He gave up the vice-presidency of a large hospitality firm because, he said, “I decided this was something I wanted to commit to.”"I should be able to take my resume, stay current in the industry and be able to fund my goodwill projects.”The plan is for him to use his background in the hospitality industry and his social media skills to help organizations. He will go anywhere, “as long as there is the ability to work or someone has accommodations.”
So far, Talbot has helped out in Whistler, Vancouver and Calgary, where he worked at a shelter for homeless families and at a horse-rescue farm and organized four separate fundraisers. He spent six weeks in Montreal, until the week before Christmas, helping out the N.D.G. Senior Citizens’ Council.
“They are an amazing group doing some amazing things, and every bit of awareness they can garner is so helpful,” he said.Sheri McLeod, executive director of the N.D.G. organization, learned about Talbot through a mutual friend and invited him to Montreal, where a council member put him up.”Small organizations like the council are faced with two major obstacles in terms of fundraising,” she said. “One is in terms of the resources it takes to put on any event, and the other is the resistance people have toward associating themselves with a cause related to aging.
“We wanted Travis to help us push past these two obstacles.”
Talbot helped the council to organize a fundraiser called La Joie de Vivre, held Dec. 13 at La Louisiane on Sherbrooke Street West. The event, which was sold out, raised over $2,000 for the council. The event was made possible by the generosity of the owners of La Louisiane, and that of Barefoot Wines. Talbot also helped the council to set up a Facebook page and trained some staff members in using it and offered his services to people who needed help around the house.
The N.D.G. Senior Citizens’ Council provides a space for people age 50 and older to become engaged in their community. It offers programs, services and opportunities for isolated older adults, and it advocates for social justice. For more on the council, visit www.ndgscc.ca.