By Jenn Watt

Editor

April 25 2017

This is Volunteer Week – a time marked across the country to appreciate the work done by those who give of themselves for the betterment of others. We contacted a few local organizations that operate on the power of these special people for their thoughts on volunteers.

Volunteer Dental Outreach Clinic

How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?

Lisa Kerr: At Volunteer Dental Outreach we currently have five regular volunteer dentists who come on average once per month. We also have a denturist who volunteers every other week to help patients with their denture needs. We are very pleased that in May we will also have two University of Toronto Dental students who will be graduating in a few weeks come as volunteers. We also have volunteer dental hygienists to provide dental cleaning and scaling for our patients. In May we will also have a student dental assistant from Durham College helping us. Volunteer dentists perform dental work for patients in our community unable to afford dental care. There are also volunteer administrative staff who help with booking and confirming appointments for patients. Our board of directors of nine volunteers is also very active in organizing fundraising events such as our annual Golf tournament and ensuring that the charity is operating to fulfill its mandate to provide free dental care to low income residents of Haliburton County.

What programs or services are available at your organization thanks to volunteers?

LK: All of the dental services provided;  dental examinations fillings root canals dentures extractions dental scalings are all provided by our volunteer dental professionals.  Also without the work done by our board to fundraise write grant applications and recruit volunteers  we would not be able to offer any of our patient care because it costs over $90000 per year to operate the clinic. Our organization also appreciates many individuals who help as volunteers with our annual golf tournament which will take place in August at Blairhampton Golf Course and companies who provide internet and web services and snow plowing.

In a few sentences what do volunteers mean to you/your organization?

LK: The volunteers who donate their time and skills to help patients at Volunteer Dental Outreach mean that people in our community who cannot afford dental care are being given life changing treatment. People who are in pain and living on antibiotics and pain medications unable to eat fruits and vegetables because they are unable to chew are being helped by the dentists denturist and dental hygienists who volunteer at Volunteer Dental Outreach. Volunteers are the reason our organization has been able to help over 700 patients and provide close to $2 million in free dental treatments since we opened in May 2011.

Canoe FM

How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?

Roxanne Casey: 133 volunteers at this time. Volunteers are most noticed as on air hosts but we have volunteers who develop policies are members of our board do marketing fundraising choose and listen to music we put on our broadcast system decide on programming for on air listening record programming for themselves and other volunteers work in the office organize and execute all aspects of our bingo program. Our Radio Hall would not be a functioning facility without our many volunteers who record edit and man the sound system.

What programs or services are available at your organization thanks to volunteers?

RC: Our volunteers work together to train educate inform entertain and most importantly keep people connected in Haliburton County.

In a few sentences what do volunteers mean to you/your organization?

RC: Everything! Without the volunteers we would not be a functioning radio station. We owe so much to each and every volunteer and we can’t thank them enough for all that they do.

Volunteers are Canoe FM. Volunteers are your friends and neighbours sharing information to the community. As the station manager I am proud of what our volunteers accomplish each and every day and I am truly honoured to work with them all.

Dysart et al

How many volunteers do you have (approximately) and what do they do?

Andrea Mueller: We have approximately 170 volunteers. Here is a breakdown of what they do: 53 are on committees (i.e. Glebe Park Skate Park West Guilford Community Centre board);  25 help with programs (softball ball hockey line dancing basketball); 62 help with festivals and events (Frost Festival ColourFest Hardwater Festival Zombie Walk Explore our Lakes etc.); 30 are volunteer firefighters.

What programs or services are available at your organization thanks to volunteers?

AM: To date we haven’t had much in place to thank our volunteers. Through the recreation programs the volunteer coaches are offered a free registration. This year for the first time we are holding a volunteer recognition event spearheaded by the Recreation Advisory Committee. Our volunteers are valuable and it was time to recognize their contributions. Moving forward we would like to turn this into an annual event.

In a few sentences what do volunteers mean to you/your organization?

AM: Volunteers are an integral part of our organization. Without them a lot of our recreation programs committees festivals and events would cease to exist. Our volunteers dedicate their time to making projects happen within the community. They help with everything from planning behind the scenes to turning something into a reality. Volunteers in our organization bring smiles to many people’s faces and help creating ever-lasting memories. Our community relies on the volunteer firefighters to help keep us safe – we are extremely fortunate that these volunteers are a part of our organization.

Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society

How many volunteers do you have (approximately) and what do they do?

KHCAS: Approximately 60 individuals volunteered in a variety of capacities for the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society (KHCAS). This included volunteer drivers who logged over 544000 kms assisting children youth and families.

What programs or services are available at your organization thanks to volunteers?

KHCAS: For years Children’s Aid Societies have benefitted from the assistance of volunteers; individuals who have historically played an essential role in child welfare across the province. As a volunteer with a Children’s Aid Society you may be involved with driving children to school or to appointments offering guidance as a mentor providing your expertise as a member of the board of directors or agency committee or assisting with the planning or execution of a fundraising event. No matter the role each volunteer is important and their contributions are vital to helping Societies be successful in the work they do.

In a few sentences what do volunteers mean to you/your organization?

Jennifer Wilson executive director of KHCAS: We are so fortunate to be able to benefit from the generosity and expertise of the many community members who choose to volunteer for our Society. Their dedication energy and enthusiasm contributes to the well-being of many of the children youth and families we serve and we thank them for the significant role they play in the success of the work that we do.

Royal Canadian Legion – Minden branch

How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?

Judy Flieger: We have approximately 30 volunteers many of whom are not members. They serve and clean up after our lunches clean the parking lot and tend to our gardens. They help prepare for our Sunday euchre and run other functions.

What programs or services are available at your organization thanks to volunteers?

JF: We have three types of euchre two darts art lessons rug hooking meetings slender seekers meat draws every week memorial services birthday parties and several other functions served by our volunteers.

In a few sentences what do volunteers mean to you/your organization?

JF: Without our wonderful volunteers we could not operate and raise funds for donations to our veterans the community and the youth in the county. We also have a full executive board completely filled with volunteers. We only have two paid employees the remainder of the organization is manned by volunteers.

Community Support Services

How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?

Brigitte Gebauer: HHHS has over 350 volunteers working in a variety of capacities from the board and committees the Minden and Haliburton auxiliaries the Foundation helping with activities and visiting and entertainment in Hyland Crest and Highland Wood long term care and giving their time to the Community Support Services: driving people to medical appts delivering Meals on Wheels helping out at our adult day programs sharing time with people through our hospice and friendly visiting programs and leading our social recreation and diner’s club programs.

What programs or services are available at your organization thanks to volunteers?

BG: Some of our programs would not be able to function without our volunteers including hospice medical transportation Meals on Wheels delivery social rec and diner’s club. Our adult day and LTC activities programming would be far less enjoyable for participants and residents without those who generously give of their time to provide entertainment. Volunteers who donate their time to fundraising through the auxiliaries and the foundation are directly responsible for raising funds to support the hospitals and LTC homes in both Minden and Haliburton.

In a few sentences what do volunteers mean to you/your organization?

BG: For a small community the Haliburton Highlands have the cream of the crop of volunteers.   They have a great impact on everything that we do here whether it is in the arts community sports community social services and of course in the health care system. HHHS volunteers bring smiles to people’s faces compassion and empathy to those having a hard time essential services like drives to medical appointments and food delivery to those who need them. They also work hard to raise funds and awareness and support our organization through leadership roles. Needless to say HHHS volunteers are an essential component of the fabric of health care in the Haliburton Highlands and their generosity is greatly appreciated by all of the staff residents and clients of HHHS and the community at large.