National Volunteer Week is April 18 to 24.
This year’s theme is The Value of One, The Power of Many, which is very fitting as it recognizes just how important volunteers are to the communities in which they serve.
In today’s print edition we have a special section dedicated to many of the volunteer organizations that serve Delta.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in so many ways and volunteering has certainly felt those impacts, but undaunted, community organizations have pushed forward knowing that the important work they do is needed more than ever.
Elsewhere in today’s edition we have other examples of the strong impacts of volunteers.
Shirley Baker, the Emergency Weather Shelter coordinator is a shining light and a beacon for hope. The EWS recently closed for the season. She and her team opened for 119 nights out of a possible 144. A 26-consecutive night run ended briefly in January before the shelter re-opened for 53 straight more nights.
This dedication to service and serving those in need in our community is amazing.
I’d also like to give a shout-out to the Delta Firefighters’ Charitable Society.
This week, firefighters launched a healthy snack program in cooperation with the Delta School District at several North Delta schools, with more schools in South Delta to be announced in September.
The firefighters purchase, organize and then deliver the snacks to the designated schools.
Funding for this program is coming directly from firefighters’ pay cheques as the society has a strong member payroll deduction program in which 93 per cent of the members donate every pay period. What a fantastic program. What a fantastic way to give back.
But the firefighters are not stopping there. This Sunday, 14 members are jumping on their stationary bikes in a charity ride challenge to raise money that will also go back out into our communities to improve the lives of others.
So to Shirley, the firefighters and all the volunteers in our community I say thank you. Our community is so much better because of all of you.
