Confident individuals, ready to go back into the real world

Now retired, Bob Hartley volunteers in Occupational Therapy unit at the Adult Psychiatry department of the MUHC, where for the last seven years he has taken on the role as woodworking class supervisor.

What he enjoys the most about his volunteering at the Allan Memorial Institute is working with the patients, teaching them things and helping them build self-confidence.

Most of his patients suffer from severe depression and anxiety and he helps them with their self-esteem as they discover they can actually create, repair and work on things. “At the beginning, most of the patients don’t know anything about woodworking, but after a couple of weeks they end up building pretty complex projects,” he says. “What I find the most satisfying about this role is to watch their transition to more confident individuals ready to go back into the real world.”