The true value of volunteerism
Expanding the understanding of what volunteering is
Almost 80 volunteers recently gathered at the NSCC Kingstec campus.
The gathering discussed volunteerism during the third annual symposium hosted by the Kings County Volunteer Resource Centre. The aim, explains Karrie-ann Wilkie, part-time co-ordinator of the centre, was to offer educational opportunities, tools and resources around volunteer development.
The highlight of the day was the keynote address by Paula Speevak, CEO of Volunteer Canada who spoke about global trends of volunteering within the Canadian context.
According to statistics collected by Volunteer Canada, 44 per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 volunteer an average of 155 hours a year. In Nova Scotia, the percentage is higher with 50 per cent volunteering, and 72 per cent are ages 15 to 24 years old.
There are so many reasons for people to volunteer, says Speevak. These include, for the young, a chance to gain skills and explore careers, and for older adults, staying connected with the community.
Although volunteering rates are decreasing slightly, Speevak says it’s not to be alarmed. There are several reasons for this. Canada has an aging population and our volunteers are now spending a lot more time on caregiving.
Most importantly, these statistics do not encompass informal volunteering, which Speevak says is definitely on the rise. Informal volunteering is any activity that people do on their own, without going through a formal organization. These numerous hours are not counted with Volunteer Canada.
Besides, Speevak says, by merely counting our volunteer hours, it is not giving an accurate picture.
“Volunteering is about connections, skills and the experience we gain,” she says. “It is circular and reciprocal.”
By helping others, we are also helping ourselves.
The room was full of people who give countless hours each year to volunteering, many of whom represented several organizations. Part of the appeal of attending was networking.
“I knew that attending would put me in touch with people in the community doing volunteer work as it is great to network with people who have their finger on the needs in our community,” says Ramona Jennex, Coldbrook, who attended wearing several hats from various organizations.
Following the key note address, participants had several workshops to choose from. Topics included communication, volunteer engagement, mental wellness and how to run meetings.
For lifelong volunteer Jean Kelly, of Wolfville, her biggest take-away was balance.
“I need to value balance for myself more,” laughs Kelly. “Either that or I’m going to need some volunteers to clean my house.”
Jennex says one of the sessions she attended hit the nail on the head in giving an overview of how to run a great meeting.
“The room was so engaged they made him stop as the time was up, but we were all still wanting more,” she says.
She was also pleased to hear the Kings County Volunteer Resource Centre is in the process of developing a matching system with federal support, benefiting organizations and people who want to volunteer, helping people to find a match that works with a person’s time and skill set.
Wilkie says, overall, they hope participants walked away with a more instilled understanding of the true value of volunteerism in our community and more of the practical tools and resources they need to do the great work that is already happening around volunteerism in Kings County.