The stories that stay with us: Meet Lasting Words volunteer Jan McKay

When Jan McKay joined the Lasting Words program in 2019, she was looking for an opportunity to put her newly acquired oral history skills to good use.

“Like so many people, I just love people’s stories,” Jan says.

After attending an oral history workshop, Jan heard about Lasting Words through a friend who suggested they attend a volunteer training workshop together. It was the beginning of a seven-year involvement with the program, which helps people capture their memories and reflections in a personal legacy document for loved ones.

Since then, Jan has helped people tell their stories and played an important role behind the scenes, including developing training resources for new volunteer interviewers.

One of her most memorable moments came during her very first interview, when she read the completed legacy document back to the storyteller.

“They exclaimed, ‘Oh! I can hear myself talking.’ I thought to myself, that absolutely encapsulates what we intend.”

Another experience that has stayed with Jan was the gratitude expressed by a woman receiving palliative care when she received a legacy document created for her young daughter.

Over the years, Jan has learned that while people are often happy to share stories about their families and experiences, they sometimes need encouragement to reflect on their own lives.

“It’s not all about deep and dark secrets that no one else knows,” she explains.

The role of the interviewer is to help people look beyond the events themselves and consider how those experiences have shaped who they are.

Jan says many people initially feel their lives haven’t been interesting enough to write about, but often discover the value of their experiences through the process of reflecting and sharing.

For Jan, volunteering has also prompted her to reflect more deeply on her own life and how experiences can take on different meanings over time.

As she steps down from the Lasting Words Management Committee, Jan is particularly proud of her contribution to the volunteer training program, including developing a reference booklet to support interviewers.

While she is leaving the committee, Jan will continue volunteering as an interviewer, helping more people preserve their stories for those they love.

Palliative Care WA CEO Mark Kinsela thanked Jan for her many years of dedicated volunteering.

“We thank Jan for her contribution to the Lasting Words Management Committee and to training and supporting fellow volunteers. We are delighted she will continue helping people preserve their stories as a volunteer interviewer.”