When you first meet Laura Wilde, you immediately want to get to know her. Blessed with a personality that is warm, engaging, and as she would have it, exceedingly blessed with red hair, Laura has never been shy about getting into the ‘thick of it’ with her family, friends, work mates, and the community.

Her two sons now are well into their teens, and husband Mike continues his career as a professional engineer. Laura met Mike through community theatre, and as we shall soon see, theatre is a significant part of Laura’s volunteerism.

If Laura were to provide you with her volunteering resume, you would be bound to notice that she has volunteered in Australia, albeit that she’s Canadian through and through. Mike was on a project in Queensland quite a few years ago, and that’s when and where the Wilde’s started their family. Her 2 roles were as a telephone counselor for Pregnancy Help Queensland, and as a fundraiser for ‘SIDS Red Nose Day’, in Brisbane (still held annually on the last Friday in June, nationally in Australia).

In Canada, among the not-for-profits that have hugely benefited from Laura’s contributions are Canadian Blood Services (Canadian Red Cross) and Scouts Canada. In terms of blood donations, Laura has rolled up her sleeves well over one hundred times! And it’s so typical of her that she has coordinated blood donor initiatives where she has worked in order to get her fellow workers to roll up their sleeves.

It seemed only natural that with 2 boys, Scouting was a ready made means to have access to the community and outdoors. Laura makes it much more than that: Section Leader (Beavers & Cubs); Group Secretary – 1st Homelands Scout Group; Coordinator for Canadian Cub Jamboree (2016), and she even follows her passion for baking by donating delicious cakes to the Scouts’ fundraisers!

Community theatre, however, is at the top of Laura’s volunteering list. She has enjoyed decades of serious dedication onstage and behind the scenes. A highly respected citizen of theatre in the GTA, Laura has pretty much done it all, from serving on theatre boards to helping performers ‘quick change’ costumes in the wings. Community theatre connections tend to reach into many areas and groups, and that accounts for the fact that in April, 2018, Laura co-hosted the video interviews at Volunteer MBC’s ‘V-Oscars’, as an enthusiastic volunteer.

Blessed with a lovely singing voice (that she doesn’t ‘diva’) and stage presence, Laura has always felt fortunate about her performances in musicals and plays, and most recently about the opportunity to direct. Ms. Wilde would be the first to tell you about how important it is to count your blessings and give back, plus be an example and encouragement for others in terms of volunteering.

Laura does all that, and more!