Red Deer declares 2023 the ‘Year of the Volunteer’

Johnston said the city has a long history of strong volunteerism, as he himself donated his time to organizations beginning with the Rotary Club in 1996, Chamber of Commerce, Westerner Park, United Way, STARS Ambulance, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, and more.

However, he pointed out volunteerism has been on the decline across Canada, with studies showing 65 per cent of agencies have a shortage of volunteers.

He acknowledges this may be due to time constraints with the increase of dual-income homes, however, adding that families can take volunteer opportunities at their children’s’ activities like sports, music lessons, libraries, and more.

He also noted children do plenty of volunteering in schools, but tend to lose sight of the opportunity it brings as they get older and move into careers.

“It’s a commentary on our current society indicating people are becoming a little more isolated, sort of a little more withdrawn, which is a shame. It certainly was exacerbated by COVID,” Johnston said. “This is why it’s such an opportunity for people to pick something. The field and opportunities are so broad, and people can pick something and make their community collectively better.”

For 2023, the theme of th Year of the Volunteer is ‘Volunteering Weaves us Together.’

City of Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston speaks as volunteers from various non-profits gathered at City Hall on Thursday for the proclamation. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

Rob Lewis, Executive Director, Youth HQ, said last year, the non-profit was aided by roughly 950 volunteers who gave around 6,500 hours of their time. He points out that at $20 per service hour, that equates to almost $128,000 worth of time donated to Youth HQ for its mentoring, summer camp, and fundraising events, among other things.

“Volunteers are like glue; they keep our society and our communities stuck together when it’s always trying to fall apart. Volunteers step in and fill gaps that other people just can’t do. We have great staff but they have limited capacity and time so volunteers fill in those gaps,” said Lewis.

“They experience and they help create amazing relationships with the people that they volunteer with or for, they strengthen families which strengthens our community, they build lifelong memories and carry those memories along for themselves and pass those memories along to those that they work with. Essentially, they build a better future for the people that they serve through our organization.”

Volunteer Valdene Callin said out of her 9,275 days living in Red Deer, she has volunteered for 9,240 of them, beginning in 1997 with her time at the Red Deer Newcomers Club.

She estimates her personal list of organizations volunteered with is over 25.

“My mom taught me that if you want to see things change or succeed, you have to put your hand up and get involved. My dad taught me that he only volunteered if he was being paid,” she said. “My family laughs about this when I get home from my many evenings and weekends of volunteering. I always tell my family that I am paid which each and every experience by the size of my heart growing and that if I was to monetize that feeling, I would be a millionaire a thousand times over.”

by Alessia Proietti

Red Deer declares 2023 the ‘Year of the Volunteer’

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