For Stacie Smith, giving back to others has been important due to those who left an impact on her when helping others.
The Saint John native began volunteering while at Harbour View High School and became even more inspired when attending university.
“I definitely had my hand in a plethora of different things but I’d say the main focus has been children and youth mental health. As someone who experienced youth mental health challenges, I’m very much more towards that area,” said Smith.
Now, she’s the executive director of the Halifax branch of the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health.
Smith said their goal is to be Canada’s leader in youth engagement and education about child and youth health while creating opportunities to support and educate youth to improve the quality of health across the country.
Thanks to her volunteer efforts, Smith was recognized as an Emerging Leader in Canada’s Volunteer Awards for 2023.
“The fact that I represent all Atlantic provinces is in all honesty an honour. Atlantic Canada’s population is almost two and a half million people and the fact that I’m one young person that won, it just really has opened my eyes and made me more inspired to keep going,” Smith said.
Twenty regional awards were awarded to five regional recipients in four categories: emerging leader, business leader, community leader, and social innovator.
Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds will honour the recipients at a hybrid ceremony in Ottawa on April 15.
Smith said she would like to see more support available for those who decide to volunteer.
“I don’t wanna say benefits because you’re volunteering out of the goodness of your heart, but getting things back from that, whether it’s opportunities to network, opportunities to build up skills that can be used in other capacities such as leadership and teamwork collaboration,” she said.
Smith added the best ways to check for volunteer opportunities are through social media and community newspapers, as well as contacting your local MLA.
