By Sheldon Spackman

Volunteer Opportunities

Opportunities still exist for local volunteers

Apr 3, 2020 | 3:22 PM

Despite the COVID-19 global health pandemic cancelling events and shutting down many parts of our lives, volunteer opportunities still exist throughout central Alberta.

Volunteer Central has set up a special page on its website offering information on how people can still volunteer under the current circumstances.

Pam Snowdon, Executive Director at Volunteer Central, suggests you can do things such as checking on people in your neighbourhood, shoveling snow for people who are self-isolating or unable to get outside, picking up groceries, prescriptions or supplies for someone that you know is in need.

“The need for volunteers for many programs still exists,” says Snowdon. “The manager and staff of the Adult Literacy Program Red Deer Public Library, for example, have provided guidance to the volunteer tutors about how they can continue to carry out their role through e-mail, texting, phone calls, or platforms like Skype and Zoom.”

Snowdon says the their COVID-19 Resources page shows the need for supplies and donations to purchase things such as food, bottled water, hygiene items, and specialized equipment like masks and surgical gloves.

music to their ears

Red Deer Symphony Orchestra elated over new funding as it nears third show of season

9h ago

Big winner

Red Deer resident wins over $1 million on lotto ticket

10h ago

THREE PER CENT TAX INCREASE

Penhold town council approves 2025 operating budget

10h ago

“This is a very important time for us to step up our monetary donations so organizations can purchase the resources they need to carry out their work,” adds Snowdon. “Canadian Mental Health of Central Alberta and the Red Deer Food Bank are currently looking for volunteers as a direct impact of the COVID-19 crisis. A risk for volunteer programs right now is the ability to appropriately screen new recruits as quickly as possible to respond to urgent needs.”

Smowdon says they’ve been sharing information with local non-profit sector organizations about the resources available through Volunteer Alberta and Volunteer Canada on current screening processes.

“Going through some preliminary information with a potential volunteer will often reveal whether or not the volunteer manager needs to follow up further with a vulnerable sector check or a police check,” she explains. “The checklist and other resources are available on the Volunteer Alberta website, while the Volunteer Canada website has great information to provide guidance to volunteer managers on how to keep volunteers safe. As well, there’s information there on how people can be ‘virtual’ volunteers.”

Snowdon notes Facebook groups that have been activated to help out in neighbourhoods can also find helpful information on those websites to organize and help identify who is in need and how best to help them.

“There are resources like the City’s Family and Community Support Services, Family Services of Central Alberta, Women’s Outreach, and Central Alberta Refugee Effort who have established networks in the community and are communicating with people to see what help is required,” she points out. “In turn, Volunteer Central is asking organizations and agencies to let us know who needs what, so we can give that information to the community through our website and other platforms. There are dozens and dozens of community-serving organizations in Red Deer and we can all work together to ‘wrap around’ all our community members.”

In order for them to do that however, Snowdon says they need to ensure people are staying healthy and following the recommendations of social distancing, hand washing, self-isolating when required, and staying home.

“Our voluntary sector training workshops have been postponed, but we’re working with the facilitators to see how we can offer the training through alternative platforms rather than the typical in-person delivery,” she explains. “It will be interesting to see what impact these things will have on the non-profit sector, in terms of where we do our work and how we deliver it.”

Other issues for the sector according to Snowdon, include how to go about maintaining their legislative requirements.

“For example, it’s a legal requirement for some organizations to hold an Annual General Meeting and submit relevant information in order to maintain registered charitable or society status,” she exclaims. “If we can’t meet in person, how can organizations comply? The Government of Alberta is working with organizations in the sector to work out these things; it’s new territory for us.”

Another significant concern adds Snowdon, is the loss of revenue through fundraising and donations.

“If people are losing their jobs, they are unlikely to make donations,” she laments. “Likewise, the cancellation of special events that organizations depend on for revenue can be devastating to some groups. The Alberta Non-profit Network and Volunteer Canada and Imagine Canada are advocating now that the non-profit sector not be left behind.”

“The demand that is going to be put on the sector as a result of this health crisis is going to be huge,” concludes Snowdon.