After completing her treatment for breast cancer, Janice Hodgson, ODT, decided to walk.
“As far as I was concerned, I was full of toxins, so I thought, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to walk,” she recalls.
That was 20 years ago, and Ms. Hodgson is still walking. She has completed 11 half marathons (23 km each) and plans to hike the Camino de Santiago, Europe’s famed pilgrimage route, within the next two years.
Ms. Hodgson, a member of St. James, Sharon, is the new president of the Diocesan Anglican Church Women. She succeeds Enid Corbett, ODT, who stepped down last year.
In addition to energy and enthusiasm, Ms. Hodgson brings a wealth of experience to her new role. “I’m a lifelong volunteer,” she says. “I started as a candy striper in the hospital and haven’t stopped.”
Over the years, she has volunteered for several organizations, including the Red Cross, Inn from the Cold, Girl Guides of Canada and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (formerly the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry). She is currently the rector’s warden at her church, the treasurer of the parish’s ACW and the chair of the diocese’s FaithWorks Allocation Committee. She also runs a clothing depot and food closet at St. James.
“I’m a chunker,” she explains with a smile. “I chunk out my time. I do so much of this, then so much of that. I’m hoping it keeps me young!”
On a serious note, she says her volunteer work has brought her face to face with the needs of the community, both in the parish and beyond. “Before I started volunteering at Inn from the Cold, I didn’t see the homelessness. But once I started working there, I saw it. Sometimes you need to see something before you believe it exists.”
She has been running the clothing depot and food closet at St. James for the past 10 years and says the need has never been greater. “There’s just so much need out there. We’re always getting new people.”
That’s where the ACW comes in, she says. At the parish, archdeaconry and diocesan levels, women are volunteering, raising funds, providing food and clothing, and reaching out to others in the community.
“We go out and help everybody,” she says. “We also come back and talk about it and get more people involved. We’re all out there volunteering, helping, and spreading the word about the need that is out there.”
The Diocesan ACW is currently focused on helping communities that are dealing with food insecurity. It has provided each archdeaconry in the diocese with $1,000 to help alleviate the problem. It also gives money to the Council of the North. As president of the Diocesan ACW, Ms. Hodgson is a member of the Lewis Garnsworthy Trust Committee, part of the Anglican Foundation of Canada.
Of course, it’s not all work, she adds. The ACW at all levels of the Church provides women with plenty of opportunity for socializing, from parish potlucks to the diocesan annual general meeting, which will be held this year on April 26 on Zoom.
She says her first year as president has been an eye-opener. “It’s been a big learning curve, but it’s been really good meeting all the ladies at the different gatherings, both in-person and on Zoom.”
One of the things she’d like to see is more women joining the ACW. Although its numbers have declined over the years, it’s still a vital part of the Church, she says. “We’re a great group of people who love the Church and want to see it thrive.”
Perhaps we can rise to this moment