Persuading St. Albertans to donate their time to worthy causes will be a key goal for many community groups this weekend, and the timing is perfect as the season of giving gets underway.
The Volunteer Fair is a critical recruitment tool for the more than 40 organizations that will be represented at Servus Credit Union Place on Nov. 17.
The fair, in its 11th year, allows non-profits to tout their programs and services in a bid to boost the number of volunteers on whom they can rely.
The event also gives prospective volunteers insight into the numerous opportunities that exist within St. Albert and the surrounding area.
Getting residents to make a commitment is an ongoing challenge, though, since many residents face a daily time crunch as they do their best to juggle work and family obligations on top of children’s school and sports activities.
Setting aside several hours every week, or every month, to aid service groups is not always high on the priority list.
“I wish I could help out more,” St. Albert resident Barbara Delorme told the Gazette as she prepared to shop for Christmas gifts at Costco Thursday evening. “But my family has so much on the go all the time, I just don’t know how I can make a long-term commitment right now.”
The dilemma faced by Delorme, and others in a similar position, puts a lot of pressure on the existing pool of local volunteers. They can become burned out if there isn’t an influx of new faces to assist with a variety of initiatives including those for the needy, disabled, ill children, domestic violence victims and seniors.
According to an official at the Community Information and Volunteer Centre, volunteers offer an average of 5,385,450 million hours’ worth of time, service and caring every year just to St. Albert.
The number is impressive and demonstrates how valuable a reliable core of volunteers is to this city.
But it’s important St. Albert’s volunteer base continues to grow, and that will only occur when more residents are willing to step up and give back to their community.
Every citizen must be willing to do their part to improve the quality of life for others.
It can be as simple as donating a few hours to assist with seasonal projects, including the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle campaign that got underway on Nov. 13.
On Wednesday, Salvation Army Maj. Terry Cook promoted the kickoff of the annual fundraiser at the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon.
Cook encouraged those in attendance to sign up to collect donations at kettles set up at locations throughout the city.
“We’d appreciate any help you can give,” he told the crowd.
That’s a sentiment that will be expressed often during the volunteer fair as visitors wander from each community group’s booth on the lower mezzanine level of Servus Place.
Hopefully it is a message that will resonate with St. Albertans and result in an overwhelming show of altruism that will carry through this festive season and into the new year.
