Volunteering – Empathy in Action

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand how people feel, see things from their point of view and imagine yourself in their position. While empathy isn’t officially one of Threads of Life’s core values, it certainly is an integral part of what drives the organization, and what motivates many of our volunteers and supporters.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2022 is Volunteering is Empathy in Action. This theme affirms the strong connection between volunteerism and empathy. Threads of Life volunteers demonstrate empathy in all they do, and every volunteer activity contributes to our mission and vision.

All our volunteers are working to help support families who have experienced a workplace tragedy, and working towards our vision of a culture shift, as a result of which work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths are morally, socially and economically unacceptable.  The desire to make things better for others – for future generations, for people you may never meet – so that they may never know the heartbreak of a workplace tragedy is empathy at its finest.

Threads of Life staff and family members appreciate the amazing contribution that our volunteers make,  but we’re not the only ones. We asked some of our key partners to share their impressions as well, and we invite you to hear their thoughts, and gratitude.

It’s fitting that we celebrate National Volunteer Week in April, during a time when we also observe the National Day of Mourning and prepare for Steps for Life and Safety and Health Week. It is during this time that we rely the most on our volunteers, so it makes sense that this is also the time when we focus on formally recognizing their efforts and their immense contribution to our mission.

On behalf of all of us at Threads of Life, we sincerely thank all our volunteers for their commitment, compassion and dedication. The last two years have been challenging on all fronts, and we are so grateful for our volunteers who weathered the storm with us.