Volunteers make communities

They work in schools, churches and hospitals, in hockey arenas and soccer fields. They teach music and promote the arts, foster leadership skills and coach sports. No matter where they give their time, everyday in so many ways volunteers make communities better.

Volunteers Make Communities is the theme of this year�s National Volunteer Week, which runs from April 27- May 3.

"It�s certainly an appropriate theme," said Gerald Smith, Minister of Health and Community Services and lead minister for the Strategic Social Plan (SSP). "The SSP recognizes that communities are better and stronger when people are actively involved in them. Everyone benefits when people get involved their communities. It�s a way to gain and give experience."

Newfoundland and Labrador has approximately 138,000 volunteers, donating more time to volunteering than anyone else in the country. In 2000, according to Statistics Canada, people gave an average of 206 hours to volunteer work.

From the Ground Up, a report on social and economic well-being in the province, available at www.gov.nl.ca/ssp , says that Newfoundland and Labrador has over 4,000 volunteer organizations. It also points out that young people are also volunteering; about 45 per cent of girls and 35 per cent of boys in Grade 6, and about 45 per cent of girls and 29 per cent of boys in Grade 12 volunteered at least one hour per week in 2000.

But Statistics Canada figures show that since 1997, the number of volunteers across the country, including Newfoundland and Labrador, has dropped.

As noted in this year�s Speech from the Throne, government will be working with the voluntary, community-based sector to develop an action plan that addresses long-term goals in this vital area.

Across the province, SSP steering committees recognize the important role that volunteers play in building strong communities. They support volunteer development in many ways, facilitating skills building and training workshops, bringing people together to establish volunteer networks, and celebrating the contributions of volunteers through special events. They work in partnership with many organizations, including the Community Services Council, to support volunteers in their communities.

"We know that having a strong core of volunteers is important to the life of the province," said Minister Smith. "We are a much better, much richer place when people come together to help others and support community life, so I encourage everyone to get involved and stay involved, whether you coach sports, help people with disabilities, care for the elderly or lead a troupe of girl guides."

For more information on the SSP, check out www.gov.nl.ca/ssp. You can also find a wealth of resources for volunteers and volunteer organizations at www.envision.ca, an on-line service of the Community Services Council.

Media contact: Marcia Porter, SSP Communications, (709) 729-0175.

2003 04 23                                       4:10 p.m.