John Huether revels in the thought of rolling up his sleeves, getting his hands dirty and planting some seeds – literally and figuratively.

So, when a friend suggested he volunteer his time and organizational skills to a Community Garden organization that was struggling to establish itself to deliver programs in central Mississauga, it was a no-brainer.  For the self-described “gardening addict,” here was another opportunity to make a difference in his community, while at the same time exercise his green thumb.

The Mississauga Garden Council, as it was known in the late nineties, needed some community backing and support from the City of Mississauga to develop the 150 acre woodland area at Burnhamthorpe Road and the Credit River into a nature preserve, with gardens and teaching programs for children, youth and families.

“When I joined the board of the garden council, it didn’t have a staff but it had some exceptional volunteers with a vision and they were struggling to get funding and make Riverwood a reality,” he says. Today, The Riverwood Conservancy, as it is known, operates on a $450,000 budget, providing education programs for students and adults in the area of nature, heritage, gardening and the environment and boasts a roster of more than 600 volunteers.

For John, watching Riverwood blossom has been one of life’s joys, much like his love for growing rhododendrons, trilliums, roses and many other perennials at the Cooksville home he shares with his wife Pam.

“Just being a part of the realization of that dream, watching a group of volunteers make a vision happen in co-operation with other partners has been a rewarding experience,” says John, who is now Chair of the Riverwood Board of Directors.

By the time he joined Riverwood in 1998, John was no stranger to volunteering and had long ago realized its two-way benefits. The Mississauga resident had served for nearly a decade on the board of United Way of Peel Region. Over the past decade, he has volunteered with other Mississauga community service programs, including the Fair Share Task Force and the Council of Champions of Success by 6 Peel.  He is currently Chair of both of these groups, working hard to improve the quality of life for the residents of Peel Region.

His volunteering experience goes back to when he was a youth growing up in Hamilton, when he was a YMCA day-camp counsellor. In 1968 to 1970, he taught at a secondary school in Nigeria as a volunteer with CUSO, the Canadian University Services Overseas. “At the time that we went, the Biafran war was on and while we were there it finished. Teaching in Northern Nigeria was a life-changing experience,” he says of the CUSO experience.

But it wasn’t until he stepped back a bit from volunteering and began working full time that he realized its true benefits. He had become a probation officer in Newmarket and found himself swamped with work. It was suggested that he develop a network of volunteers to help with his caseload.

“I gained a tremendous amount of respect for what volunteers can bring to other people and to an organization by watching what they were able to do for the kids,” John says. “Their contribution of time, their creativity, their commitment.”

Just as importantly from his experience as the Executive Director of the Peel Children’s Aid Society, he says he learned what organizations must do in order to recruit, support and manage a corps of volunteers. This includes creating a clear terms of reference, ensuring that they are recognized for their contributions, providing advice and feedback, marshalling the troops so that their skills and time are used to advantage, and striving to make volunteering events and programs positive learning experiences.

All this made John perfectly qualified to assess the state of volunteering in Peel. His 2007 report, Review of Volunteerism, laid the groundwork for the creation of Volunteer MBC, a volunteer centre that connects people wishing to volunteer with the organizations that need them in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.

The study “reinforced all of the messages I had learned from my own experience” as both a volunteer and a manager of volunteers,” he says. “As well, it highlighted the nuance of volunteering - what makes people tick when they volunteer and what organizations must do to dovetail with that spirit”, he says.

For besides the skills and passion that people can bring to the task at hand, they also need the support of family because of the time commitment, John says. “I’ve been very lucky in that regard.”

“I deeply admire his passion and devotion to make a difference in the Region of Peel”, says Carine Strong, Executive Director of Volunteer MBC.  “I honestly believe that John set the stage for Volunteer MBC to be the best volunteer centre in Canada and we are very pleased to present him with an award in his honour.”  The 2010 John Huether Award for Volunteering Excellence was presented to John at Volunteer MBC’s 2010 Annual General Meeting on Monday, June 28, 2010. Special thanks to the Region of Peel for their sponsorship of this award.