Communities all over the Okanagan have seen a decline in volunteers since the COVID-19 pandemic started, but KCR Community Resources is finding ways for people to volunteer socially distanced.
“It’s still really important that we keep connected during these socially distanced times,” said Dorothee Birker, communications and development coordinator for KCR Community Resources.
“We have a volunteer platform called ‘Volunteer Connector’ that helps connect people with their passion for volunteering and then with the organization that needs their help.”
KCR has come up with ways to volunteer while social distancing, such as phone calls to a senior, reading stories to kids in the park and virtual mentorships with newcomers.
Anyone interested can visit the Volunteer Connector website. It’s as simple as signing up with your personal information, picking out some of your personal interests, and input skills you have that you can offer organizations. Afterwards, you can choose from a list of organizations that are in need of volunteers.
Volunteers also get sent emails that match them with organizations that need volunteers. KCR hopes volunteers can reconnect with those who need them most in the community. Birker said volunteers are needed now more than ever. There are still seniors feeling alone and places in the community with a need for an extra set of helping hands.
“Pre-COVID, if you wanted to be engaged with a community, then you volunteered — and you should continue to volunteer,” Birker explained. “We all want to make impact, we all want to make a difference in somebody’s world and through volunteering, you can do that.”
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