Lisa and Bill: Volunteerism as a Way of Life
- olgastrasburger
- 4 hours ago
- 11 min read
By Olena Gadomska
Lisa and Bill Vollmar speak about their volunteer work calmly, as if it is something completely ordinary. For them, helping others is not heroism but a way of living. Their personal stories began long before Grassroots existed and long before Ukrainian families started moving into Canadian Guest Houses. They never called themselves heroes - just “ordinary people doing what they can.” But what they do is changing the lives of many Ukrainians.
Family and Childhood
Lisa’s family came to Canada from Italy right after the Second World War, around 1950–1951. Her parents were searching for a better life and, upon arrival, settled in a guest house together with other Italians. Lisa was born in London, Ontario, like all her brothers and sisters. She grew up in a close-knit community where everyone knew each other, and the church was the center of life.
Her father was a master tailor, her mother a cook. They worked hard, and money was scarce. Lisa clearly remembers that one Christmas, the four children received one shared present, but there was always food on the table and clothes on their backs. She remembers this with gratitude to her parents.
In the Italian community, everything relied on mutual help. If someone needed their house painted, “the Italian painter guy” would show up, and later Lisa’s father would provide him a custom-made suit. It wasn’t financial bartering; there was simply no money to pay. It was a community where everyone helped one another. This is exactly what Lisa would later recognize in Ukrainian Guest Houses - a different culture, but the same familiar feeling of family and shared care.
“Although I was born in Canada, I had the luxury of being part of the Italian community,” Lisa says.
Since both her parents worked, at about age 10, Lisa took care of her younger siblings when her mother left for work at four in the afternoon until her Dad got home at six. Lisa was still a child herself, but a grown-up child who understood the need to help her parents.
Bill was born in Sarnia, Ontario. His parents were already Canadians; part of the family had arrived from Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century, around 1902, and the German-Dutch side came through Pennsylvania. His parents lived through the war, and then came the years when the children were born. Bill remembers his childhood as good and safe, but helping others still stood at the centre of that life.
As a child, Bill was involved in scouting, played baseball, participated in school debates, and he still remembers how that taught him to build valid points to support his arguments, which later helped him advocate for others.
Volunteering. The Beginning
Lisa’s and Bill’s parents became their very first and very best example of humanity. In both families, there was a simple rule: if you can help, you help. From childhood, they saw how important it is to support others and respect the dignity of every person.
As teenagers, each separately in their own communities, witnessed their parents joining volunteer organizations together with their families, the Optimist Club and the Sertoma Club. There, they gained their first volunteering experience: fundraising for those in need, helping people within the community and beyond, learning responsibility and compassion.
Bill shares that his father worked as an insurance adjuster, but his job was never limited to documents or formalities. At accident scenes, he saw people in their most vulnerable moments - scared, confused, sometimes completely alone. Oftentimes times he found a way to help not only professionally but also compassionately.
It was not a surprise when the family came home, and Bill’s father had invited someone in need to dinner to feed them, comfort them, and help them feel that good people were nearby.
Lisa clearly remembers the moment when her father first took her with him to deliver Christmas food boxes. She was about eight years old. He handed her a box, asked her to knock on the door, hand it over, and simply say: “Merry Christmas.”
These were simple actions by the parents of the heroes of our story, but it was thanks to their example that volunteering entered Lisa’s and Bill’s lives as something natural - if you see a person crying at the bus stop, you go and ask if they are okay. You don’t need a membership card for any club to do that.
Then came marriage, children, endless trips between London and Sarnia to help parents who needed support, full-time jobs and studies. They both remember working full days - Lisa putting the kids to bed in the evening and then studying until two in the morning, while Bill attended evening courses. This experience taught them the most important thing: if something truly matters, you find the time, set your priorities, and simply do it.
Ukraine on the Map
Even though today the whole world talks about Ukraine in the context of the war, for Lisa and Bill, this country has long been familiar and close.
Bill had always been interested in history. His understanding of Ukraine was formed back in 1991, when the country regained independence. He closely followed the Orange Revolution in 2004 - for him, it was a powerful demonstration of Ukrainians fighting for freedom and their own path. He knew well about Ukraine’s economic potential, its universities, industrial production and even shipbuilding. And the fact that Ukraine had been called the “breadbasket of Europe” for centuries was for him a clear sign of its independence rather than being a part of russia [1].
