Leading With Compassion During COVID-19

At Mercy Ships Canada, your support allows us to provide free, life-changing surgeries to those in need. While COVID-19 has physically prevented people from coming together this past year, it has not stopped communities from uniting to help transform medical care to those who need it most in this world. Here’s one story of a local business that led with compassion during this trying time – and how it resulted in one of our newest volunteers.

In early March, the COVID-19 vaccination plan was underway in Canada, but the challenges of the pandemic were still felt by many. As a small business, Parametric Pro Consulting – a local consulting firm based in Victoria, BC – understood the impact of COVID-19 on today’s organizations, as well as the power of community support. For the past few months, Parametric Pro Consulting had shared an office space with members of our team, leading to casual hallway conversations and elevator interactions. While the firm had been familiar with Mercy Ships Canada, their Vice President knew it was the perfect time to extend a helping hand.

After connecting with our team, Parametric Pro Consulting was ready to help and – more importantly – they knew exactly how to help. One of the firm’s current co-op students, Marissa Louie, had expressed a strong interest in finding a way to create a positive social change in her community. With this understanding, we were immediately introduced to Marissa, which led to the beginning of her volunteer journey with us.

Marissa is a fourth-year commerce student at the University of Victoria. Two years ago, she worked at a non-profit organization that was dedicated to improving access to healthcare for kids across Vancouver Island. Through this experience, Marissa instantly realized her passion for helping others. Specifically, she was motivated to use her writing skills to share the stories of meaningful causes and inspire others.