Not everyone raises their hand when the local magician asks, “Can I get a volunteer?”
There’s a number of potential reasons why: they’re afraid of pigeons, they think being sawed in half would be embarrassing or maybe they just can’t trust someone who can disappear so easily. Valid.
But not everyone raises their hand when the Loaded Ladle, Dalhousie’s free lunch program, sends a call for kitchen volunteers either. There’s lots of reasons why someone doesn’t volunteer, but why should they?
Forge and strengthen community
Engaging with volunteer organizations can help people integrate into their communities — or build new ones.
Post-secondary education can be isolating as friend groups scatter and students feel disconnected from their new communities. Volunteer opportunities are the solution. Volunteer-run programs rely on people who gather to accomplish a goal. Therefore, if a student wants to find like-minded people who care about similar issues they do, volunteering is the way to go.
Through the good deeds of volunteers communities can be built or bolstered. Community centres and local farmer’s markets are just one example of groups that rely on volunteers to set-up events, schedule meetings, apply for funding and spread awareness. There are also student societies, local film festivals (like the Atlantic International Film Festival) or independent theatres (like Carbon Arc) that rely on volunteers.
Regardless of the scale of one volunteer’s contribution, when done with others, you can create real change for everyone.
Loaded ladles and helping hands
The Loaded Ladle is an example of what volunteers can achieve in their communities. If not for the Loaded Ladle — which describes themselves as offering “a free lunch program and community programs that critically examine barriers to food sovereignty, food security, and injustice — a lot of people in our community would go hungry.
Regardless of your kitchen skills, there is likely a role for you — their website says, “No cooking or kitchen experience required!” Still uncomfortable in the kitchen? The creation of art, guides and educational resources are other ways to help by being a virtual volunteer.
Put simply, a lot of vital aspects of our communities need volunteers to run: community centres, counselling services, shelter maintenance, immigrant welcoming organizations, the IWK Health Centre, the list could go on and on. Community is built by many hands, heads and hearts. Being the change you want to see is embodied in its truest form through volunteer work. That sounds cheesy, but it’s true.
There is no act too small
Even if you don’t have experience volunteering, you’ve definitely benefited from others doing so at some point in your life. Whether it was chaperones at school dances, participants in beach clean-ups or food programs at school, everyone thrives when a community is supported by volunteers.
Every helping hand matters in volunteer-run organizations, and even a few contributions can have a lasting impact. Check out volunteer opportunities that are temporary and interest-based, like the Atlantic International Film Festival or Hal-Con which run annually. They only ask for volunteers to commit to shifts for a single week. Alternatively, there are student societies which amplify student voices and interests that require ongoing commitments in the forms of treasurers, social media leads and more.
If there is a cause that matters to you, whether it’s local cinema, editing legal journals or playing cards at nursing homes, then there’s a volunteer opportunity worth pursuing. Building, supporting and helping our communities may not be a money-making venture, but it is crucial.
A guide to volunteering
Answer these questions to get started on your path to volunteering!
- Why do you want to volunteer?
- To support a specific cause or engage with a specific interest
- To get involved with my local community
- To make friends
- How much time do you have to commit to volunteering?
- My schedule constantly changes, so it needs to be as flexible as possible
- Short term, I could volunteer a few hours for a few days/weeks
- Long term, I could volunteer a few hours on it every week/month
- What skills am I hoping to use, learn or grow?
- General labour skills
- Cooking skills
- Financial literacy skills
- Conversational skills
- Visual arts skills (graphic design or other forms of art)
- Something else
- Now that you know what you want, where do you find volunteer opportunities?
- Societies and clubs at Dalhousie University
- myCareer Dal
- Volunteer Halifax
- Volunteer Nova Scotia
- Volunteer Canada
- Reach out directly to organizations!
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