Lisa discovered Ukraine through people and culture. She had a best friend who was Ukrainian long before the war and even attended her traditional Ukrainian wedding with incredible dancing, delicious Ukrainian food and guests carrying the bride around the hall on a chair and loud celebration. Those vibrant traditions have stayed in her memory for a long time.
Last year, Lisa and Bill visited a Ukrainian festival in Florida. They invited their friends to join, so a whole group went together, and it was wonderful. They saw Ukrainian dancers, tried traditional Ukrainian food and purchased handmade crafts.
Ukrainian art also became part of her experience - Lisa even made Pysanky [2] with wax and still keeps some at home. She has a Ukrainian cookbook and has been trying traditional recipes, including pork roulade.
For them, Ukraine is not geopolitics or news. It is a living country with history, traditions, and people they know personally. That is why, when Ukrainians found themselves in trouble, Lisa and Bill already knew exactly who they were standing for.
War in Ukraine
Bill remembers the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and says: “What the russians were doing to civilians - it was a repeat of the Second World War. Brutality, killings. It was horrifying.
Lisa adds even more sharply: “We were very angry at russia. If I could, I would strangle that person who is doing all of this with my own hands. It is evil on earth.”
From the very first days of the invasion, Lisa and Bill began with what they could do the fastest. They donated money through St. Mary’s Church in London to support the initiative of Father Peter, who helped organize aid, sending money to his twin brother Father Paul who organized relief reception points for Ukrainians with food and blankets at the Ukraine-Poland border.
Grassroots. Household Donation Team
The second stage began with a small newspaper article about Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis (Grassroots) and the need for donations for Ukrainians who were arriving in Canada under the CUAET.
Lisa first contacted Maryanne Grobe, a Grassroots volunteer. Lisa contacted her to make a donation of household items. Lisa was advised to meet with Olena to hand off the donations. Lisa spent over an hour in a parking lot to hear Olena’s story. Maryanne contacted Lisa to thank her for the donations and asked if she would be interested in joining the Household Donations team. That’s when Lisa received her first tasks related to Guest Houses and supporting the needs of the Ukrainian families settling there. Later, Maryanne would recall that Olena introduced Lisa as “a very powerful woman.”
Lisa immediately felt that Maryanne was a true gem. Maryanne has a unique approach to people. She never asks directly to avoid making anyone uncomfortable. Instead, she starts with simple gestures.
For example, she brings extra bed linens to a Guest House and casually asks, “I brought you some extra sheets - just in case you might need them. How are you doing? Do you need anything else?”
Lisa says: “Step by step, she encourages Ukrainians to open up. Ukrainians are very proud. They often won’t ask for help even when the need is obvious.”
So, Maryanne always has something extra in her car trunk: dishes, pots, pans, blankets. She offers them gently - simply giving the option to choose, if needed.
Everything developed very quickly. Lisa met other Grassroots volunteers, including Ihor, Alan and Misha and began helping with donations, furnishing Guest Houses where “people were coming and going”: finding beds, bedding, towels, dishes, kitchen utensils and more.
Bill joined as a driver, loader, and “the guy who always asks: what’s wrong here?” Together, Bill and Lisa joined the small core team of the Household Donation program.
Donated items were stored in multiple locations and were sometimes difficult to track.
The team discussed options to make donation items easier to handle. First, all kitchen supplies were moved into their garage. Bill installed storage cabinets, and Lisa sorted everything into labelled boxes and created Excel spreadsheets.
Stephanie, founder of Grassroots, and AII Carpenter arranged for storage units to centralize the donations.
When the items were later moved to storage units, the team completed a full inventory. Now, when a Guest House coordinator calls and says, “We need a kettle, dishes, a dresser,” The team can simply check the spreadsheet and answer: “Yes, that’s in locker #1, item under this number.”
The team plans another round of inventory and new labels on household items to make it even easier for volunteers to locate items. It is a small system that allows quick responses to the needs of dozens of families.
Meanwhile, Bill drives around the city with another volunteer, Alan, picking up donations, delivering furniture and appliances, and noticing what needs repairs.
And they speak honestly about the cost of their volunteering. In ordinary years, they used to spend winters in Florida, their vacation time. Now, because of global events and personal choices, they stay in Canada and have turned volunteering into a full-time commitment: driving, storage units, and partner meetings.
