Tyler Oler has developed a habit of volunteering

By Gayle Low - for the Lethbridge Herald on April 16, 2024.

Submitted photo - Tyler Oler has developed a habit of volunteering, serving at a number of city organizations throughout any given week.

Tyler Oler loves to make others happy, and everyday as he volunteers, he’s doing just that!

In 2020 Tyler served a two year Service Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His remarkable parents Dan and Mindy Oler helped plan and organize a huge variety of daily, mini service experiences, targeted at activities Tyler loved doing.

When Tyler’s Mission was complete, that volunteering ‘habit,’ did not cease…Tyler continues volunteering at various community organizations Monday through Friday. Truly a ‘full-time volunteer!’

A weekly snippet of Tyler’s Volunteering activities includes the following:

At the Soup Kitchen, he sets up chairs, fills coffee mugs with cream and sugar, tops up water cups, organizes utensils, and distributes desserts. Dan and Mindy agree that handing out desserts is probably his favourite volunteering activity, and he loves doing that because he knows how happy that makes people!

Tyler’s support worker, Michellle Etches transports him to every serving location, and is his shadow as he serves.

Twice a week the Interfaith Food Bank, welcomes them and appreciates their cheerful service; sorting cans of donated goods, repackaging of large volume containers, counting out food items, and helping organize hampers. Always Tyler serves with a smile!

Tyler loves volunteering at the Lethbridge Corn Maze where he gets to help feed all the petting zoo animals. His favourite animals are the pigs!

The Mission Thrift store is also grateful to have Tyler twice a week take care of dry-mopping and vacuuming their floors.

Collecting blue bin recycling from friends is another volunteer activity that Tyler engages in every other week. Glass bottles that crash in the giant green bins are his very favourite to recycle. Much of the money he collects from pop, water and milk containers he donates to the Lion’s Foundation of Dog Guides Canada; a non profit organization that relies totally on donations. Tyrrell, Tyler’s specially trained golden lab, was given to him seven years ago…..and by donating much of his recycling money, Tyler is paying it forward!

As the oldest of five Oler boys, Tyler has set an incredibly high standard for younger brothers David, Ammon, Bryan and Spencer .

In 2004 when he was just over three years old, Tyler was diagnosed with autism. Dan and Mindy determined they would do everything they could to help him enjoy a happy, productive life, and his daily selfless, volunteering has been one of the keys in helping Tyler achieve that purpose.

Anyone interested in Southern Alberta Volunteer opportunities can visit: http://www.volunteerlethbridge.com or http://www.JustServe.org