Submitted by Sherry Hume, Event Coordinator/Executive Assistant, Balbi & Company Legal Centre
Lawyers and their staff at Balbi & Company Legal Centre consider themselves blessed to have healthy lives and careers full of opportunities. So to give back, every year they reach out to Calgary lawyers and request their help and participation in donating and preparing a meal for our guests.
These lawyers, co-workers, friends and family, all take part in the preparation and serving of a hot meal for 370 guests at The Mustard Seed shelter.
One of these lawyers is Carey Leishman, a lawyer and Associate at Kahane Law Office. A member of the CBA Family Law Section, Carey is actively involved with various organizations in her limited spare time – which brings us to her annual participation in The Mustard Seed’s endeavour to feed the needy.
For the past three years, Carey has joined others from her office in helping at The Seed. This year, she and two other colleagues assisted in the kitchen with cleaning and preparing food. When asked what motivates her to volunteer at The Mustard Seed, Carey was very candid. “I volunteer throughout the year in other capacities, but this opportunity allows me to give back to the community outside of the scope of my profession,” she says.
“It is a really nice change of pace and a great way to give back. We have the privilege of sitting in a very fortunate position, and for that reason, I think it is important to give back.” When asked what the whole experience was like, Carey said that it was wonderful. “It was a great atmosphere,” she reflects.
“Everyone was working very hard to make sure the meal was prepared to the highest standards, and they were efficient, organized and on top of the process from start to finish.”
According to Carey, The Mustard Seed staff made all the difference. “The staff were very appreciative of the (very minor) help we were providing,” she says. “It is truly us that should have been appreciative of their efforts. The staff obviously really care about preparing a good meal for their guests each and every day. Their hard work and genuine effort to make it the best meal was very evident,” says Carey.
“They were fun and welcoming and I would absolutely volunteer in this capacity in future.”
Of course, there were many volunteers this year, but from the perspective of one lawyer, you can see that the experience can be very rewarding. It’s always nice to know that you can feel good while helping others feel good. It’s just a case of paying it forward.
