New Westminster resident Rodger Konkle and his therapy dogs will be recognized for their volunteer efforts during an appreciation luncheon next month.
For the last seven years, the retired government worker has gotten up at the crack of dawn to be at the Union Gospel Mission on Clarkson Street for 7 a.m. Five days a week, he prepares and serves more than 150 hot breakfasts and 200 bowls of soup to those in need.
"Volunteering at UGM gives me purpose that I didn't have before," he told the Record. "Today, I am at peace with myself. I sincerely enjoy interacting with people and showing them they are loved."
That love also manifested when Konkle discovered how positively people responded when his late canine companion Isla tagged along.
"You would see them on the curb or on a park bench talking to the dog, pouring their heart out to the animal, and they had tears coming down their face," he said. "A problem shared is a problem cut in half."
The golden lab, which passed away last October due to health complications, became an integral part of the volunteer team at the mission, with many clients taking her for walks.
After her passing, Konkle adopted "a gorgeous little dog" name Charlie from Taiwan.
But training the three-year-old pooch hasn't been an easy task, Konkle noted.
"The first day, he got scared from a noise and pulled the leash out of my hand. It took me three hours to catch him. He was so skittish. He didn't even know how to play with a ball," he said of his scarred, furry friend, who was often beaten and chased around by other dogs back in Taiwan.
Even language was a barrier.
"He only understood Cantonese, and I don't speak Cantonese. It's been a matter of me learning with me, him learning with me, taking him to off-leash dog parks and socializing him with others" Konkle said.
Today, Charlie understands basic commands like sit and stay.
"He's just a loveable dog," said Konkle, who's planning on introducing "Charlie Scar Face" to the UGM family later this year. "It's still too early. If he meets a new person, you can see him kind of cringe a little bit. It's a matter of regaining trust in people."
As for Konkle, volunteering at the mission is one of many places he devotes his time to. The list also includes the Burnaby Lougheed Lions Club and a Third World eye-care society that provides glasses to developing countries.
"He's very dedicated and does a lot of tasks. He definitely has a real heart for community and working with our guests and getting to know them," said Neil Johnson, the UGM's volunteer coordinator. "He's our only one that's here every day."
Johnson added Konkle and other mission volunteers will be recognized during an appreciation luncheon next month. April 12 to 18 marks National Volunteer Week.
