Page 18 - Brandon Sun - 2018 Community Leader Awards

18 • COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS 2018 THE BRANDON SUN • THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018

» ABOVE & BEYOND AWARD, SPONSORED BY GUILD INSURANCE BROKERS

Steve and Joanne Malkowich. (Jim Mihaly/The Brandon Sun)
Couple filling their retirement by helping others

BY DIANE NELSON background, volunteered at the BRHA greeting patients before Steve also thinks Brandon should be doing more to promote
their surgeries to give them an encouraging word.” itself. And if he ever came into a bunch of money, he knows
Steve and Joanne Malkowich are nothing if not busy. According to Lamont, Steve and Joanne also volunteer exactly what he’d do with. “There are other things we need,”
All. The. Time. regularly at St. Augustine of Canterbury Church. he said. “If you’re driving down the Trans-Canada Hightway,
Since returning to the Wheat City 25 years ago, the now 82- They greet people at the door, are Eucharistic ministers and what would make you stop in Brandon? I’ve told (Brandon
year-olds have been volunteering their time and support for are part of the church’s CWL (Catholic Women’s’ League) and Mayor) Rick Chrest if I ever won the lottery, you know the East
numerous organizations, giving everything they can for the the Knights of Columbus. End water tower? How about a gondola from there up to ACC
betterment of their beloved Brandon. Within their seniors’ complex, they’ve helped organize the (the North Hill Campus)? Wouldn’t that make all kinds of people
From attending concerts and musical productions to watching annual garage sale, the monthly Happy Hours and take their stop in?”
the Wheat Kings, volunteering for the Riverbank Centre, helping turn assisting with Friday morning coffee. They’ve continued Steve also thinks it’s important that more be done to encourage
with the Rotary Book sale, selling poppies for Legion, the to do these things as they’ve aged, as giving back to the young people to remain in Brandon.
Malkowiches have done it all. They’ve volunteered for Tourism community is something they both believe in. “A lot of money is spent foolishly and it should be focused
Brandon, the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, curling events, “Often, I receive phone calls from their friends and family on the kids,” he said. “If you have stuff for them to do and they
Canada Day celebrations, and the Arabian Horse show. asking where Steve and Joanne are, and all I know is that they like it here, they’re not going to move away – they’re going to
“They are delighted to ask visitors where they are from, and are volunteering somewhere,” Lamont said. While both stay.”
eager to direct them to places to eat and shop in the community Malkowiches are keen to offer assistance wherever it’s needed, Joanne credits all of her volunteering to her innate enjoyment
of Brandon,” said nominator Louise Lamont, their daughter. Steve has a particular fondness for helping out the city’s youth, of people and a strong desire to make Brandon an even better
“Steve was the person that believed we needed a skateboard hence his involvement in the Kristopher Campbell Memorial place to call home.
park and spent countless hours talking to the city and community Skate Plaza. “It’s just my personality,” she said. “I love Brandon – I enjoy
leaders to find the funds to build the Kristopher Campbell “When I was doing security at The Towne Centre, there were living here – we’ve been back for 25 years.
Memorial Skate Plaza. Before this occurred, Steve could often all these signs that said ‘No Skateboarding,’” Steve said. “And “We get out and we socialize and we make friends.”
be found down at the old park checking on the youth and I thought, ‘If they can’t skateboard here, where are they going And there’s no end to the contributions she’s interested in
establishing relationships with them. Joanne, having a nursing to go?’” making.

Iwasiuk has been helping women for decades

BY DIANE NELSON without her tireless efforts.”
It’s Iwasiuk’s quiet compassion mixed with an
Being nominated for a Community Leader Award upbeat and positive approach that make her so
is a lovely thing. But knowing that you’ve helped wonderful, Campbell said. And Iwasiuk said seeing
change even one person’s life for the better is reward her clients not only survive, but thrive, is a source of
enough for Kim Iwasiuk. tremendous satisfaction. “I’m truly hopeful that
“I’m surprised and overwhelmed,” Iwasiuk said of things can get better for folks,” she said. “And I think
the nomination. “Because I’m just doing my job.” it’s that hope that keeps me going. And you get these
When Iwasiuk, a Women’s Resource Centre amazing moments that actually propel you forward.”
counsellor who focuses primarily on cases of domestic One of the reasons Iwasiuk is such a sympathetic
violence and sexual assault, learned her nominator and supportive advocate is because she’s lived through
was a former client, Leah Campbell, she struggled to some of the same experiences her clients have. And
contain her emotions. “Knowing it was Leah just that empathy, and her eagerness to do all she can to
makes me feel more overwhelmed and grateful,” assist, sets her apart in the eyes of the women she
Iwasiuk said. “I’m so honoured to be thought about. advises.
This is bringing me to tears – I had no idea. “From myself personally, I think that lived
Sometimes we just do this work and we don’t know experience is what helps me continue to help others,”
the impact we have on individuals and families.” Iwasiuk said. “Because it can get better. There’s help.”
According to Campbell, Iwasiuk has been That wasn’t the case in the days before The Women’s
supporting the women of Brandon for more than Resource Centre came into being. But while external
three decades at The Women’s Resource Centre. supports weren’t available, Iwasiuk said she had a
Iwasiuk, along with her co-workers, is responsible for wonderful grandmother who was her rock.
providing training to emergency personnel and those “And often there’s this amazing family member
involved in handling domestic violence and sexual that is just there,” she said. “So I come back to that
assault situations. The training includes teaching them collective family, that connection, all the time.
what they might expect from victims, how best to “Counselling happens for an hour once a week or
deal with them, and about the services and help that more. But it’s also encouraging women to be
can be found in and around the community. empowered themselves. Because we all have those
In the wake of the #metoo movement, Campbell tools in our toolkit. So it’s not just a hand out – it’s a
said, community support workers like Iwasiuk are hand up. And it’s building a safety net for these
doing what they’ve always done – going above and women – who’s your friend, who’s your sister, who’s
beyond to ensure all women have access to the your grandmother.
supports, counselling and help they need. Whether “So it’s holistic — that’s the word I use. It’s a
it’s helping them transition to a new stage of life, deal collective that comes together to support and to
with the aftermath of a traumatic experience, or have advocate for this person or family.”
someone with whom to attend meetings, Iwasiuk credits not only her co-workers, but also
appointments, and other engagements, Campbell said the Resource Centre’s board of directors, for making
Iwasiuk has proven herself to be an outstanding the Centre accomplishments so thorough and so
community leader. valuable. But there’s still plenty more to be done.
“Through our working relationship, starting in “We need to change systems,” Iwasiuk said. “Women
2014, she has become much more than just my need to make a living wage and have accessibility to
counsellor and advocate,” Campbell wrote in her housing – that’s one of the things that keeps women
nomination letter. “Kim has taken on the role of in domestic violence. And making sure women have
mentor, support, friend, and even family, filling more of an understanding of the justice system –
whatever void necessary to ensure I have a well- that’s always a challenge.” While Iwasiuk said her
rounded support system in my life. I cannot even retirement is a long way off, when it does comes, she
imagine the countless number of other women in still plans to be an activist for women.
Brandon and area that she has helped in this way. I “I don’t think there’s a top for me,” she said. “If
would not be the person I am today without her somebody needs something, I’m going to advocate
continued support and hard work. for them as best I can. I just do the work. And it’s
“Kim’s role in the community is an excellent more than that for me. This is my life. I just hope at
example of a person going above and beyond to serve the end of the day I have done some small part so Kim Iwasiuk, supervising women's counsellor with the Women's Resource Centre in
others, and I do not think Brandon would be the same that women can live happy lives.” Brandon. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)