Volunteer validation

August 20, 2014 · 0 Comments

At Fiddlefest on August 10th, Greg and Heather Holmes, of Homes Appliances and Music Shop, received the well deserved honour of the Paul Harris Award from the Rotary Club of Shelburne. Well known for the countless ways they contribute to the community, Greg and Heather are not Rotarians, but were awarded for “putting service above self.” The couple said they were “totally surprised and appreciated the honour.” The award recognizes Rotarians or non Rotarians that have made “an exceptional contribution towards improving life in the area,” with the intent of encouraging others to do the same.
Two days earlier, while manning the door of the Fiddlefest Barn Dance that she and Greg helped to organize with the Rotarians, Heather Holmes suggested that the Free Press write an article on volunteerism. For over 60 years the volunteers of the Rotary Club have put Shelburne on the map with the Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Competition. Heather worriedly swept her arm across the Fiddlefest arena, indicating all the work that had gone on to entertain so many people, “Who will do this when they (the Rotarians) are gone?” she asked. She was voicing her concern for an aging and endangered species: volunteers.
Heather is not alone in her concern, service clubs, events, fair boards, arts and humanitarian organizations struggle to find the new volunteer support essential to carry out worthy endeavours. And yet, the impact of these groups can be what holds a community together, making it a better place to live, work and raise children. The effect of fundraising for social, health and humanitarian causes, even in a small community, can have a ripple effect that is felt around the world.
Volunteering is a benefit that gives back to the volunteer, expanding their social circle, revealing hidden talents, boosting their skills, contributing to mental and physical health, and even advancing careers. “People ask us why we do so much volunteering,” said Greg, “I tell them, because it is fun and personally rewarding to work with others.” In dollars and cents, the average volunteer is worth over $15/hour, saving municipalities’ valuable resources, allowing more money to be put into community improvements.
The Ministry of Education has recognized that volunteering fosters empathy and self worth, encourages youth to accept challenges, set goals and accept civic responsibility. Since 1999, Ontario students have been required 40 mandatory volunteer hours for high school graduation. Although, some might argue that “mandatory volunteering” is at odds with itself, and not really “volunteering” at all, the benefits have proven to out weigh the negatives, especially if teens have the support of parents to find a charity or organization that suits their specific talents. Kids can discover that they can make a valuable contribution and that every person really does count.
Despite the educational encouragement, Stats Canada still reports that a very small proportion of Canadians do most of the volunteer work. In fact 10% of the volunteers account for over 50% of all volunteer work hours for non-profit and charitable organizations. Many of these folks are contributing nearly 400 hours a year – that is 10 weeks full time work. You only have to look around at event after event in Shelburne to see this is true; Greg and Heather Holmes and many other “regular volunteers” – the Rotarians, the Lions, and the sports and service clubs will be there working time after time to the benefit of the whole community.
The Holmes’ wonder if Shelburne would benefit from a yearly volunteer information night, when area residents could find out about different service clubs, events and organizations that welcome volunteers. This would allow individuals to match their interests and skills to volunteer positions that would be both satisfying to them and beneficial to the community.

Shelburne and area has a wide variety of groups and organizations that require volunteers to be successful; everything from education, health and welfare, social and environmental justice, entertainment, sports and events, support for the disabled and elderly, to volunteer fire fighters and more. If you are new to the area, or new to volunteering, and need information contact the Town of Shelburne at 519-925-2600 or visit their website www.townofshelburne.on.ca. Below are a few organizations to consider when matching your interests to volunteer opportunities in the community:
Shelburne Residence Retirement and Nursing Home 519-925-3746
Dufferin Oaks Home for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities 519-925-2140 North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Task Force www.ndact.com
The Agricultural Society www.shelburnefair.com
KAIROS www.kairoscanada.org
Shepherds Cupboard Food Bank 519-925- 2600 ext. 350 Shelburne & District Fire Department 519-925-5111 Abiding Place Ministries 519-925-3651
Bethel Bible Chapel 519-925-3910
Church of the Nazarene 519-925-0560
Cross Roads Community Church 519-939-1453
St. Paul’s Anglican Church 519-925-2251
Trinity United Church 519-925-2233
Rotary Club www.shelburnerotary.org www.shelburnefiddlecontest.com 519-925-8620
Kinsmen www.district1kin.ca
Kinettes www.district1kin.ca
Lions Club http://home.interhop.net/lions/shelburne
Royal Canadian Legion 519-925-3800
Skate Canada, 519-925-6678
Shelburne Minor Hockey Association www.shelburneminorhockey.com
Shelburne Vets Minor Lacrosse www.shelburnevets.com
Shelburne Muskies www.shelburnemuskies.com
Shelburne Soccer Club 519-925-8558 www.shelburnesoccer.com
Shelburne Shooters Ball Hockey www.shelburneballhockey.com
Mansfield Minor Baseball 519-925-6678
Shelburne Minor Baseball shelburnebaseball@gmail.com,
Shelburne Red Wings www.shelburneredwings.ca
Shelburne Curling Club 519-925-2011 www.shelburnecurling.ca
Beavers, Cubs & Scouts graham@halkett.ca
Shelburne Girl Guides 519-925-3109
Welcome Wagon 519- 215-6808
Meals on Wheels 519-925-5452.