United in Passion
Jessica Jamieson, Seidy Rayo, Rodger Moran and Morgan Sheriff all share a passion for animals. When they worked together as a team in the Dean’s
“We wanted to do something that was a little closer to our hearts as far as causes are concerned, and the Humane Society really spoke to us,” explained Moran.
Annually, LHS gives shelter and medical attention to approximately 2,000 animals without government funding or euthanizing for space. They are a non-profit organization that has been operating in London since 1899.
It is for this reason that they decided to help animals find new homes during one of many adoption weekends hosted by LHS.
The colleagues believe that helping organizations such as LHS is about more than adopting the animal in need.
“People can volunteer in a variety of ways with the LHS, or they can make a donation – which also makes a difference,” said Sheriff.
They all came away from this experience with a positive feeling and an even greater appreciation about the difference a few people can make in the community.
“Volunteering spreads a lot of positivity. It feels good to give back but we’re also making other people feel good,” said Rayo.
Jamieson agrees. She says that volunteer experiences really help to ground people, and reminds us not only of where we came
Moran shared the idea of what he refers to as “active inaction,” where people use social media as a tool to better society through sharing messages or exchanging a few words online. He stresses the greater importance of getting out into the world and experiencing these interactions firsthand.
“I think the biggest thing is actually seeing the change on the ground. When you actually get in there and can help play a part in shaping your community for the better, that’s the key thing you get out of doing work like this,” said Moran.
The four staff members believe in the importance of stepping outside of daily life and interacting with the community. Coming together to make a difference in something they are passionate about also helped to create a stronger bond between them as colleagues. And, it is something they plan on doing more frequently.
It’s an inspiration they hope to hand off to others as well.
“We’d like to encourage other Schulich Medicine & Dentistry teams to give their time and volunteer in whatever cause they feel is important to them; it’s a great opportunity to get away from the office for an afternoon and have some
