96-year-old volunteer among those celebrated by Calgary Public Library
The Calgary Public Library is celebrating three special volunteers who have been lending a helping hand for more than 50 years.
Carolyn Arrell, 83, Norma High, 91, and Nellie Befus, 96, all started volunteering in the organization's Homebound Reader program in 1974, bringing books to people unable to visit the library themselves because of their health.
Befus says she was the very first one to sign up to help deliver books.
"I don't drive, so I walked, took transit, rode my bike," she said. "You've got a basket or something and stick (the books) in there.
"I was very proud that I could do this, and when I started, never thinking I'd be doing it for 50 years. I enjoyed every bit, I never had one nasty person or mad (person) or anything. It was all really good."
In 1998, the library started tracking how many hours people were volunteering and calculated that the three women have tallied more than 5,700 hours of service.
"When Nellie started, she was one of the original five," said Chelsea Murray, the library's manager of program and volunteer planning.
"She was really invested in this program and in volunteering."
On Tuesday, the Calgary Public Library celebrated the women by gifting them with 50-year anniversary awards.
"We came out to see each of them in their homes, we brought them flowers," Murray said.
"We're putting up some stories in our library news of them, on our Instagram stories, and really trying to (share) their stories and hear what they have experienced in volunteering with the library."
Befus lives at the Aspen Lodge in northeast Calgary and now runs the Library in Residence program there. Every few months, library staff drop off books and she makes sure residents get what they're looking for.
"I sit over here, open up the doors and people come up and get library books and I sign them out," Befus said. "I got cards for each person that wants a book."
Befus has been running the Aspen Lodge library for 12 years and admits that there's not as many people signing out books as there used be, because many read on their tablets, including her.
She says now it's time to let someone else take over.
"That's it, I'm sorry, but I will help the new lady that's coming and get her started," she said. "I'm not all that well anymore and I get so tired."
The Calgary Public Library is always looking for people to volunteer.
"If anybody wants to volunteer, we would love for them to apply," said Murray.
"We have so many programs that people can volunteer for, there is something for everyone, something to fit skills, interest, location… and we really we welcome anyone to please apply."
In 2023, the Calgary Public Library saw more than 2,400 volunteers who gave over 48,000 of their time to support its various programs.
To learn more you can visit the Calgary Public Library website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for life of prime minister who was shot
The Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for the life of the country's prime minister, who was shot multiple times after a political event Wednesday afternoon.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.