Event squad needs volunteers
The following are volunteer opportunities in KitchenerWaterloo. For more information, call the Volunteer Action Centre in Kitchener at 519-742-8610 or check the website at www.volunteerkw.ca.
City of Kitchener is building a team of volunteers with diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences to assist at small and large scale events throughout the year. Once you are part of their volunteer event squad they will email you with different opportunities as they arise and you can decide which ones you want to support. Upcoming events include Christkindl, Christmas Fantasy, Kitchener Market events and our New Year’s Levee. For more information please contact Karrie Zettler at 5197412200 ext. 7564 or email volunteer@kitchener.ca or to start the process, complete our online application at www.kitchener.ca/volunteer.
The Volunteer Action Centre of K-W & Area is searching for an energized young adult to assist with our EPYC Youth Program. Our weekly teen Volunteer Action Team meets on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and an extra pair of hands will add needed capacity. The ideal candidate is interested in establishing genuine connection with teens from diverse backgrounds, with the skills to encourage teens to embrace community involvement as an exciting and ongoing lifestyle choice. All are welcome to apply and we have special interest in recruiting a male volunteer. Interested? Contact Lily Viggiano at lily@volunteerkw.ca or call 519-742-8610.
Are you a stroke survivor; would you like to share your knowledge with new stroke survivors? March of Dimes Canada’s hospital peer mentors are stroke survivors who visit new stroke survivors within hospital stroke units to provide hope and resources to help new stroke survivors thrive. If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity to help you re-engage that fits your schedule contact us at 519579-5530 ext. 263 or linkingsurvivors@marchofdimes.ca. To find a volunteer opportunity that suits you, search United Way’s online volunteer opportunities database at www.uwcambridge.on.ca and click on the Volunteer Centre tab, or call 519-621-1030.
International Volunteer Manager’s Day: November 2017 — Engaging and inspiring change
In honour of International Volunteer Managers Day, which takes place on Nov. 5 each year, Jessica Bigelow, a volunteer manager, is the focus of our profile. After obtaining her degree at the University of Toronto, an Honours B.A. majoring in English and Political Science, Jessica pursued a Social Service Worker diploma at Conestoga College. It was this program that connected her to a student placement at Big Brothers Big Sisters Waterloo Region (BBBSWR). Once her placement ended, Jessica continued to volunteer for the organization and was later hired as the volunteer manager. As a lifelong volunteer, Jessica has experienced the positive impact of volunteering and for her, having the opportunity to connect others to this impact is the most rewarding part of her work. Jessica recounts a story of a mentor named Rob and a mentee named Cam. Once Rob started to mentor Cam, his family started to see an improvement in grades, a better attitude and some leadership from Cam. Speaking about Rob, Cam said, “He has made me a better man and I will be a good father and friend one day because of the things he teaches me.”
A typical day for Jessica includes connecting with staff on different teams and determining how she can support them in their work with volunteers.
The biggest challenge in Jessica’s work is going to work everyday knowing that there are boys on a two-year wait-list and girls on a one-year wait-list for a one-to-one mentor match. The organization is in real need of Big Brothers. Please contact BBBSWR if you, or a man in your life, would like to make a difference in the life of a little boy. Before wrapping up with Jessica, I asked if she had a favourite quote. She chose a quote by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” To Jessica and all the other volunteer managers out there, thank you for engaging and inspiring volunteers to make such impactful change in the lives of others.