Volunteers log millions of hours in labour of love

Apr 20, 2023 | 6:30 AM

It is National Volunteer Week, but a week hardly covers the contribution volunteers make in the North Okanagan and communities across Canada.

From helping a neighbour with groceries to big events like the Interior Provincial Exhibition, Vernon Winter Carnival and the Okanagan Military Tattoo, the region and the country would be a lot different without formal and informal volunteering.

According to the last available Statistics Canada data, over 24 million people volunteer, accounting for 79 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older. Volunteers dedicated approximately 5 billion hours to their volunteer activities, a number of hours equivalent to over 2.5 million full-time year-round jobs.

Formal volunteering is being encouraged by more companies, with over one-third of employers having a formal program. Scotia Bank, for instance, ties staff volunteers to matching funds for charity events, Professional businesses, like accounting and law firms, encourage volunteerism by serving as society directors of not for profits.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of charitable organizations, many don’t have the financial bandwidth to provide high levels of service without the unpaid labour.

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The North Okanagan Hospice Society is one such organization with nearly 80 volunteers putting in thousands of hours annually.

“Volunteers are such an important part of the team at Hospice and in the community. Without their caring and heart, our organization wouldn’t be able to provide such a quality level of service to those in need,” NOHS Executive Director Lisa Matthews said.

Nexus B.C. runs “Volunteer Vernon” which is a repository of formal volunteer opportunities available in the community.

“We’re hearing that organizations are struggling to find volunteers post Covid, and we are experiencing this ourselves. We’re only starting now to see some success to our recruitment efforts and feeling like we’re slowly crawling out of that time,” Lee Brinkman, Nexus B.C. Marketing and Events Manager, said.

There are currently 26 volunteer positions listed on volunteervernon.ca. Organizations can also sign up for the Vernon Volunteer Fair taking place September 23 at www.nexusbc.ca .

According to Stats Canada’s survey on giving, volunteering and participating, the underlying motivation for volunteering differs across generations. Improving job opportunities was cited as a top reason for volunteering among younger people. Contributing to the well-being of the community was named as a leading motivation among about a quarter of volunteers. Spiritual or religious-based motivations were most often cited by baby boomers.

“Volunteers are the glue that holds our community together. Most of the time they work quietly in the background, but if they all quit, life as we know it in Vernon would come to a stop,” Nexus BC’s Lee Brinkman stated.

“The care of abandoned animals, litter clean up, soup kitchens, rides for seniors to the doctor, and so much more would all end. The difference volunteers make in a community and in people’s lives is immeasurable.”

by Kevin Rothwell

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