This is one of the weekly articles in BayToday's "Helpers" series, focused on people who help make our community better.
Meaghan Byrnes is one of those people.
Byrnes, 34, has always had a passion for helping others, and she does it in her volunteer work as well as her career, as the Development Officer for Annual Giving at the North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation.
"The hospital is incredibly important to me because that place saved my grandfather's life more times than I could count," says Byrnes.
"Having the opportunity to work with the business community and help host one of our events that they are passionate about, it helps the hospital and it just fits for me," she explains.
Some of those events are the Festival of Trees, the recent Rocks and Hearts Curling event, and the foundation's biggest fundraiser the Hospital Walk Run. In addition to working on the projects during her days, Byrnes volunteers in her own time to help them as well, sitting on committees, securing sponsors, and planning silent auctions.
She always enjoyed helping others, from her youngest days.
"I was the little girl selling chocolate bars for charity, doing jump rope for heart, and that sort of thing," she adds.
Now, Byrnes is one of those lucky people who get to enjoy what they do every day they head into work.
"I think it's just so rewarding to work with the community as a whole. Gratitude is really amazing and I'm grateful every day for those who help the hospital, and grateful that I get to be part of it."
