In 2003, 2005, and again this year, I have served in some capacity at her Tim's location on Burlington's New Street for Tim Horton Camp Day, held every year with all proceeds from the day's coffee sales used to send kids to one of their six beautiful summer camps. Since its inception, the program has sent 83,000 kids to camp who otherwise would probably never have had the experience. I would have done Camp Day at her store in 2004 as well, but someone at Tim Horton's Head Office decided that THEY would tell the media which locations to attend that year. Judging from the fact that no one attempted to tell the media which locations to attend in 2005, I'm betting the reaction they got from telling people where to volunteer their time and then promote it for free was something similar to that chilling ache you feel when you drink your Iced Cappucino too fast. They probably didn't want to experience that again.
Since I've been in radio for almost 23 years (yikes!), I've certainly attended a good number of Tim Horton Camp Days, but Janette is one of those Tim's employees who makes Camp Day special for the staff and volunteers at her location. I'm sure Donna in Timmins - or, as many of us who have come to know her through our internet community refer to her - Ma Horton - and Janette would get along famously, because they share that same passion for Camp Day.
Janette told me today that she hasn't slept for three days preparing for Camp Day this year, and I believe her. This year, she had His Worship Mayor Rob MacIsaac, Mayor of The City of Burlington, (the fifth year in a row he has attended at her location) Connie Smith from Hamilton's CH television, Burlington Fire and Police members, the local High School principal (apparently the Nelson High School kids make up a BIG portion of the lunchtime business at her location, which surprises me, because I didn't drink coffee until I was well beyond High School) and many more volunteers from different walks of life.
As a matter of fact, I met one lady who works at a hospice who came to help. Turns out, she actually runs the hospice. You see, as well as having her own family, Janette works at the hospice when she's not working at Tim Horton's. Having known her for a few years now, it came as no surprise to me, because I know she has such an enormous heart. So, she asked her fellow hospice worker, the woman accepted, and the circle of love and good deeds expands a little more.
Janette's absolutely in love with The Tinks, and she wishes our family lived closer so I could bring them by regularly. (She's not alone in that wish. There are relatives reading this who feel very much the same way.) Before I started this web log, I would keep Janette up to date with pictures, and she visits this space when she's not doing all the extraordinary things in her life that make her special.
Speaking of pictures - Janette is an avid fan of photographic 'eventing'. I just made that word up, but I'll bet you have an idea what I mean. She takes gajillions of pictures at every Camp Day, then compiles CDs full of pictures and sends them out to the people who helped her on the day.
I have always disliked seeing pictures of myself. They're always disappointing to me, or I'm disappointing in them...and when I arrived for Camp Day this year, there were big boards on the wall FULL of pictures from '03, '04 and '05. (Pictures in this post are from the '05 Camp Day)
It gave me the opportunity, as I mentioned to Janette, to watch my waistline grow and my hairline recede over those years right before my eyes - in mere moments. ('Like magic,' he said under his breath, facetiously.)
Anyway, back to my point.
I'm so lucky to be able to take advantage of working in an industry that gives you so many opportunities to help make yourself a better person, rather than just taking advantage of the little perks being a member of the media can provide. If you're not careful, you can get so spoiled by the little perks that you forget that they're perks, and come to expect special treatment, and then you become an idiot. ...and there are certainly idiots in the media. I'm sure you've met a couple of the self-serving kind before. But there are also good people who desire and strive to help make the world a better place by promoting worthwhile things and getting out and volunteering their time. Actual volunteering without promoting yourself, that's the good kind. So WHAT if you go out to help just so you can turn around and say,
"Look, everybody! I helped! Aren't I great?"
Actually, no. You need to get over yourself.
You need to watch someone like Janette at work, and remember that when she leaves the job she loves so much at Tim Horton's for the day, she goes to a hospice to help with people who have three months or less to live - the criteria for being in a bed in that facility.
Janette never wears the difficulty or pain of that experience on her face.
Quite the opposite.
She is always full of life, happy to be here, and she smiles as if God Himself just woke her up this morning and brought her breakfast in bed.
Thank you, Janette, for being my friend. Your love for life inspires me.
