The 2018 National Volunteer week theme is “Celebrate the Value of Volunteering – building confidence, competence, connections and community”.
At Saanich Volunteer Services Society (SVSS) we value all our volunteers! Those who drive, garden, answer phones, visit, fix things, complete forms, answer questions and provide support. In all that they do the true value lies in the interaction between the people. With each volunteer job both the client and the volunteer benefit from the connection. The value in volunteering at Saanich Volunteer Services Society really is about our core vision of neighbours helping neighbours. It is about bringing people together.
It is well researched that social isolation is a major factor for Canadians and one that particularly impacts the senior population. The government of Canada’s National Senior’s Council has a Report on Senior’s Isolation that identifies that “The social isolation of seniors can cause communities to suffer a lack of social cohesion, higher social costs, and the loss of an unquantifiable wealth of experience that older adults bring to our families, neighbourhoods and communities”.
If you can no longer drive or you use a walker or are dealing with health issues how do you get out of your home? Who do you see on a regular basis? The volunteers at SVSS are here to help, to talk, to connect.
The value of volunteering in your community is it not only gives clients an opportunity to get out and about, interact with new people and feel a sense of independence but also gives the volunteer a chance to feel needed and appreciated. Making a difference in someone else’s day can make a big difference in yours. It’s a win/win situation.
The volunteer opportunities in our community are numerous. Volunteers give their time, their energy, their skills, their compassion and their understanding to the people and causes they care about. The value that they bring to the lives of the people in their community is beyond measure. The relationships that are made, the friendships that are formed and the smiles are shared, all add to the value of volunteering.
If you are interested in helping out, in building your confidence, your competence and connections in your community, give us a call. You could be a valued neighbour helping neighbours.
By Caroline, Coordinator of Volunteers