Volunteering: The Heartbeat of Communities

Volunteering is a selfless act that helps lift your community up beyond its potential. It offers the volunteer a sense of giving back, social inclusion and involvement in making a positive impact in other people’s lives. According to Volunteer Canada, nearly 13 million Canadians contribute close to 2 billion hours annually to service work in our country. Regionally, over 1 million Albertans volunteer each year and in Edmonton, over 4000 non-profits rely on volunteers to keep their organizations running. We here at Homeward Trust are fortunate to have a bank of Edmontonians willing to offer up their time, skills, experience, and passion to help others without expecting anything in return. It’s National Volunteer Week, and all week, we’ll be featuring some of their stories.

Ben

Ben has been attending Homeward Trust events since 2011. He draws upon his own experiences in life as a tool to help others. “I volunteer because of what I believe I can put into it. You see, as a result of my own struggles, I’ve been gifted with a shift in perspective. Part of that perspective is the inherent knowledge that I’ve been given the gifts I have for a reason.”

Whatever reasons volunteers have, each has their own story, their own moment when they witnessed something – a connection that was made to the event and to the volunteer. Ben helped a young mother call to Brazil – a gift to her that was priceless and for Ben as well in his own way. “I have no idea what ever became of Maria. I do know that in that moment, she felt relief. She felt connection. She felt hope. She entered the room hopeless and found some reprieve. I knew then, and I know now, that I am eternally blessed to have participated in that moment.”

We hope that if you decide to help at one of our events, you find your moment.

Tanya

Tanya is one of Homeward Trust’s longtime volunteers, having spent time at 26 events over the years, from Homeless Connect, Homeless Counts and to our Homeward Walk Run. She says she had found something after her first Homeless Connect and was hooked. “I knew it was something I had to be part of.  I loved interacting with the clients one on one, hearing their stories, the struggles they have faced and continue to face daily.”

Not only has she volunteered, but she has also recruited 12 people who are committed to volunteering.

To anyone who is thinking of helping out, she says this. “It’s an amazing opportunity for you to help the less fortunate experience a day of free services. It’s the chance to give back to the community or maybe even make a difference in someone’s life. A smile goes a long way.”

We agree and thank you, Tanya, for all that you do and continue to do.

Candace

She heard about Homeward Trust through her church and felt it was a good opportunity to get to know her city and the people who call it home. “We volunteer to feel connected to our city and the people in it, they are worth getting to know.”

She has volunteered at Homeless Connect the past 7 years. While many say offering their time, skill and energy freely at Connect is a special day, for her it went beyond that – all the way to family ties.

 “One time that will always stand out for me, was the time I was paired to guide my uncle, whom I hadn’t seen in years and have always wondered about. 

We hugged, and took pictures, and caught up.  That was it for me, all of these folks are someone’s family, and we have the chance during these events to extend the kindness to them that their family may only wish they could.”

She strongly encourages anyone who is sitting on the fence about volunteering to make the leap. As she puts it the effects on you could be life changing. “Do it, 100%.  You may find you forge a relationship that changes who you are (even if it only lasts a few minutes) (and even if the person you help doesn’t remember you).  Loving someone who needs it will always be its own prize.”

Janine

We often find the person in the act of giving will receive something in return that enriches their experience and leaves a lasting impression on how meaningful volunteering can be. Active volunteer Janine Isaac explains it this way, “…volunteering gives me a more informative perspective in terms of how individuals are living and interacting with our built environment. In this case, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine for most people, homelessness is an epidemic that needs to be addressed and volunteering is almost the gateway to understanding how people are affected and which factors are affecting them.”

Janine found out about Homeward Trust after some research while deciding to switch majors in school. As a result of discovering the work the organization is entrusted with, she has since volunteered for many events including the Homeward Walk Run, the Edmonton Homeless Count and our signature volunteer event, Homeless Connect Edmonton.  

The reality of who she was helping hit home for Janine during an interaction with a guest at Homeless Connect.  “… we met a young man who was telling us his story about how he was living with mental illness and how it really affected him in terms of finding housing and, in general, feeling triple the stigma as he was a youth with mental illness and homeless. He explained that before Homeless Connect, he wasn’t sure where he would get his next meal or sleep the next day. This moment was pivotal for me because it was when I realized the importance and impact of volunteering and the non-profit sector in general.”

Twice a year, at Homeless Connect many important supports are offered for the young man Janine met and 2000 other attendees, including housing information, medical testing and dental and eye care. 

For Janine offering up her time and energy is a way to stay grounded to the events and people around her that share a different world then most of us. “Volunteer because you have the choice to… we currently live in an idealistic bubble that’s bound to smartphones and social media but without the filters and enhancements, there exists a real reality that is often neglected.”

If you are interested in signing up for Homeless Connect or any of the events Homeward Trust produces, you can head here for more information.