Nour Rashid: Making a Difference in Morden

Morden’s Nour Rashid has volunteered over 200 hours of her time the past year to four different projects in the school and the community. Her story clearly demonstrates her qualities of citizenship and leadership.

Since joining Morden Collegiate’s social justice group Hopeful Aware Students Taking Action (HASTA) in 2004, Nour has taken on a leadership role by spearheading fundraising and awareness activities for many issues and organizations, including: the Manitoba Campaign to Ban Landmines, UNICEF, South Central Committee on Family Violence (Genisis House), Gulu Walk and Amnesty International.

Another project that has benefited greatly from Nour’s involvement is Morden’s Special Olympics Program. Nour worked very hard to get the Peewee Special Olympic Program up and running. It is a program for children ages 3 to 8 who have an intellectual disability. Nour created and introduced many great ideas to help the children warm up and get them involved in athletic activities.

Involvement in the Champions Mentorship Program, said Nour, “allowed me to educate youth by planning and executing fun, educational classes for Grade 5 students on topics such as peer pressure, communication, decision making, bullying, drugs and alcohol.” Nour researched these topics, found useful materials and created effective lessons that engaged and excited the Grade 5 students.

As well as helping youth, Nour has also found a way to help the elderly. She has been volunteering at the Boundary Trails Health Centre since the fall of 2007, where she spends most of her time with theelderly patients. She takes them for walks, plays piano for them, reads to them and plays cards and other games with them. “I am there,” Nour said, “to listen to them and keep them company when they are lonely.”

Nour uses her soft, courteous manner to help patients forget about their troubles, aches and pains. Her compassionate manner has made a remarkable impression with the families and staff members at the centre.