On Saturday, December 5, join us and others as we celebrate International Volunteer Day 2020 in recognition of volunteer achievements and the power of the volunteer spirit. Imagine the countless acts of kindness as volunteers share their time, skills, energy and dedication in support of their communities across the globe. Volunteers through their strength, persistence and passion exemplify Together We Can, through volunteering.
We are proud of our Betel Volunteer Team for their contributions over this past year and thank them for their courage and compassion. They have reached out to our members through regular telephone check-in calls and Friendly Visits over the phone; led virtual programs, keeping our seniors connected and engaged; and produced masks for our volunteers and staff working on-site and in the community. These are a few examples of what can be accomplished with volunteer support.
Our most challenging need is to ensure food security for our seniors. Thanks to funding from the United Way Greater Toronto, the federal government, community support programs and private donors, we are meeting this need. Now, more than ever, our ability to maintain a dependable and consistent team of volunteer drivers for our Meals on Wheels program is critical. When the pandemic began, most of our volunteer drivers had to put their volunteer work on-hold due to their own health or the safety of their family. Our challenge was how to quickly recruit new volunteers to fill this role. In times of crisis, people are motivated by the desire to help and we were overwhelmed by the support of new people coming forward to offer their assistance. This enthusiasm and willingness to help where needed has not diminished and over the past 8 months we have welcomed 47 new volunteers to our Meals on Wheels team. We honour their courage, compassion and caring.
Thank you to our new recruits and to our entire volunteer team!
