We are currently recruiting new volunteer patient advocates to serve on the Vancouver based Arthritis Patient Advisory Board (APAB) of Arthritis Research Canada. We seek members who represent various forms of arthritis and who are also reflective of BC’s racial and ethnic diversity — but these are desirable attributes rather than essential qualifications. A commitment of a two-year term, with the potential to participate for a further two years, is requested.

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis and have a strong interest in arthritis research, you may want to consider a volunteer position with the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board.  For further information please go to https://www.arthritisresearch.ca/our-team/arthritis-patient-advisory-board/become-an-arthritis-advocate or submit your resume to patientadvisoryboard@arthritisresearch.ca. Please include information on your arthritis background, including any volunteer or paid work that you have done in the area of arthritis, advocacy or other work experience.

Here is what our current Patient Advisory Board Members have to say about why they volunteer.

Kelly English:

• Friendship and support.
• Makes me aware of what is going on at Arthritis Research Canada, and where else can you interact with researchers on a first name basis and have your opinion listened to?
• I gain information on quality of life ideas and feel I am changing the world of rheumatoid arthritis, one meeting at a time.
• Access to conferences, webcasts, rounds etc. which give so much information.
• Challenges me to step out of my comfort zone sometimes.
• It is flexible – people are understanding and make it easy to contribute at meetings, whether in person of via web conferencing.

Joyce Ma:

• The reason why I volunteer started from wanting to get more information about my disease. Now I enjoy helping spread the result of research projects through ROAR and writing tips and tricks in our newsletter to help others who are suffering with arthritis. I feel I have something to contribute, through my experiences, to help others through project collaboration.

Karen Tsui:

• The amazing group of people you get to know and make connections with
• So I can make a difference to the research that affects quality of arthritis care
• The opportunities to travel to conferences that I wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise

Lianne Gulka 

• To a certain degree, volunteering is definitely “give and take”: we give our time and energy in exchange for certain benefits.
• We “GIVE” time and energy to the group and various projects. We “TAKE” energy back from this group and the esteemed group of researchers we are fortunate to work with.
• We “GIVE” our various skills and expertise from a variety of backgrounds and life experience. We “TAKE” the setting and opportunity to apply these skills for some of us either retired, disabled, or out of our previous career fields.
• WE “GIVE” our perspectives and opinions (sometimes asked for and sometimes not!). We “TAKE” the chance to be mentored both by other expert consumers and related health practitioners, and researchers we become involved in.
• WE “GIVE” volunteer hours and we “TAKE” the healing benefit of feeling more “EMPOWERED” to control our disease and our environment around our disease.