Gym Shorts: Volunteering fills your happiness cup
By: Kim Dixon
April 18, 2024
"Every Moment Matters” is the theme for Canada’s National Volunteer Week running from April 14-20. It’s a great theme since volunteers give so much to so many.
Volunteering is good for you. It benefits your heart and mind, and helps support a positive lifestyle. It’s also good for the community in which you live.
I know a lot about volunteering since I’ve been doing it for 50 years. I joined up to learn new skills, to meet people and to fill this entrenched-reporter’s need to want to know more. Volunteering is a great way to build on that. It became part of my lifestyle and helped fill my cup of happiness.
For anyone, especially young people, it’s a wonderful way to train for future jobs, to learn how to solve problems, and to work with teams and individuals.
I’ve been grateful for the opportunities to volunteer with a wide range of people and different non-profit organizations in Manitoba and Ontario. I also believe volunteering helped me be successful throughout my career. Most importantly, I think it helps make the community a better place.
According to Volunteer Canada, a registered charity providing national leadership and expertise on volunteerism, volunteering is a “fundamental act of good citizenship.” That sounds pretty lofty.
The bottom line is that every volunteer makes an important contribution. The sharing of time, skills, empathy, and creativity is vital to the inclusivity, strength, and well-being of our communities.
Volunteers are fundamental to healthy communities and to improving the quality of life we all strive to attain. You can find greater purpose and a sense of belonging as a volunteer by connecting and engaging with others in the community.
The neat thing about volunteering is that you are in control and can decide how much time you can give to an organization or group.
Right now, the need for volunteers everywhere has never been greater. Recent research shared by CARDUS, a research think-tank dedicated to strengthening the ways in which institutions can work together for the common good, showed there’s been a significant reduction in people volunteering. Certainly the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to this.
CARDUS reported that over the years, the average volunteer hours have declined; and the decline in total hours of formal volunteering by younger generations of Canadians, is having a profound impact on Canada’s charitable sector.
In the Grey-Bruce region, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer with organizations. From assisting with programs at hospitals and long-term care homes, to supporting the work of our awesome Legions, to feeding and housing Canadians or peer-mentoring a refugee family, to supporting your church, or joining Big Brothers and Big Sisters, volunteers are needed everywhere.
For example, the VON, a non-profit charitable organization providing home and community care support services across Ontario and Nova Scotia, is always in need of volunteers. One of its goals is to have staff and volunteers help people stay healthier and remain active longer, reducing the need for costly hospital and long-term care support.
Beverly Mulder, the volunteer program co-ordinator for VON Grey-Bruce, says the organization is always in need of volunteers to support several programs. It is currently looking to train volunteer instructors in Kincardine to re-start the free SMART program. SMART stands for Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together.
Mulder says the program’s goals are to help seniors maintain their quality of life and independence. The SMART program offers functional fitness classes in communities throughout Grey and Bruce counties, for older adults who may not benefit from traditional exercise programs due to health issues, mobility restrictions, and chronic health conditions.
VON SMART classes are led by trained and certified volunteer fitness leaders. I am currently in training to be one of those instructors. Volunteering as an instructor is a nice fit for me as it lines up with my goals of learning about fitness and staying active, while also giving back to the community. To volunteer, go to the VON on-line volunteer application or call Mulder at 519-376-5895, option 5.
Community Living of Kincardine and District, an organization committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, is another group looking for volunteers and welcomes high school and post-secondary school students. You can find its volunteer form on-line.
Also the Municipality of Kincardine has a special Volunteer Opportunities section on its website where you can volunteer for groups and events, ranging from the Kincardine Trails, Market in the Park and Cruise Nights, to the Saturday Night Parades and the Massed Bands.
Living a healthy lifestyle also means having a healthy mindset, and volunteering is a great way to support that. If you’re already a volunteer, give yourself a pat on the back.
I know from personal experience that volunteering definitely releases those positive endorphins that make us all happy and squishy inside.
Kim Dixon (in front) with volunteers from the 2019 Elmira Maple Syrup Festival; she was the chairperson of the festival from 2017-19
Kim Dixon (in front) with volunteers from the 2019 Elmira Maple Syrup Festival; she was the chairperson of the festival from 2017-19Comment on this story? Click here.
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