A shared sense of belonging
Milani Sivapragasm, a fourth year BMSc student at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, volunteers with the London Regional AIDS hospice at the John Gordon Home, providing support for people living with HIV, AIDS and HVC.“I engage residents though companionship, preparing meals and personal projects to play a small but meaningful role in helping them realize positive health and wellness outcomes,” she explained.
Sivapragasm received the Ontario Volunteer Service Youth Award in recognition of her three year commitment to the hospice. Volunteering with the organization is her way of addressing the needs of others. “I feel I have something to give to improve the life of someone else,” she said.
Sivapragasm also recognizes the impact volunteering has had on her own life. “The hospice helped me find a sense of belonging in the same way it does for its residents,” Sivapragasm said. “For me there is such joy in knowing that I can make a difference.”
