National Volunteer Week kicks off in Cowichan Valley

Nominations open for Leaders of Tomorrow, the local youth volunteer awards.

Volunteer Cowichan is preparing to show its appreciation for the region’s many tireless volunteers during their annual week-long, Valley-wide event.

“The purpose of this event is to encourage nominees to continue their volunteer and leadership activities, and to acknowledge that all voluntary contributions are valuable to the community,” Ann-Marie Koeppen, volunteer services coordinator for Volunteer Cowichan, said.

The organization will be showing their appreciation with “a cup of coffee” delivered to volunteers in Lake Cowichan and the Valley through free coffee vouchers donated to local nonprofits and other organizations, which will be handed out throughout the week (April 12 to 18).

National Volunteer Week will culminate with the third annual Leaders of Tomorrow Awards Banquet, which celebrates youth volunteers, ages six to 24.

The awards will be presented on April 17 at the Island Savings Centre, located at 2687 James Street in Duncan.

Nominations for the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards are still open, and a nomination form can be acquired by contacting Volunteer Cowichan by phone at 250-748-2133 or by email at vc@volunteercowichan@bc.ca.

Another way to show your appreciation for a local volunteer is to nominate them for the Cowichan Lake Chamber of Commerce’s annual Nichole Stock Community Services Award, which will be presented at the Chamber’s Spring Fling event on May 2.

Nominations for the award can be found at the Visitor Centre on 125 South Shore Road, and are open until April 17.

Lake Cowichan Gazette