Records from the late 1970s show volunteerism expanding rapidly in Sault Ste. Marie, with estimated hours climbing from 15,000 in 1977 to 27,000 by 1980 under bureau director Carrie Hugill
From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
Volunteers are the lifeblood of many organizations, whether national, provincial, or, especially, local. Many organizations wouldn’t be able to exist without volunteers carrying out many of the tasks.
On April 1, 1977, Carrie Hugill became the Volunteer Bureau Director for the Community Council for Social Development, a United Way agency. The position was previously held by Bob Mackereth.
Hugill said in an April 22, 1978, Sault Star article that her volunteer work started early: “As a kid I started out looking after a Sunday School nursery class. When I was in high school, I taught music in a Salvation Army children’s home out west.”
Previously, Hugill was a registered nurse at the General Hospital and spent approximately 20 years volunteering for Christmas Cheer. Hugill was also a chair of an outreach committee at St. Andrew’s United Church and was on an ad hoc advisory committee for senior citizen programming at Sault College.
During her almost 4-year tenure as Director of the Volunteer Bureau, Carrie Hugill oversaw many volunteers, trying to match their skills and talents to one of the 39 agencies in Sault Ste. Marie. Hugill stressed the need for more volunteers, citing government cutbacks and an increase in the need for services.
Hugill said in a February 16, 1981, Sault Star article that approximately 350 volunteers registered with the Bureau every year. Some decided to leave, but enough volunteers stayed to keep things moving. Even so, there were never enough volunteers. In 1977, Hugill estimated the amount of volunteer hours put in was 15,000 hours, and by 1980, this had increased to 27,000 hours.
In 1981, Hugill would leave her position as the Director of the Volunteer Bureau to move to a District Association that assisted parents of children with intellectual disabilities.
In December 1985, Hugill would be appointed to the Algoma District Housing Authority, which managed assisted housing in Blind River, Bruce Mines, Elliot Lake, Hilton Beach, Iron Bridge, Sault Ste. Marie, Spanish, Thessalon, and Wawa.
Carrie Hugill devoted decades of service to the community of Sault Ste. Marie ensuring necessary and vital services were available to those who needed them.
This article was written using information compiled from the Sault Star Collection at the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.
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