Volunteers celebrated for Volunteer Recognition Day

Tuesday marks Volunteer Recognition Day. It salutes those in our city who dedicate their time to helping out in the community. Volunteer Lethbridge has been a staple in our city for 40 years, and they are highlighting and celebrating volunteers who make a difference.

Chelsea Eastman is the Volunteer Program Manager for Volunteer Lethbridge. She says that it’s important to highlight volunteers and give them recognition, “They’re the heart of our community. They’re the ones that are still out there helping our neighbours and businesses. They really help knit the fabric of our community.”

April 18th to the 24th is National Volunteer Week, and Volunteer Lethbridge has a big list of events that are being held.

The Volunteers of YQL Awards will take place on April 22, “We’ll be celebrating about 85 volunteers. We’ll be having greetings, and congratulations from our MLAs, from council members, and some key organizations in Lethbridge,” says Eastman.

Matthew Somerville is a 5th year University of Lethbridge student, and the President of the ULeth Humans club. During the past four years, Somerville has dedicated time to volunteering.

“I volunteered in my first year with the International Centre, I was an English Tutor for international students, and I donated my voice for VocaliD. I was a photographer for the Colour Fun Run in 2019, and I also volunteered for a bingo day,” says Somerville.

Somerville adds that volunteering allows for connection, “I get to meet a lot of people, and even the places I volunteer with, I can make the connection there. I think that’s really important.”

“A lot of people do so much good in the community without getting noticed, or even wanting attention. I think they deserve it. There’s a lot of unsung heroes in Lethbridge that definitely deserve to be recognized,” says Somerville.

For more information on the National Volunteer Week events, you can visit the Volunteer Lethbridge website https://volunteerlethbridge.com/national-volunteer-week-2021/