Belinda McIsaac – Volunteer Dispatcher

Meet Belinda McIsaac, a resident of Chilliwack and one of our dedicated volunteer dispatchers who joined the Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society in February 2024. After seeing a call for help on Facebook, Belinda quickly realized she had something valuable to offer — not only her background in dispatching, but also her lived experience as a cancer survivor.

Having been a BC Cancer patient in 2021, Belinda deeply understands the system and the unique challenges patients face.

“I thought I could be a good addition. Knowing what it’s like to go through treatment, I wanted to help take one burden off someone else’s shoulders — transportation.”

While no single moment stands out as her most memorable, Belinda has genuinely enjoyed connecting with every patient she’s helped coordinate rides for.

“Patients are always so thankful and appreciative. They can’t say enough about the kindness of the drivers and how positive their experiences have been.”

One unforgettable week for Belinda came while dispatching for Burnaby and New Westminster, when she found herself trying to fill nearly 100 ride requests.

“I was still pretty new and thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’” she laughs. “Thanks to the amazing support of fellow dispatchers and drivers stepping up to take extra rides, we made it happen.”

Belinda’s life outside of volunteering is just as inspiring. She’s a published poet, and her memoir — a deeply personal look into her life’s journey — is set to be released any day now. She recently trained as a Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapist and hopes to use it to help others on their healing paths.

Between writing, volunteering, spending time with her family, hitting the gym, and building a new home and shop, retirement has certainly been anything but slow.

When asked why this cause matters so much to her, Belinda’s answer is simple:

“I’m a survivor. I didn’t know about VCDS when I was in treatment, but I know how valuable it would’ve been to have that support in a pinch. Now I want to be part of that support for others.”

Her volunteer experience has taught her patience, grace, and that perfection isn’t the goal — showing up and doing your best is what truly counts.

How does she describe her VCDS experience in three words?

“Rewarding. Satisfying. Interesting.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Thank you, Belinda, for bringing your heart, empathy, and experience to our mission — and for turning your own healing into hope for others.