*Guest post by Julia De Paz, TMFB’s Volunteer Coordinator*
This year the theme of National Volunteer Week is: The Volunteer Factor – Lifting Communities. From April 7 – 13, we get a special opportunity to celebrate and recognize the impact volunteers make across our country and right here in Mississauga.
Volunteerism is a very important part of being Canadian. When I came to Canada, 22 years ago, volunteering was a new concept for me. In Guatemala, my original country, volunteering is not as common as it is here. As a newcomer, volunteering provided me with the opportunity to make new friends, to practice English, get to know my community and make a difference in the life of others. Volunteering changed my life. And since then I have always volunteered in various roles and for various organizations.
Did you know?
Every year, 12.7 million people volunteer in Canada and contribute close to 2 billion hours to causes that matter to them. More than half of Canada’s 161,000 non-profit and charitable organizations have no paid staff and rely solely on volunteers. Can you imagine what would happen in our communities without volunteers?
In the last year, over 1715 volunteers have given over 5,898 hours at The Mississauga Food Bank to help fight hunger in our community. Whether you are sorting food, greeting our visitors, delivering food, thanking our donors, leading other volunteers, representing us at community events, or collecting donations in grocery stores… you are bringing us closer to our vision of A Mississauga Where No One Goes Hungry.
We can’t thank you enough!
As we celebrate volunteer contributions, we want to thank YOU, for all you do as a TMFB volunteer. Thank you for choosing to give, to participate, to make an impact. We are truly thankful for the generous gift of your time and as we move into the future, we are counting on you to continue lifting our Mississauga Community… lifting our hungry neighbours.
Happy National Volunteer Week!
