National Volunteer Week

The National Volunteer Week theme for 2022, Volunteering is Empathy in Action: Volunteers Bring Heart to Canada’s Communities (Volunteer Canada), highlights the strong link between volunteerism and empathy. This profoundly human connection is at the heart of healthier individuals and stronger communities.

What is empathy? It is a quality that can help people relate to others and build awareness around different experiences. Empathy can connect people in ideas and actions and helps create bonds forged in common goals and aspirations. Volunteering can help us develop empathy, to see the world through the eyes and the experiences of others. It can connect people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, expanding our views. Empathy can build our capacity to work collectively and contribute to a vibrant, inclusive society.

Across Halton, we have seen the incredible impact that volunteers have in community. Organizations have adapted their services and volunteers have stepped in and stepped up. Throughout this pandemic, we have seen people supporting family, friends, neighbours, and strangers, people standing up to systemic racism, and people sharing insights on how to create a more just and equitable society. National Volunteer Week provides an opportunity to celebrate and honour volunteers who have given their time and efforts to deserving causes across the country, the region, and community.

In Canada, 24 million Canadians give their time through formal and informal types of volunteering, contributing close to 5 billion volunteer hours per year. The work of volunteers is essential work. This National Volunteer Week, Community Development Halton / Volunteer Halton will recognize some of the amazing volunteers in our community as we present our Cheers to Volunteers and Halton Volunteer Impact Awards at our Community Celebrations.

We invite everyone to experience the world of volunteering by giving back to their community. As tennis great Arthur Ashe said, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can”, for every volunteer effort leaves a profound and lasting mark in a community and in a person’s life.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

Upcoming National Volunteer Week dates:

• NVW 2022 – April 24 to 30
• NVW 2023 – April 16 to 22
• NVW 2024 – April 14 to 20