United Way opened officer's eyes

Share on Facebook | | Comment |  Email |  Print

Winnipeg Free Press, Thursday December 13, 2007
Reproduced with permission.
Photo: BORIS MINKEVICH/Winnipeg Free Press

GRANTED, Const. Anne Boyko has some experience in canvassing neighbourhoods. But as a sponsored executive for the United Way, the 12-year Winnipeg Police Service veteran was canvassing in a whole new way.

Each year, employers across Winnipeg deploy a small army of helpers to the United Way through the sponsored executive program.

The sponsored executives are paid by their employers to work for the United Way for 16 weeks, providing an invaluable resource to the organization.

At the same time, participants gain experiences that are often life-changing.

Boyko was asked if she wanted to be a sponsored executive as she was preparing to return to work after maternity leave.
"I had no idea what a sponsored executive was," Boyko said.

But she did some research and decided to give it a shot.

The first thing she realized was how the United Way had touched her own life.

She grew up in the West End, the youngest of 14 children.

"It wasn't until I had to prepare a speech that I realized that there were 10 partner agencies that had helped my family and myself," she said.

In addition to building confidence in herself as a public speaker, Boyko also gained new perspective in some ways.

As a police officer, she had seen a side of the Main Street Project when she had to take intoxicated people there.

"I always saw it negatively. It's not like you're taking them willingly. It's not like you're taking them to a fancy hotel."

But after doing some canvasser training there, she took a tour and saw much of the good work the Main Street Project does.
"It was really shocking in a way and also humbling," Boyko said.

A few weeks later, she suggested a colleague take some leftover food from a kickoff event to the Main Street Project, and insisted that she ride along.

"Part of me, being an officer, was like I'm going to go there and I'm going to protect you."

Boyko said it felt good to know that they were giving people something extra.

"They were getting ready for lunch. It was in Styrofoam cups and it was beef stew and the cups were half-full."

When they walked out of the building, a man sitting on the sidewalk asked if they were from the United Way, recognizing the small symbol on the badges they were wearing.

He told them he had given $5 each pay period to the United Way for 30 years. "He said, 'And now look what they're giving me. I have a bed,'" Boyko related.

She said that she'd jump at the chance to be a sponsored executive again, but at the same time wouldn't want to take the experience away from a fellow officer.

Boyko returned to general patrol last Monday, and has brought her experiences at the United Way with her.
"It's really changed the way I police," she said.