Ginny Petch - March 2021
Started Fall 2017
Ginny came to Canada in 1989 along with her family, and started work in daycares and nursery schools, looking after children with special needs. She also volunteered providing respite for a young child, from when he was a baby until he started school. About 20 years ago, Ginny started working as a Personal Support Worker in the community, looking after seniors and children with special needs. In 2016, Ginny decided to call it a day, and retired along with her husband.
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Since retiring, Ginny has discovered the luxury of having free time on her hands, and decided to look for some volunteer work that involved her childhood dream of working on a farm. She took her grandchildren on trips to WindReach Farm during March break weeks, and decided to look into volunteering there. Ginny had very little experience working with farm animals, except during summers in high school, feeding chickens, rabbits, and other farm animals. With the help and guidance of our farmer, Eleanor and other volunteers, Ginny was able to learn what was needed. Every time she arrives at the farm, she always finds there is something new to learn and every week is a little bit different. “You never know what to expect with some of the animals and the tricks they will get up to, as they all have their own personality,” says Ginny. Arriving at the farm each Monday, she looks forward to the fresh air and the beautiful scenery, as it makes her feel alive no matter what the season, or weather.
Volunteering at WindReach has given Ginny so many memories, but one which she will always treasure was assisting Eleanor with the birthing of a lamb last spring, and having the honour of it being named after her! To this day, despite her husband’s request, they have not once had lamb for dinner. Each spring, Ginny enjoys watching everything come to life, particularly all the new baby animals.
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Volunteering allows Ginny to be part of a team, and knowing that what she does provides so many benefits to all of the Farm’s participants. Being at the farm has opened her eyes, and given her an appreciation as to how much work is required for WindReach to provide their programs to those who need them. She gets so much pleasure from seeing the smiling faces of the visitors from various community groups, and knowing that WindReach programs are helping to improve their quality of life. She also finds it rewarding to work with young students and watch their confidence grow during their time on the farm.
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Since retirement, Ginny and her husband have found time to take up cycling, which they try to do a couple of times a week. They cycle about 50 km per trip, and are hoping to improve on this distance this coming summer. Ginny also loves reading, walking, and participating in ‘keep fit’ classes. Her and her husband also like to travel to the Cayman Islands a couple of times a year to see their daughter and family, and they look forward to making that trip again once it is safe to do so.
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Ginny is looking forward to when things get back to normal, and seeing all the various groups come back to WindReach.
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Thank you, Ginny, for all that you do at WindReach Farm.
One person CAN make a difference!