A message from Jen Lyle, Alzheimer Society of B.C. CEO: Growing demand, growing impact

This National Volunteer Week, we join organizations across Canada to applaud the volunteers who enable us to organize events and provide support to people affected by dementia. From April 16 - 22, read shared stories celebrating the positive impact volunteers have on our communities.

The last few years, we’ve all had to adapt how we live and work – and volunteers have been no exception. In response to the challenges presented by the pandemic, we changed how we connect, and for many it was an opportunity to reflect on what really matters. 

At the Alzheimer Society of B.C., we found new ways to provide critical support to people living with dementia and their families. From remote support groups for caregivers and people living with dementia, to an online version of our fitness and social programming and all of the online education in between, our volunteers have been there every step of the way.  

As this National Volunteer Week kicks off, our online programming is now being offered alongside a full suite of in-person activities. There are more opportunities than ever to experience the camaraderie and sense of purpose that comes with being a volunteer to help support people facing dementia in B.C. 

Just ask Sue Sami and her family. After her father’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease ended, Sue reached out to the Society to make a donation in his name. Sue, along with her husband and two children, have been donating their time and building awareness in the South Asian community for over 10 years. For Joann Wong Bittle, chair of the Society’s Chinese Advisory Committee, it was a lack of connection to dementia that led her to start volunteering. She recognized how little dementia was being addressed within the Chinese community and wanted to help make her community a better place by educating people about the disease and the resources available. 

At a time when, according to a recent Imagine Canada report, 65 per cent of non-profits are experiencing a shortage of new volunteers and half are struggling with volunteer retention, people like Sue and Joann have an impact well beyond their communities. The latest study on dementia in Canada found that more than 85,000 people are living with dementia in B.C. By 2030, that number is expected to rise to nearly 134,000. As we expand our services to mitigate dementia’s growing impact, we’re relying on the generosity of people in all corners of the province to ensure support is available. The need for volunteers of all kinds has never been greater.  

Whether they are a student looking to gain experience or someone personally affected by dementia turning a difficult experience into an opportunity to support for others in their community, every one of our volunteers is essential. 

So, to our volunteers, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your dedication, your compassion and your unwavering commitment to our cause. More than 40 years after a small group of family caregivers in Vancouver started what would become the Alzheimer Society of B.C., volunteers remain at the heart of our organization. 

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Jen Lyle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. Prior to joining the Alzheimer Society of B.C., she was the founding CEO of BC’s continuing care workplace safety association, SafeCare BC. Jen has also previously worked in a dual role as a health-care practitioner and the Director of Operations for a Burnaby-based rehabilitation organization and has collaborated on research looking at the impact of design on people living with dementia. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Health Administration from the University of British Columbia.