“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;

 indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
–Margaret Mead, anthropologist

Per Wikipedia, volunteering can be defined as “…the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons….” This can also be termed ‘social capital’.

Social capital has been described as interactive exchanges between individuals leading to the establishment of networks, trust and social norms. This connection makes possible both organization and co-operation which is mutually beneficial, thus providing a sense of purpose for individuals and a connectedness which promotes health, happiness and wellbeing.

Understanding that volunteers themselves receive intangible value from their efforts, not for profits can better facilitate their experience to ensure a continuation or expansion of their gifts of time or talent!

Much of what volunteers bring to not for profit or charitable organizations cannot be measured such as their generosity of spirit or their passion.  We do know however  that

• 73% of all volunteer hours are contributed  by only 25% of volunteers

• 2 billion volunteer hours are donated each year

• 65% of teenagers volunteer, representing the highest level of involvement of any age group

• Volunteers who benefit from some form of support from their employer contribute one-third more hours than other volunteers

• The Yukon and the Northwest Territories have the second and third highest rates of volunteering in the country; residents of Nunavut had the highest rates of helping each other directly on their own (unpaid babysitting, providing medical or personal care, helping with taxes or shopping)

GBGH Foundation is very fortunate indeed to have high-energy and visionary volunteer leaders who continually work towards providing a higher level of much-needed equipment for GBGH through their focus on trust raising.  While fundraising is a means to an end for the Foundation, the trustees never lose sight of the fact that they are the community’s voice on how to best ensure that our Hospital stays in Our Home for generations to come. Next month, there is a week to celebrate volunteers….be sure to take the time to thank a volunteer and find out more if you are interested in becoming an agent of change yourself!

Please visit www.gbghf.ca to explore options, contact GBGH Foundation offices at 526-1300 ex. 3138 or any of our Board members directly (names also found on our website) who are themselves uplifting heroes!

​

By Susan Laycock, cfre, cae

Executive Director,

Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation