Volunteer Amasses 10,000+ Hours
“There are lots of good people who are friendly and willing to help you out…plus, there is always work to be done.” Carey Hacault
“Carey Hacault started volunteering with us in August of 2007 and has amassed a whopping 10,450+ volunteer hours at SMD,” says Jenny Rodriguez, SMD’s Coordinator for Volunteers and Human Resources. “He has the most volunteer hours in SMD’s history. Carey is unstoppable! He never misses a day, not even a blizzard can stop him,” she jokes.
Over the years, Carey has supported SMD in many capacities; from selling tickets for past lotteries to volunteering at special events and rappelling twice at Drop Zone (2010 & 2013). “I would do it every year,” he says with a smile.
Nowadays, Carey spends his time volunteering at our Wheelchair Services location where he assists with filing, organizing work orders and does data entry. Weather pending, Carey volunteers 5 days a week and takes the bus every day. He is also a Red River College graduate (‘98) that majored in Business Administration.
Carey also has Cerebral Palsy and has been an SMD client for years. When he was younger, he went to camp through our Recreation & Leisure program and also received his power wheelchair from our Wheelchair Services program.
“SMD is a good organization to volunteer for,” says Carey. “There are lots of good people who are friendly and willing to help you out…plus, there is always work to be done,” he laughs. “They keep me busy!”
“…through coming every day, I’m interacting with people and it’s helped me to open up.” Carey
When asked what skills he’s learned over his years from volunteering he replies, “Dealing with people…I am a shy person,” he says. “However, through coming every day, I’m interacting with people and it’s helped me to open up.”
Carey’s positive attitude towards life is infectious. Although he received Speech Therapy when he was younger, he knows sometimes it can be difficult for people to understand him. “I’ve gotten more comfortable over time with communicating,” he says. Another great attribute Carey has is that he is always willing and happy to try new things.
His message to others who are considering volunteering is, “Give it a try and don’t give up!”
On behalf of everyone at SMD, Carey we can’t thank you enough for your continuous support and unparalleled generosity.