn’t asking for help.
After holding back my tears all afternoon, I cried when I got in my car. It took me a while to realise that they weren’t tears of sorrow. Cancer has made me feel hopeless for more than seven years. We don’t know how to cure cancer yet. Some people are lucky and they live; others are not. I used to think that there was nothing we could do about it. Gilda’s Club is what we can do. It’s a place for people to feel at home hours away from home while they’re getting treatment at Royal Victoria Hospital. Wii games and yoga classes are luxuries that kids and adults deserve while they are fighting for their lives. It’s a community of people who no longer feel alone.”
Jenn
“I have been volunteering with Gilda’s for over three years now, and it is incredible to see the efforts of so many amazing people finally come to fruition. The Red Door is at long last open! I can’t imagine how it must feel for those who have been involved with the organization, working for nine long years to raise enough funds to get this Clubhouse built…but more, I can’t imagine how it must feel for the new members to know they finally have a place where they can go…for support, for friendship, for community, for laughter. I was privileged to be able to work with Barb, Jenn, Julia, Kristen, Lloyd, and Nancy on Saturday. It really is amazing to see what a few people can accomplish in a few hours!”
Vicki
“Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka and its members in particular, were such very fortunate recipients of the tremendous efforts, great care, fun, energy and enthusiasm of a remarkable group of individuals on Saturday in all of YOU as part of the TELUS Day of Service! The fervour in which you attacked the Kitchen and Noogieland leaving no box unwrapped, no shelf unlined, no dish unwashed, no toy unpacked, no game untested all did wonders to help Gilda’s Club continue to prepare to receive its first members! It was a truly wonderful day and I so enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you! On behalf of Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka community and its members, my heartfelt gratitude and deep appreciation for choosing Gilda’s Club as part of the TELUS Day of Service!
We hope that after your afternoon at Gilda’s Club, experiencing the Clubhouse, learning more about our Program and feeling what it means to be in community with others, that you, your colleagues, families and friends will come through the open Red Door of Gilda’s Club if ever you are looking for social and emotional support in living with cancer.”
Kristen
Program Director at Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka
ACCESS Speed Mentoring
Feedback from team members
“TDOS at Acces was a great experience since it allowed me to help others while meeting new people and learning a few things as well. Definitely a Saturday morning well spent!”
Nicolette
“It was a great event and we had lots of fun!”
John
“Speed mentoring at ACCES was a great opportunity to network with talented immigrant and share insights about the Canadian workplace. The event was fun and very fulfilling!”
Jennifer
“Volunteer work brings me a different sense of happiness and pleasure. It helps me stay connected to the community & makes me remains useful to society at large. I get to share my skills with new faces and learn new skills from a diverse spectrum of talented people out there. Thank you for giving me this opportunity!”
Stefan
“It’s an eye-opening experience!”
Riyaz
“It was great to help out new immigrants with their job-seeking skills. Since I came to Canada as an immigrant some years ago, I know how hard it is to adjust to a different country and its culture.”
Jamielyn
Feedback from ACCESS:
“It was a pleasure meeting you and your colleagues on Saturday at the TELUS Speed Mentoring event.  I would just like to thank you and your team for coming into ACCES and volunteering your time.”
We received wonderful feedback from our clients in regards to your teams professionalism, willingness to share their own work history and the ability to provide industry insight.”
Feedback from mentees:
“I found today’s Speed Mentoring event to be very useful as I found it helpful to receive different perspectives of how to search for employment within the Canadian labour market and on how to effectively design my resume.”
“I thought it was very helpful to receive inside information regarding TELUS’s workplace cultural. I believe that this information will help to prepare me for future interviews.”
“One valuable tip that I receive at today’s event was that when writing my resume I should add more information about my experience and results – I believe that this tip could help to improve my resume and hopefully help me find employment.”
“I enjoyed learning about the mentors and their personal work experience. I also found it interesting to learn about TELUS’s hiring practices and processes. Hopefully this information will come in handy in the future.”
“The most valuable aspect of today’s Speed Mentoring session was gaining knowledge about the upcoming opportunities at TELUS and about the skills that those candidates require.”
“Networking and the advice I receive on what to expect at an interview was very helpful. Also the mentors helped/share some advice on how to target my resume for different employers.”
“One of the mentors made a suggestion that I hadn’t really considered before – targeting companies outside of the GTA and considering contact work for the time being – thank you for the helpful insight.”
