1. Volunteer! There are many ways to do this and there are many ways to find a place to volunteer in your community. Here are a few options: Visit Govolunteer.ca Visit Getinvolved.ca Contact your local Volunteer Centre Or directly contact an organization that has a mission you connect with. There are different ways to volunteer,…
I am certain that, had we all been listening carefully, we would have heard a collective sigh across the country on Monday morning. With the dawning of a new day came a dispiriting realization – the Olympic Games have come and gone. Gone are the action-packed lunch breaks, the eager checking of stats, the surprisingly…
Once again, Canada, along with the rest of the world, has been swept up in the Olympic Games. For spectators, the Games have taken over our televisions and pervaded our conversations. For Sochi, the Olympic excitement started years ago, with many countries bidding for the 2014 Winter Games in hopes that they would become the…
I recently joined the Volunteer Alberta team after moving to Edmonton from my hometown of Sarnia, Ontario. I attended school at The University of Western Ontario, and have experience working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector. As a newbie to this province, I jumped at the chance to tag along with a fellow co-worker on…
The value of authenticity when fundraising cannot be over-emphasized. I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Rimbey FCSS golf tournament. It was put on by the FCSS to raise funds for their Volunteer Centre with a goal of $15,000 and it was an overwhelming success with about $22,000 raised. In reflecting on why…
Last week’s random mass coffee donations that started in Alberta (and quickly spread across the country) said something great about our province. It demonstrated the genuine and selfless generosity of people in Alberta. Now, of course, that money may have made a greater impact had it gone to a worthy nonprofit organization, but that doesn’t…
Alberta has always been a community of volunteers, whether that is formally or informally. The last 10 days have been no different. The devastating floods in Southern Alberta have caused an outpouring of support and help; the Volunteer Alberta office even got a few inquiries from people wanting to volunteer. I wanted to share one…
“Volunteering is on the decline.”“Young people are disengaged.”“People are abandoning community.” I heard versions of these same concerns while delivering workshops last week in three very different communities. While on the surface many would believe these are valid issues, personally I’m not buying it. I’m not buying it because everywhere I go, in addition to…
Another year has gone by and the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta has reported on the quality of life in Medicine Hat and surrounding areas. The Vital Signs report and its findings were presented at the Medicine Vital Signs Lunch Event. At this year’s luncheon, Twitter played a central role in the conversation surrounding the…
I recently took a quick trip to beautiful Grande Prairie, or “GP” as the locals say, to give the keynote address at the first Non-profit & Social Purpose Expo hosted and located at The Community Village. The theme of the talk was The Power of Community. In the weeks leading up to the event, I…