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Picture of Meaghan Barnard

Meaghan Barnard, Thanks for Doing Some Good!

What first inspired you to volunteer?


I love the idea that as an individual, you have the power to make a positive impact on someone else’s life. For me, volunteering is the perfect opportunity to break the routine and try something new. It is so gratifying to know that you can be a part of the change that you want to see in the world.

Which cause are you most passionate about and why?


I feel a sense of duty to give back to the people in our community, particularly with the generations before me. Silver Surfers was created to combat isolation amongst seniors, which is so common these days. Age should not be a barrier to accessing the technology that so many of us depend on every day. Our aim with Silver Surfers is to shrink the digital divide that prevents seniors from using online platforms to communicate with their loved ones. For somebody who has health or mobility issues, the benefits of using an iPad can truly open up the world for them. Social support has far-reaching benefits on a person’s health, which is why it is so important that we encourage positive social relationships for people in our community.


Which organization do you most commonly volunteer for?


I spend my time volunteering with Silver Surfers through Enactus Okanagan College . Our non-profit is made up of student volunteers from Okanagan College who walk seniors through the fundamentals of using an iPad. We have a four-week lesson plan that explains how to operate these devices, which includes using a step-by-step booklet created by our team. Our group of volunteers come in once a week to sit down on a one-to-one or one-to-two basis to get the seniors comfortable with using an iPad. As our team was designing the curriculum, we realized that showing seniors the Internet was very similar to opening Pandora’s box; consequently, we developed our lesson plans to also teach seniors about cyber-security and how to use the Internet carefully. For seniors, technology is not necessarily intuitive like it is for college-aged students, who have grown up using smart technologies, so we guide the seniors in learning the basics so that they can feel empowered to use their iPads on their own.

What does a typical volunteer shift look like for this organization?


Depending on the week, there are specific objectives set out for the seniors to work through with a Silver Surfer volunteer by their side. Each session is about an hour long, with plenty of time to answer questions throughout. Many seniors have iPads of their own that they bring, but we do have iPads that have been provided by TELUS and Odlum Brown Limited that we offer to anyone who would like to participate. Our volunteers are there to help with the learning process and get seniors more comfortable with using technology. After the four-week program is over, the seniors who participate in Silver Surfers are able to email and FaceTime with their loved ones, download apps, and explore the Internet safely.

The team of Silver Surfer creators include: Sam Jamieson, Rebecca Alfred, Daniel Alfred, and myself. Together we organize partnerships with retirement residences, create goals and strategies for developing the program, produce curriculum, and secure funding for Silver Surfers.


What impact have you seen volunteers make in the community?


Seeing the impact that our Silver Surfer volunteers have had in the community has been pretty amazing. Something our executive team never imagined was the incredible relationships that would form between the college students and the seniors. The fact that our volunteers are willing to take time out of their busy lives to help an increasingly isolated group in our community shows the goodness of human nature. Silver Surfers has facilitated the opportunity for seniors to share their experiences and stories with college students, a demographic that many seniors are often separated from, which has been extremely gratifying and I believe positive for our community.


What is the most memorable moment or experience you've had while volunteering?


Recently, a Silver Surfer volunteer and myself were working with a senior in our program, and whilst we were learning about downloading an app, a friend of his was calling on FaceTime. Using his newly learnt skills, he promptly answered the call, and here he was catching up with a family friend who he had not spoken to in quite some time. While they were chatting, we sat back and watched the smile on his face and listened to the excitement in their voices. I thought to myself, “This is why we are here! This is exactly what we hope to achieve with all our seniors!” It was just a wonderful moment to see these two friends have a face-to-face conversation and re-connect with one another, in a way they probably never imagined would have been possible when they were my age.



What support does your organization currently need, and how can people learn more or get involved?


We have been really fortunate to have the support of businesses, such as TELUS and Odlum Brown Limited, to get the program where it is today. Naturally, as a non-profit program we are always looking for partnerships and funding to keep Silver Surfers moving forward, especially as we move into low-income retirement communities with higher levels of isolation. If people want to find out more about Silver Surfers they can visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/silversurfersoc or send our executive team an email at silversurfersoc@gmail.com We are always happy to hear from our community members.


Is there anyone else you would like to recognize that has helped support you to make a difference?


We are so grateful for the support that we have received from our Enactus Okanagan College faculty. Professor Devin Rubadeau, Dr. Kyleen Myrah, and Dr. Sheilagh Seaton from Okanagan College have supported us and mentored us throughout this entire process. We are also so thankful to our volunteers who give up their Saturday mornings to work with the seniors in our community.
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