Happy National Volunteer Week!

This year's theme, Volunteers Make Waves, is about volunteers contributing to making a change, no matter how small or big - the actions of the collective come together to create a wave of change in our community. This is especially true for youth! Although you may not be able to vote, or donate as much time or money, but what you can do in the moment is significant and contributes to the good of the community as a whole.

The benefits and experiences that a volunteer role can offer differ from person to person, but at the core - volunteering is a meaningful way to participate in community and get involved in making change. We sat down with a grade 11 student, and reflected on their experiences as a volunteer through their high school career:

What is the best part of volunteering?
The best part of volunteering is meeting new people! From the times i’ve volunteered, I made new friends from different schools which allowed me to have more connections with people. Finally, volunteering allows people to make new friends!

How did you choose what volunteer role to apply for?
"I have had many different roles for the different places I’ve volunteered. Last summer, I volunteered at a festival with my friends, we were selling pies! Another time, during Halloween I volunteered for the city for a kids festival. I also found a really cool volunteer role for a haunted hayride! We got to dress up and scare people - it was so fun"

What would you tell another student looking to complete their 40 hours? 
"The advice I would give other students looking to complete their 40 hours is to do them early! I finished all my hours in grade 9 which made it much easier for the rest of my high school years." Another great thing is to volunteer at places you find interesting! I waited for some places I had interest in to recruit!"

What is your favourite volunteering memory?
"My favourite volunteering memory is definitely when I was a volunteer 'scare-er' at the haunted hayride. I got to volunteer with my friends - our group brought so much food, we laughed we had fun scaring and we laughed until it was over! I made so many friends in my group and had so much fun scaring the people on the hayride!"

What personal benefits, if any did you get from volunteering?
"My personal benefits from volunteering were getting my hours early so I can not worry about it later and just focus on my school work. I also made new friends that I still talk to which improved my school life!"