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By Alessia Proietti and Sheldon Spackman

National Volunteer Week

Looking to volunteer in Red Deer? You might want to visit VolunteerConnector

Apr 26, 2022 | 4:09 PM

National Volunteer Week is upon us and if you are looking for an opportunity in Red Deer, it may just be one click away.

“Just like the national theme this year: volunteering is empathy and action. If you want to prove you are a part of your community, what better way than to give up yourself in terms of time. In terms of the skills that have been built right into you,” said Erin Peden, Executive Director of Red Deer & District Community Foundation (RDDCF).

“Volunteerism is the lifeblood of community.”

The VolunteerConnector website has replaced Volunteer Central, an agency connecting volunteers and organizations for over 30 years, but closing in June 2021 due to the pandemic.

READ: Volunteer Central closing its doors by June 30

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While acknowledging it as a loss to the community, Peden says that residents and agencies nonetheless understand the need to stay connected through volunteering, and that the VolunteerConnector website has been successful as a result.

Driven by the agencies themselves, they can create ads, similar to the form of job postings, for their volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can then put in their postal code to find nearby agencies looking for help. Each posting contains the title of the position, job and agency description, and time commitment needed.

“Every time I go onto the site, I see that there are more volunteer opportunities; everything from being a research specialist in your spare time to volunteering for the Highland Games coming up. I would say that there are an enormous amount of volunteer opportunities,” she said.

Peden says not only are volunteers relied on in the community, but the act provides benefits to the volunteers themselves.

“It perpetuates the connection between seniors and the youth. When you’ve been working at home for so long, to be able to get into the community and recognize how needed you are. To feel needed. To feel as though you have a place within this community,” she said.

In honor of Volunteer Central, the RDDCF along with the Volunteer Central Board of Directors has announced a new grant opportunity in support of volunteerism in central Alberta. After its closing, the agency decided to endow the remainder of their assets to RDDCF to be distributed yearly through the grant.

The “Volunteer Central Legacy Grant” will be awarded to agencies looking to improve their internal development and sustainability of volunteerism.

Beginning in 2023, applications will be open from January to March with the grant being given during National Volunteer Week in April.

The 2022 National Volunteer Week runs from April 24-30.

“Volunteerism is the essence of community. We need each other. We need to rely on each other and, you know what, we need to be needed,” said Peden.

The RDDCF receives and manages donations, like a community savings account, to invest in projects, programs and organizations in central Alberta. Serving central Alberta for over 30 years, it supports over 140 funds with $16.4 million in pooled assets.