Volunteering is a priceless gift that our community embraces. It is defined in the Oxford English online dictionary as a person who freely offers to do something and a person who works for an organization without being paid.
National Volunteer week is April 27 to May 5 and it is a time to recognize volunteers who faithfully serve our community asking for nothing in return.
A recent survey reported that 45 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older or about 12 million people did volunteer work during the year and on average they contributed 168 hours of their time. The same survey said that almost 50 per cent of Albertans took time out of their busy schedule to volunteer.
Growing up I have always enjoyed volunteering. It is a time to stop and take time to help someone else. I was always taught to give back to the community and that one person can make a difference. There is an infamous old saying that says ‘If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.’
Each time you step out to volunteer you do make a difference and should continue to give back.
During the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards ceremony I was inspired by the stories that our young community leaders had accomplished. One winner organized a breast cancer awareness day raising thousands of dollars, another took time to read with an autistic child, some cleaned up after school and others were involved in 4-H or other local groups.
With these young leaders accomplishing so much at a young age they are sure to continue on and continue to make Ponoka a healthy and strong community.
Volunteers continue to help make Ponoka one of the best towns in all of Central Alberta. Not a day can go by without seeing volunteerism in action. There are so many community groups that contributed to Ponoka it is hard to list all that they do put in.
Ponoka is known for hosting the largest professional rodeo in all of Canada. Although for some in our community they do not count the days until the first chuckwagon rounds the corner, the stampede is a huge part of Ponoka. It is a disgrace that the Ponoka Stampede Grounds were vandalized. Volunteers take pride in the grounds and manage it. The residents of Ponoka should also take pride in maintaining the magnificent grounds. It was a senseless act of violence in our community that should be replaced by a random act of kindness. There are many ways that people can help repair the grounds that have been damaged. The most direct way is to help the RCMP with their investigation by reporting any information that may assist them.
The community should bind together to help resolve this issue and help the PSA with any repairs that are needed or moral support. As a community it is vitally important to support our largest attraction to continue to make it the best in the country.
Volunteering in Ponoka is a simple and easy way to give back to our community. I enjoy volunteering in town and I think that it is something that we should encourage our youth to do.
During National Volunteer week take time to thank or recognize a volunteer or if you have an extra hour during the week or the month explore some of the many volunteer opportunities that are available in Ponoka and join in making the community a better place.