Motorcycle Ride for Dad
“I just wanted to say that I loved helping out for this great cause. I was proud to represent TELUS and the Ride for Dad on Saturday morning at the registration, and it was great seeing all these men and women so eager enjoy such a spectacular day of riding at the same time helping out such an important cause. I was in awe watching all the riders pull out of Orillia and I had the opportunity to chase them to Barrie. I would do it all again in a heart beat, but I think next time I would also join in on the actual ride. I am looking forward to the opportunity again next year, to help out.”
Tracey
CAM Barrie
“Jeff, your volunteers were incredible. You have a great team, I could not have asked for better support. And lets admit it, you did a damn good job yourself.”
Maryanne
RFD committee member
“Participating in the Ride for Dad registration was a great honour for my sister and I. Our family has been touch personally by prostate cancer and we are so proud to be part of such a successful event. The day was fantastic, full of laughs and fun!! Seeing Jeff’s dedication and excitement for the ride made it all the more wonderful. Thanks Jeff and TELUS for presenting this opportunity to be involved in something so great!!”
Jeannetta
TELUS Client Care Help Desk
“In past years I have always done the same event, this is the first year I have done something different and I was so thankful I did. The atmosphere at the Ride for dad was amazing, upbeat and motivational, I was truly inspired. The event was organized and it was easy to see how much the team contributed to the day, making us all feel valued and truly needed. We all learned a lot, I had no idea that prostate cancer has more new cases each year than breast cancer. More awareness is needed for this cause and this is a great way to do it. Overall, the energy was great and to see that many bikes in one place at one time, all for an amazing cause, was truly an experience. It will be hard to beat.”
Michelle
Team Manager
“Wow! Amazing results. I was so excited to help during TDOS, in the past some of my friends and family have been involved with ride for Dad, and expressed how awesome it was the see hundreds of people on bikes come together to help with raising money towards prostate cancer. I thought this was a good opportunity to get involved and see it for myself, during the event I helped with registration, and with that it was exciting to see everyone coming in and getting to know not only the bikers, but co-workers that I don’t get opportunities to get to know in such a relaxed atmosphere. Once the registration was completed, we were able to go out and see all the registered bikers, WOW..instantly I got goose bumps..and was overwhelmed. It was amazing to see..and not only that, I was able to see a co-worker lead the group of riders. Very exciting, and happy atmosphere to help with..I will definitely be there next year!”
Tammy
TELUS Client Care Help Desk
“I really enjoyed being a part of ‘Ride for Dad’ it was amazing to be amongst 700+ bikers that were all riding for a good cause. The riders were pleasant and friendly and were thankful for our time and very appreciative that we had water on ice for them. I will definitely sign up again as it was a great day with my TELUS peeps and great teamwork to pull it all together before the bikes ‘roared’ into town. Thank you for the opportunity!”
Wendy
CAM Barrie
“As a TELUS team member and an executive member of the Huronia Ride for Dad committee I was absolutely amazed at the display of spirited team work by the TELUS team. We had 28 Team members and 11 or 12 guests of team members help out for the days event. Seeing the team members so engaged at this event reminded me why after 6 years I continue to be apart of the TELUS team. Seeing everyone so engaged with the participants at the registration table was awesome. They welcomed the riders with open arms and made each rider feel valued for their contributions to the success of the event. We had team members handing out bottles of ice cold water to riders and because the weather was so hot, many riders had commented how great full they were for TELUS to donate the water and that they didn’t have to pay for it. From the committees side, we could not have been happier. The TELUS team was amazing and the registration would not have went as smoothly and efficiently as it did. Processing 900 riders and over $100,000 of donations was not an easy feat to accomplish in 2.5 hours, but through their amazing team spirit and hard work they somehow did it! We the Huronia Ride for Dad committee would like to send our sincere thanks to TELUS and the TELUS team! We could not have pulled this event off with out your help! We really hope TELUS team members will continue to support our organization and we look forward to seeing all of them at next years event.”
Jeff
TELUS Team manager – Executive ride captain and Site coordinator HMRFD
“In my second time participating in the TDOS, the motorcycle ride for Dad was definitely the most fulfilling event I feel I could have been a part of. Seeing so many people in the community come together to raise money for such an important cause was truly admirable and I can say I was proud to have had the privilege of being involved. Participating in the TDOS with my colleagues made me realize what what a great team I am a apart of,  and helped to form connections that may have otherwise never formed inside the workplace. Watching all the volunteers come together to help each other out , make decisions together, and hand out or assume roles was so remarkable and seamless! It was such a great day altogether and I am grateful for having the opportunity to be part of an event such as this! The motorcycle ride itself was such a sight to see and completely worth all the time that was given to this day!”
Janine
Client care Barrie
