Staff at the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury organize of a wide range of community events, from the recent Community Clean-Up Day, to Canada Day celebrations and the Carrot Fest street festival.
But the town doesn’t have enough manpower to cover every facet of every event. The town needs volunteers.
Last year, the municipality sent out a call for event volunteers and for the first time hosted a volunteer training session. Anyone over the age of 13 was invited to register, learn more about the events organized by the town, potential roles and volunteer responsibilities, and to sign up for specific events.
Four Municipal Volunteer Training Sessions have taken place, the most recent this week.
“It’s something we started last year,” said Daniella Severino, the town’s leisure events and marketing assistant,
She said volunteers not only ensure the success of the events, they can develop their own interpersonal skills and gain experience.
What are the most important things they learn? “They’re helping with the town. They need to be professional,” Severino said.
That means showing up on time, being courteous and assisting guests, dressing for the weather and wearing their volunteer T-shirts. And safety always comes first, both for the public and the volunteers.
Lubna, who declined to give her last name, said she signed up for the training because she is doing adult education.
“I need 40 community hours,” she said. “ My daughter’s here, too – I thought we’d do it together.”
A handful of the new volunteers at this week’s training session signed up for the next big event in Bradford: Trails Day and the Mayor’s Hike for Health on June 9 at Scanlon Creek Conservation Area. They will be on parking detail, counting the number of attendees, conducting surveys — and giving back to the community.
For more information on local volunteering, contact the town’s leisure events and marketing co-ordinator Bethany Kuboniwa at 905-775-2162 ext. 5102.
