This week has been highly focussed on volunteers and volunteering, with the Kingston Volunteer Fair tonight (5:30pm, All Saints Church, Kingston), reflecting on this years Night Shelter and considering the future of KCAH, the nature and value of the work of a volunteer has been cast in sharp relief.
It’s one thing to donate your time to a cause or a project, but it’s another to give directly of yourself in service of people, to meet those people and see the impact of your actions.
For the time being, I’m sitting in the corner of the Housing Crisis Team’s room and as such I’ve met our regular volunteer team, all of whom have been with the organisation longer than I have, and they invariably share one major thing, a smile.
Whether through the camaraderie that working in this sector engenders, recognising the positive impact of their presence or simply via interactions with the people we support, there is a clear enjoyment and sense of value that comes from giving their time and themselves to support us and the work we do.
This message is mirrored at the winter night shelter with one volunteer stating: “I like talking to guests, especially when there are many of them to chat with. I think the shelter is running very well. It always feel calm and safe.”
We have a couple of opportunities coming up which will help you find your special “volunteers” smile. See below for more details.
