Lessons learned from 800+ eager volunteers
On May 6, Peterborough Square came alive with the voices of hundreds of volunteers at the Meet Your Match event. It gave more than 30 groups the chance to meet face to face with people ready and willing to give their time.
It’s amazing how an in-person experience changes the dynamics for a prospective volunteer. Organizers saw visitors’ confidence blossom as they talked one-on-one with volunteer coordinators throughout the day.
While the flood of interest speaks to humans’ interests in contributing to their communities, understanding the motivation of individual visitors tells us even more.
One shy Trent University student showed up with her resume, intent on impressing a group to take her aboard as their treasurer. Within minutes, she had found the Kawartha Komets, a special needs hockey league, who needed her precise skills.
A college student in social work wanted to put his skills into practice before he graduated. As soon as he engaged in conversation about his desire to help people, a wide smile spread across his face. As a recent arrival to Peterborough, he was grateful to have multiple groups in one place so he could easily shop around for the best fit for him.
Working with older volunteers
An older woman still grieving her late mother wanted to work with other seniors. Yet, a man in the same position wanted to completely different role – hopefully with animals.
A recent retiree with an interest in ecology was fascinated to learn he could taxi around injured and recovered turtles. Before he arrived, he had no idea the impact the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre’s volunteers have on restoring these creatures to their specific habitats.
A young man shrugged hesitantly as he described how he wanted to find a way to educate others about climate change. Within minutes, he was engrossed with the For Our Grandchildren advocacy group.
Another woman arrived with no idea who she wanted to work with. After a few key questions at the welcome desk, she had a short list of groups in mind and headed off to meet each one.
A man with an interest in history connected with the United Empire Loyalists. That is, once recruiter Ken Spry found a moment away from the selfies he took with countless high school students with his collection of tricorn hats.
Another woman had just ended a volunteer gig and wanted something fresh and new. Each person has their own story, interests and gifts to share. We simply offer them a place to do so.
Success stories
At the end of the event, volunteer coordinators said they had more deep conversations than in past years. Most walked away with sheets of filled sign-up sheets after calling to get more delivered as they ran short halfway through the day.
Meet Your Match also welcomed busloads of high school students from Crestwood Secondary School, Adam Scott Collegiate and Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School. We thank the teachers who put in the extra effort to organize their visits and Hamilton Bus Lines for donating their transportation.
For students looking for community hours, watch for school bus icons on listings on VolunteerPeterborough.ca. Here are a few:
We also thank the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough for continually supporting our work, including this event.
It is obvious that volunteers get a lot of satisfaction from helping non-profits do their work more effectively.
Now that this annual event is over, we invite prospective volunteers to continue to look for new opportunities on VolunteerPeterborough.ca. And we welcome new groups to join Meet Your Match in 2027.
Together, we all create a stronger, more closeknit community where fewer people get left behind.
Responses