Today, we would to introduce you to Rhonda from the Town of Pincher Creek, who answered questions regarding her community, National Volunteer Week, and more!
Get to Know Rhonda: Rhonda is the Recreation Programmer for the Town of Pincher Creek. Her main role is to support community events, and her department as a whole organizes recreational and cultural activities. She expresses immeasurable gratitude for the volunteers in her community, highlighting that they support “a lot of programming and events that take place.” Many activities, including hockey, soccer, the rodeo, and parades, are made possible through their contributions.
A Background of Pincher Creek: The town of Pincher Creek is located in southern Alberta along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, about an hour from Lethbridge. The land it sits on is some of the windiest in Alberta, earning its nickname of the “Wind Capital of Canada.” It has a population of just under 4,000 with over 80+ volunteer groups and organizations that they are grateful to have in support of their community.
National Week Celebrations: Pincher Creek annually participates in National Volunteer Week to recognize volunteers and their contributions with a supper. Rhonda recounts a highlight from the 2024 dinner they held:
“Our special moment was when our volunteers attended the Come ‘n’ Go Dinner. They were given ‘I am a Volunteer’ buttons and were identified by the organization they volunteered for. This sparked conversation amongst themselves, telling stories about their volunteer adventures and what they do, and this also piqued the interest of others that this might be something they want to do also. Win-Win for everyone.”
In addition to the dinner, they also featured volunteers on the Town of Pincher Creek’s social media platforms to celebrate their efforts. And they didn’t stop there – local media did recognition articles and pictures of volunteers in action to showcase the important work that volunteers do in the community. Multiple businesses also sponsored ads to celebrate and thank the many volunteers of Pincher Creek.
During the week, the community also hosted its annual Volunteer Fair at the Ranchland Mall. Rhonda explained the impact that this additional event holds:
“The Volunteer Recruitment Fair provided an opportunity to showcase the volunteer opportunities and what the organizations are involved in. Also, they always have new volunteers express interest and sign up for volunteer opportunities.”
How “Every Moment Matters” to the Town of Pincher Creek: The 2024 theme for National Volunteer Week was “Every Moment Matters.” Rhonda believes that Pincher Creek related to this theme by emphasizing their gratitude and recognition of their volunteers, in whichever ways they were able to contribute. They hope through their social media and local newspaper messaging that their volunteers recognize how much their time means for the community and the impact it makes.
Simone Michalski (She/Her)
Political Science student at the University of Alberta
Simone is an undergraduate student studying Political Science at the University of Alberta. She
has been placed with Volunteer Alberta through her CSL (Community Service-Learning) class.
She has volunteered with a couple of organizations throughout her high school career, but
currently looks forward to expanding her knowledge by working with non-profit communities in
Alberta. Upon graduating, she hopes to further her education and attend graduate school for
family law. Some of her hobbies include writing, sewing, cooking, and finding different ways to
give back to her community.