All in the Family

There are people who seem to have a gift for circumventing linear time. They somehow manage to keep it all together despite spreading endless good will in multiple directions. What’s their secret?

“No matter how busy our lives may be, we can all find time and invest the effort in the things we believe to be important.” These words are flush with meaning for Ashley Bodnarchuck of Vegreville. As a wife, mother of four children under 10, active community volunteer, and full-time accountant, priority setting is relatively straightforward. It’s about defining what’s important, and family comes first, always.

Except Ashley’s definition of family goes far beyond her already large familial pod: “Family is people that help you grow. It’s people that want you to succeed. It can be a very big group, like people in the office or in the larger community. It’s your support system and everyone in it.”

Twelve years ago, before she was married and had children of her own, Ashley committed an hour a week to an endearing little boy in grade one through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Vegreville. Ashley and Jesse clicked instantly. Hours rolled into years. The bond they struck evolved along with her mentorship and supporting role. Board games gave way to Slurpee runs, cheering together at Junior B hockey games and eventually, a cheering squad of his own as Jesse got involved in sports. “He’s definitely part of the family,” says Ashley. “He always will be. Absolutely.”

This coming June, Jesse’s “Big Sister” will be there to watch him graduate from high school. She couldn’t be more proud of the man he’s become. “To see him now as a confident, caring person, applying to post-secondary institutions, pursuing sports…beating all the odds… He’s got such a big family in the community. He’s going to live a great life.”

And that is the reward for Ashley’s long-term investment of time and energy and caring over the years. “When you get involved in these volunteer initiatives, you see what’s important in life and how helping others is so crucial to your own intrinsic growth,” says Ashley.

“It all starts with just one hour a week. I laugh at that. Who doesn’t have one hour a week?”