Colonel (Retired) Charles Hamel is a Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, having retired in 2015 after 42 years of service. He is nominated for his work with the Calgary Military Families Resource Centre (MFRC) and as the Board Chair of the Friends of Colonel Belcher Society (FOCBS).
Since 1997, Colonel Hamel has been an advocate and volunteer with the MFRC. He served as Board Chair from 2014 to 2018. Under his leadership, the foundation implemented a “comprehensive” Health and Mental Wellness program. This includes a weekend retreat complemented by monthly workshops throughout the year, all provided at no cost.
The creation of a mental health coalition of community practitioners, partners and stakeholders to support this initiative was very important to the process. This mental health coalition included benefactors and volunteers who have raised over $1,000,000 for the MFRC. This helped the MFRC develop further programs and has assisted hundreds of serving soldiers, Veterans, and their families in Southern Alberta.
As Board Chair of the FOCBS since 2015, Colonel Hamel works to improve the quality of life of the 130 Veterans residing in the Colonel Belcher Care Centre. The FOCBS, in collaboration with their partners, have invested over $700,000 in upgrades. Under the leadership of Colonel Hamel, FOCBS also provides over $80,000 annually to support recreational, music, art and pet therapy programs at the centre.