Brenda Whittle

Hairdresser with Heart,
Truro, Nova Scotia

Brenda is one of those hairdressers that women confide in. And when clients confided that they had cancer, Brenda would offer to help. She showed them how to fit wigs, passed along tips on skin care after chemo, and laughed and cried with them. "I guess I just knew the right things to say," she says.

When someone called to say that he and his wife had been referred to her for help, Brenda realized she needed credentials to bolster her experience. "I hadn't even graduated from high school," she says.

So 12 years ago she returned to school to earn her community service worker diploma. Now Brenda works part time to pay the bills and devotes the rest of her time to Caring for Cancer Patients, the charity she created to train hairdressers and estheticians to help people who have cancer.

Brenda also hosts a retreat at a local Tim Hortons camp, and her charity provides counselling, financial help and transportation not covered by other agencies. "Being able to bring a smile to someone's face when she is in a time of trouble is my satisfaction," she says.

Brenda says:
"I feel so honoured to be part of a great group of Canadians who have made a difference in our country in their own unique way. I know my volunteering efforts are not over yet."