Written by: Natalie Jovanic

Alexandra Champagne supported the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary as a Calgary Traffic & Bylaw Court volunteer from March 2018 to March 2019. She learned about the volunteer program through a friend. Alexandra decided to join because she wanted to support people who belong to vulnerable communities and who are involved in a court environment. Through volunteering for the organization, she made a genuine and palpable positive impact.

Before joining the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary, Alexandra volunteered for the University of Calgary’s Into the Streets volunteer program. She likes to paint, read, try new recipes, and garden. She has high ambitions for her future and will be starting law school this coming September.

“Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary has been my most fulfilling volunteer experience to date.”

Empathy is priceless

Alexandra learned that empathy is an invaluable tool in her work as a volunteer. By listening to the concerns of clients and offering sympathy, she helped to ease any apprehensions they had about the court process. She also learned how to most effectively approach others and offer her support. Furthermore, she gained a great deal of knowledge about the legal system and learned how many people are involved in it.

Volunteering for EFry offers many benefits

Alexandra considers volunteering for the organization as a great opportunity to become acquainted with the court environment and justice system. People in the courthouse found her work impressive and wanted to know more about it. She feels she made a difference by providing stressed individuals with the information they needed to make decisions that were right for them.

Her work nurtures connections

Alexandra felt especially touched each time a client told her that they genuinely appreciated her assistance or that her advice really helped them. Volunteering for the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary has taught her that for each individual in the court system, there is an equally unique story behind it. However, volunteering also has some surprises: one time, a man asked her to marry his son (while he was standing beside him). Obviously, Alexandra was unable to accommodate his request, but nevertheless appreciated his enthusiasm.