From hospital gift shop employees to individuals selling daffodil pins to the cooks who make pancakes at Lions Club breakfast fundraisers, volunteers abound throughout Wellington County.
Volunteer Appreciation Week takes place from April 10 to 16 and we encourage everyone to thank the volunteers in their life.
But why stop there? Why not take the week and research how you can give back to your community by taking up a volunteer position yourself?
In this week’s Wellington Advertiser we highlight a few local volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their call to service.
From 60-year Harriston-Minto Agricultural Society volunteer Doug Anderson to Joan Law, who has volunteered for 50 years with 4-H in Puslinch, the county is well serviced with dedicated volunteers from all areas and walks of life.
Even the county’s youth population is involved.
Last year Kylee Mazerolle from Erin District High School who won the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers with 1,000-plus hours of volunteer service throughout the community; and Alan Negrin and Kali Hodgson had a combined total of 6,000 volunteer hours over their four years at Centre Wellington District High School.
We think it’s important to encourage volunteering for the good of the community, but we also think it’s important to acknowledge the individual benefits for the volunteers.
Volunteering provides the opportunity to get out of the house, contribute to society in a positive way, be involved in the community and it may even foster new friendships with people who have similar interests.
We think it’s a win-win for all involved.
Case in point: Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre in Puslinch Township is built on volunteers. They come in before lessons begin, tack up the horses, take responsibility for the safety of their equine friend and human rider throughout the lesson, untack, groom the horse post-lesson and keep the barn spick and span.
Don’t get us wrong, it is work, and a necessity to keep the facility and lessons running smoothly, but for the volunteering horse lover, it’s kind of the ideal situation. They are able to provide much-needed support for special needs riders while also doing something that calms them and brings joy and happiness to their lives.
It’s important to acknowledge the gaps in society where paid jobs may not be possible and volunteers need to step up to fill the void, but it’s equally important to find the volunteer gig that fits each individual’s lifestyle and personality.
We encourage you to take some time during volunteer week this year to look for the activity that’s right for you. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something you didn’t know you were looking for.
We want to personally thank all the volunteers throughout Wellington County.
