National Volunteer Week, recognizing those who help make communities awesome

• 

Each year, volunteers from across the country are recognized through the celebration of National Volunteer Week. This year, the week-long recognition takes place from April 24-30. This year’s theme is “Volunteering is Empathy in Action,” which affirms the undeniable connection between volunteerism and empathy. By definition, empathy is the ability to identify with or to understand someone’s feelings or the situation they are in. Being a volunteer is about helping and connecting with others, which grows healthier people mentally and often physically while also boosting a community’s growth.

Volunteer Canada supports multiple campaigns, including International Volunteer Day, Giving Tuesday, and National Volunteer Week. Their website (www.volunteer.ca) explains that empathy is an essential quality for a volunteer to have. “Empathy is a quality that can help people relate to others and build awareness around different experiences. It connects people in ideas and actions and helps create bonds forged in common goals and aspirations.”

They state that volunteering can help grow someone’s empathy and to see things through the eyes of others. “It can connect people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, expanding our views. It can build our capacity to work collectively and contribute to a vibrant, inclusive society.” Volunteer Canada, created in 1977, provides leadership on a national level and helps increase volunteer participation.

In Whitecourt, there are several ways for volunteers to receive recognition for their selfless contributions. Community organizations can register ahead of National Volunteer Week to receive various gift cards from local coffee shops to give to their volunteers. Registering is quickly done by either emailing css@whitecourt.ca or calling 780-778-6300.

Whitecourt’s Volunteer Awards Program is another way to recognize hardworking volunteers for the impact they bestow on the community by donating their time. Members of the community can nominate anyone they feel deserves it, be it a person, corporation, or agency/group. There are five categories up for nomination: Community Leader, Outstanding Youth Volunteer, Longstanding Achievement, The Extra Miler, and Corporate Leader. One winner will be selected from the nominations in each category and be given a prize pack to thank them for what they do.

Local volunteer Amanda Stanchfield regularly lends her time to causes in the community. She said that she volunteers for several reasons. “I volunteer so that my community and the people within the community have access to wonderful programs that would otherwise cost too much money to run if it weren’t for the volunteers.” She said that it gives her appreciation and understanding of what it takes to operate programs or facilities that community members are “fortunate enough to enjoy.”

She said that sometimes volunteering can be frustrating, but those instances give her even more appreciation for those who step up. “People can expect a lot out of you without remembering that at the end of the day, you’re giving your time for free. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen, which also gives me more respect for volunteers.”

Kelsey Miller, who helps a lot when it comes to sports, especially hockey, said that as a fitness professional, assisting kids to choose “good lifestyle choices and create healthy mindsets that will follow them into the future” are some of the reasons she decides to volunteer. “I like to think I can be a positive influence for the youth in our community.” Miller said that volunteering makes her feel that she is contributing to the betterment of the community and “our children’s future,” and even perhaps creating “good people to take care of us all when we retire,” she added with a chuckle.

Don Shaw, who also volunteers regularly with sports, including Whitecourt Wolverines hockey, says it’s a way to stay within his favourite sport. “Hockey has always been my biggest passion, and since I’m too old to play now, it’s my way of still being part of the game. It makes me feel good that I can give back and see it make an impact. Without volunteers, a lot of it wouldn’t happen.” Specific to the Whitecourt Wolverines, without volunteers, a season of hockey would simply not happen. Everything from selling tickets to working in the apparel store, the timekeeper, the penalty box attendants, to putting out signs on gameday is all done by volunteers.

Ashley Rose shared a sentiment mentioned by Shaw that many things wouldn’t be available without volunteers. “I want our community to have additional offerings such as programs, activities, and services that would not be feasible if they had to run off of paid positions.” She said that volunteering makes her feel good. “I love it because I know I give of my time, talents, and self for the benefit of others, and that makes me feel good. It makes all our lives a better place to be when we have volunteers.”

As often is the case, Rose said she feels that people take for granted what volunteers do. “How many children’s programs and activities wouldn’t be here without volunteers? How many teachers and school administrators would be more stressed out or would just entirely cut activities if there were no volunteers to help? Our world would be dull and not as enriched without them.” She encourages people to start volunteering if they aren’t already. As they say, many hands make light work.

Guest Services at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre has information available on the categories for volunteers to be nominated in and nomination forms. If preferred, nomination packages can also be found on the Town of Whitecourt website, www.whitecourt.ca. The deadline to get nominations in is Thursday, April 14.