I was reviewing feedback from last year’s volunteer fair and a sense of pride washed over me.
Yes! People in our community get it. Many, many are committed to making our corner of the world a better place.
Here is a snapshot of the comments that got me thinking.
“Volunteering? That is who I am, a volunteer,” said Paul DeMay.
Joy Kutcher attended the very first volunteer fair, volunteered with Lioness and has been active ever since.
Carol Fazekas attended for the first time in 2011. “I needed something outside work to make new connections. It was a bright sunny day at about 2 p.m. and I ran around and found several organizations that caught my interest before it closed.
“I went home and thought about our conversations; where my skills would be most useful. I’m a doer. I like to jump in. ESS and MADD are a good combination for me,” concluded Carol.
Angus from Pets and People told me the story about taking his dog to Kelowna General Hospital and visiting a former RCMP member who worked with the K9 Unit. “It was magical,” enthused Angus.
“This is like ‘Old Home Week.’ It’s all about the networking,” offerd Christina MacMaster.
Penny’s husband had surgery and needed a wheelchair so they got it from the Red Cross. She learned that a friend of theirs volunteered to fix the equipment.
“Hey,” the friend said, “you know how to do this stuff, you should volunteer here. You’d be good at it. Why not join us?” So her husband started volunteering and so did Penny. That was five years ago.
What’s your story?
If you are looking for fresh ideas about getting involved, join us at the Okanagan Volunteer Opportunities Fair, Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Parkinson Recreation Centre, Kelowna.
