Elaine McMurray has the heart of a lion and is a social warrior that so loved her role as a “Raging Granny” that she got a tattoo to commemorate the experience. She is also looking to restart this group in the region so that she can join other social warriors to raise awareness of injustice and issues faced by people who are often marginalized through song and demonstrations. However, while the Raging Grannies have been on hiatus since COVID, Elaine (a retired social worker and former nun) has never stopped her commitment to justice, volunteering on a variety of organizations and committees to raise funds, to address poverty and to give a hand up to those experiencing hardships.
“Currently I am volunteering with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in several capacities: I deliver food hampers, I train new volunteers, I am the liaison with our local parish to parish council and I am the president of what we call Particular Council which encompasses all St. Vincent de Paul conferences in the Valley,” explains Elaine. “I am also the co-chair of the National Social Justice Committee. We are focused on advocacy, especially housing and all poverty related issues along with diversity and inclusion concerns.”
“I am a member of the Board of Directors of our men’s recovery program: Ozanam House,” adds Elaine. “In my perfect world everyone would have safe, secure and affordable Housing and adequate income, that is my dream.”
Elaine is an advocate for everyone to have secure and safe housing and as she says, “continues to journey with the city on the homeless initiatives.”
Elaine started volunteering when she was only eight years old and made her Brownie promise to “Lend a Hand” and she hasn’t stopped volunteering since.
“Volunteering is truly a gift, I am so grateful I am able to say YES!,” states Elaine emphatically, encouraging others to volunteer also. “No challenge is to great, try it out, the rewards will convince you to stay.”
“I love seeing the joy in people when their world is even a bit happier because we were able to bring joy and dignity to their day,” continues Elaine, acknowledging that volunteerism has taught her that she can still learn and make a difference and that we all deserve to live with dignity. “
Elaine was humbled to receive the Kelowna’s Citizen of the Year award in 2020 and take great pride in her perseverance and commitment, which also saw her walk 322 km on the Camino when she was 69 years old. She also has a tattoo to commemorate this feat, as well as one to show her deep commitment to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Through her community and volunteer work, Elaine has had to apply for many grants and funding opportunities and now she is ready to share her knowledge as a volunteer facilitator for KCR’s Grant Writing Essentials workshop. This in-depth curriculum includes six workshops that will take participants step by step through the process of writing effective grants. Learning includes Logic Modules, Balanced Budgets and Crafting Compelling Stories and starts on Thursday, August 8 (9:00 – 12:00 noon). Registration is still open – find out more at www.kcr.ca or register on Eventbrite. The cost is only $299 for all six sessions and you will workshop you next grant at the same time, so that you are ready to hit submit at the end of the course. Elaine will be joining other community volunteers who will share their wisdom and first-hand knowledge of grant writing with the participants. We are very grateful to Elaine for signing on for this.