Stories Carried in Their Hearts
There are many stories to tell, but these are not our stories. These are the stories of very strong Ukrainians, whom we try to help. Lisa and Bill see not themselves, but the people whose lives have become a little easier. They call these situations “angel projects” and believe that sometimes God or angels literally push them in the right direction so they can respond to someone’s silent plea for help.
Lisa shares her impressions of Ukrainians: “You are the most resilient people we have ever met. Every Guest House is clean, tidy, and organized. Everyone is polite and very grateful. It reminds me of my Italian family from childhood.”
Bill adds that every time he and Alan drive away after a delivery, Ukrainian families come outside and wave to them: “I haven’t seen such consistent, almost old-fashioned politeness in a long time.”
They openly discuss the Canadian government and the CUAET program, and the need for accelerated pathways to permanent residency for Ukrainians. They have already signed the petition encouraging easier PR access, and they understand how important OHIP and dental programs are. At the same time, they note that the absence of refugee status limits access to affordable retraining programs, additional housing and financial supports. They see how many Ukrainian doctors, lawyers, and specialists could work in their fields if retraining and licensing programs were more flexible and affordable.
“If you listen, you can help.”
When asked what qualities a good volunteer must have, Bill answers with one word: “Empathy.” And he adds, “If you are empathetic, you listen. And if you listen, you can help.”
Lisa adds: “It’s important to remember that volunteering is not about you - it’s about the people you help. You may be in their life for only a moment, and that’s okay. You shouldn’t expect them to become your best friends. It’s their life, their boundaries. If they let you in even for a short time - that is already a gift.”
They recall a man with a bicycle in Cambridge. At first, they simply delivered the bike. Later, they returned to fix a small detail, a conversation began, and they learned about his wife, his children, and his plan to bring his family to Canada. “I never saw him again,” Bill says. “But he had the chance to tell his story. And that is the meaning of empathy.”
Volunteering: The Continuation
Lisa and Bill have always lived as if helping others is a natural part of daily life. If someone needs help, they act. Year after year, this became the norm in their family.
They raised their sons with the same tradition of humanity. For the boys, it was not unusual to come home one day with someone who needed shelter or support. The parents never refused; on the contrary, they were proud when their children showed compassion and did the right thing.
One son became a police officer, a person who protects others every day. The other works in government and once, without hesitation, ran into a burning house to rescue a woman with a disability. Heroism for them is not something extraordinary - it is a natural reaction to trouble.
Another time, while studying in Barrie, their son noticed a man sleeping outside in the cold. He couldn’t just walk past; he brought the man home, and the family sheltered him for three months.
This is how the example set by their parents works. Lisa and Bill are not only good citizens themselves - they have passed this deep responsibility for others to their children. Now their kindness lives on in the next generation, continuing to make the world a little better.
Advice for Ukrainians
When asked about suggestions for newly arrived Ukrainians, Lisa and Bill agree on the main thing: the English language is the key.
Bill explains that even the simplest jobs require at least a basic level, even just to read safety instructions. Lisa understands the desire to preserve one’s language and identity, but without English, it is difficult to pass interviews and find work in your profession.
The Everyday Work That Holds Lives Together
In the story of these two volunteers, both professional and deeply personal notes are present. Lisa sees in Ukrainians the strength she recognizes from her own parents’ immigrant stories. She knows what it means to come to a new country with only a few suitcases and build a life from scratch.
That is why, when Ukrainians wave to them from their porches, when a child receives an education, when a family lives safely and with dignity for Lisa and Bill, these are not just “successful cases.” They are proof that their daily work, small, routine, often invisible, truly holds someone’s life together.
For Ukrainians who have arrived in Kitchener–Waterloo, Lisa and Bill are a reminder that Canadian kindness is not an abstract idea. It is real people, a van pulling up to your building, an Excel spreadsheet, a timely call to a school, a warm voice on the phone and two volunteers who start every morning with a simple question - “Who needs our help today?”
[1] The author deliberately writes the word «russia» in the text with a lowercase letter. This country does not deserve a capital letter.
[2] Pysanky (singular: pysanka) are traditional Ukrainian decorated Easter eggs created using a wax-resist (batik) technique. The word comes from the Ukrainian verb pysaty — “to write”. Rather than painting, patterns are written onto the egg with melted beeswax using a special stylus called a kistka. The egg is then dyed in layers, and the wax is removed to reveal intricate, multicoloured designs.
Historically, pysanky symbolized spring, new life, protection, and good fortune. After Christianity came to Ukraine, it also became associated with Easter and the celebration of resurrection and hope.
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