YORKTON - Next week National Volunteer Week is being marked in Canada.
It’s one of those reoccurring efforts that all too often people barely notice anymore because the effort is far from new, and the message is a repetitive one basically boiling down to the simple idea that volunteers are important to communities.
It is likely almost anyone who pauses for even a brief moment to consider volunteers will recognize how important they are being able to point to various times they have played in role in their lives.
If you were a Boy Scout, Girl Guide, in cadets, 4-H, played minor sports, or a wide range of activities then volunteers played a role in your life.
As adults when you take in Spring Expo, tractor pulls, Summer Fair, dance festivals, adult band concerts, Junior Terrier games and again a whole range of community events, then volunteers have had an impact on your leisure time activities.
Enjoy a hot dog at one of the many fundraisers which will soon start, the person toiling over the hot grill is likely a volunteer.
Go to one of the car shows held each year, there will be volunteers who helped organize and run the event.
As Lisa Washington, Manager of Community, Culture and Heritage with the city told a recent regular meeting of Yorkton Council, “volunteers are essential for healthy, vibrant communities and National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize and thank volunteers in and around Yorkton, Saskatchewan and Canada for their time and energy.”
The theme of the week this year, ‘Volunteering Weaves us Together’, celebrates our individual and collective actions in creating strong, interconnected and vibrant community.
“Volunteering builds the strength and vibrancy of our communities through the interconnected actions we take to support one another. These diverse forms of sharing our time, talent and energy strengthen the fabric of our community,” said Washington.
“Through volunteering we experience our interconnectedness, making our lives more meaningful. Getting involved in various ways, we find friendship, develop trust, and link our relationships. Threading these connections, we come to belong as we contribute towards the same goals.”
Boiled down again though it simply means the efforts of volunteers is important to having a vibrant community.
That is why we all need to think about making sure we donate some time to volunteer efforts.
There are always groups – Lions and Kinsmen for example, sports teams and events -- which can use some extra hands to make the efforts successful. Find one, or more that interests you, and offer to help. It will be appreciated, and you will feel good because you have helped make your community just a little better place to live.
