Meet Our Volunteers
From the caring Canadians who work directly with our participants as Vision Mates, to those who answer the phones or organize events, volunteers are the lifeblood of the CNIB Foundation. Meet some of the amazing people who make up our volunteer team.

Meet Lynn – Book Club Facilitator
Everyone loves a good page turner, including Lynn Kennedy, who wanted to share her love of reading with others. In 2020, she started volunteering as a book club facilitator.
“CNIB has been a great source of support for my son, and I’m very grateful,” says Lynn. “I’ve taken a keen interest in learning how CNIB helps people with sight loss and the various programs that are available.”
“CNIB has been a great source of support for my son, and I’m very grateful,” says Lynn. “I’ve taken a keen interest in learning how CNIB helps people with sight loss and the various programs that are available.”

Meet Louise – Coffee Chat Facilitator
Louise became a CNIB volunteer in March 2020 to provide support for people who are blind or partially sighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a time of great need and total isolation for all of us. I wanted to give back to my community as someone with sight loss,” says Louise. “Using the Zoom platform regularly provided us with a feeling of connection. It also boosted our confidence with using the technology.”
“It was a time of great need and total isolation for all of us. I wanted to give back to my community as someone with sight loss,” says Louise. “Using the Zoom platform regularly provided us with a feeling of connection. It also boosted our confidence with using the technology.”

Meet Louis – Peer Support Group Facilitator
After losing his vision suddenly in 2011, Quebec City’s Louis Levesque began to volunteer as a peer support group facilitator.
“When I lost my vision, I could no longer do my job,” says Louis. “At 55, I was too young to be idle, so it seemed like a natural fit to help those who were facing the same challenges as me.”
With an incredible amount of empathy, Louis is committed to creating safe spaces that welcome the most difficult conversations related to sight loss.
“When I lost my vision, I could no longer do my job,” says Louis. “At 55, I was too young to be idle, so it seemed like a natural fit to help those who were facing the same challenges as me.”
With an incredible amount of empathy, Louis is committed to creating safe spaces that welcome the most difficult conversations related to sight loss.

Meet Emer – Cooking Club Facilitator
Kitchener-Waterloo's Emer Ferguson volunteers as a cooking club facilitator. As someone with sight, she has learned a lot from people who are blind or partially sighted.
“Whether it’s using an Instant Pot, a slow cooker or setting aside more time for cooking, they’ve taught me that anything is possible in the kitchen,” says Emer.
“Whether it’s using an Instant Pot, a slow cooker or setting aside more time for cooking, they’ve taught me that anything is possible in the kitchen,” says Emer.

Meet Betty – CNIB Tech Mate
As a CNIB Tech Mate, Vancouver’s Betty Nobel volunteers to help put the latest tech knowledge at people’s fingertips.
“People need to have hope that they can carry on living independent lives after losing their vision,” says Betty. “CNIB has played a big part in my journey to independence since birth, so I have always wanted to give back.”
“People need to have hope that they can carry on living independent lives after losing their vision,” says Betty. “CNIB has played a big part in my journey to independence since birth, so I have always wanted to give back.”

Meet Sandra
Sandra started volunteering with CNIB as a Vision Mate, a program that connects volunteers with participants for friendly conversations. The first time she heard about CNIB Lake Joe was during a peer support group in her hometown of Newmarket.

Meet Kevin
Diagnosed with Stargardt's disease when he was a teenager, Kevin’s passion for self-advocacy was sparked at university. While engaging with an assistive technologist on campus, he met a friend who was a disability advocate.

Meet Warren
As an assistant captain for his hockey team, Edmonton's Warren Wong knew what it meant to be a leader. He would also coach his brother and his friends, showing them drills to improve their skills. Due to the pandemic, Warren stepped into a different coaching role; a CNIB Tech Mate volunteer.

Meet Rositsa
For Rositsa Ivanova of Toronto, volunteering with CNIB has been an incredible opportunity to learn new skills and make a difference in the lives of Canadians living with sight loss.
Meet Céline
For Céline Garneau, volunteering at the CNIB Foundation isn't a job; it's a pleasure. The retired philosophy teacher joined our volunteer team in 2002, helping to create accessible audio books for people with sight loss in our recording studios