Sisters in Service: A Shared Commitment to Volunteering at Lakeridge Health

For sisters Jackie Kot and Lesley Haynes, volunteering at Lakeridge Health has become more than a way to give back – it has become a shared family experience built on helping others, supporting patients, and creating meaningful connections. 

Their volunteer journeys began years apart, but each was inspired by a chance conversation and a desire to make a difference. 

Jackie has been a volunteer at the Oshawa Hospital since 2017. After retiring in January of that year, she began thinking about how she could spend her newfound free time. 

Then came an unexpected opportunity. 

"I then received a call from my sister who informed me that she had fallen and broken her right wrist," Jackie recalls. "Being a loving sister, I offered to drive her to her appointments in the fracture clinic at the Oshawa Hospital." 

During one of those appointments, Lesley struck up a conversation with a volunteer named Rita and mentioned that Jackie was considering volunteer work. 

"On hearing that, Rita, a long-time volunteer, took my arm and marched me down to Volunteer Resources and, as they say, the rest is history!" 

Jackie joined the Auxiliary and began volunteering in the Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC), taking on two shifts each week. When the COVID-19 pandemic changed hospital operations in 2020, volunteers were no longer permitted in the DRCC, so she transitioned to Hospitality, working alongside hospital screeners. 

When restrictions were lifted, Jackie chose to continue volunteering in both areas, maintaining one Hospitality shift and one DRCC shift. Around the same time, she assumed the role of Volunteer Coordinator for the DRCC, managing scheduling and training for fellow volunteers. 

"Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many volunteers did not return, so it was a challenge to fill all the shifts," she says. 

In addition to her regular volunteer roles, Jackie is also actively involved in helping maintain the hospital’s outdoor spaces. Alongside fellow volunteer Carol, she cares for the planters at the front of the hospital at least three times each week. She is also involved with the Healing Garden, helping to keep the gardens neat, tidy, and welcoming for patients, visitors, and staff. Through this work, Jackie contributes to creating a calming environment that supports healing and wellbeing. 

Today, Jackie continues to volunteer in both Hospitality and the DRCC. She also serves as Director of the DRCC and as the DRCC Volunteer Coordinator, helping oversee volunteer scheduling, training, and support for fellow volunteers. 

Meanwhile, in Port Perry, Lesley began to think about volunteering herself. 

Her inspiration also came from a hospital visit. 

"It all began in November 2022," Lesley says. "I had day surgery that month and chatted to the volunteer while I waited. She told me what her work as a volunteer required, and I thought, 'I can do that.'" 

Still working at the time, Lesley waited until her retirement before joining the volunteer team. In April 2024, she began volunteering in Day Surgery at Port Perry Hospital. 

She now volunteers from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. once a week – and often more frequently when additional coverage is needed. Her responsibilities include helping patients check in, relaying questions to nurses, assisting with wayfinding, and escorting patients outside following recovery. 

"Volunteering gets me out of the house, enables me to meet and talk with people, and it is good to know that I am being helpful," she says. 

Not long after Lesley began volunteering, Jackie saw another opportunity. 

"After she came on board, I realized she would be a good fit for the DRCC and persuaded her to take the orientation and come on the schedule as a floater," Jackie says. 

In a full-circle moment, the sister who inadvertently introduced Jackie to volunteering years earlier was now being recruited by Jackie herself. 

"So, she was instrumental in getting me involved and I returned the favour a few years later!" 

Today, Lesley volunteers in the DRCC during the summer months, where Jackie serves as coordinator. 

"As she is older than I am, she is the boss if we are volunteering together!" Lesley jokes. 

Their partnership extends beyond their scheduled shifts. Lesley also contributes by knitting blankets for DRCC patients and sewing squares together to create blankets for patients in other departments. 

For Jackie, volunteering has brought lasting rewards. 

"I am very grateful that she introduced me to Rita as the last nine years have been so fulfilling," she says. "Apart from knowing I am helping patients through difficult times and assisting the nursing staff, I have made some incredible friends within the volunteer organization." 

Both sisters agree that volunteering offers a meaningful way to stay connected, support others, and give back to their communities. 

Together, their stories are a reminder that sometimes a simple conversation can lead to years of service, friendship, and family connection – one volunteer shift at a time.