Volunteers in short supply as organizations mark national volunteer week

The third week of April is traditionally national volunteer week, a time when organizations recognize the efforts of those who give their time to help.

However, this year, and each year since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a noticeable difference in the number of volunteers, according to The Region of Waterloo Food Bank.

The food bank said it is still not at pre-pandemic levels of volunteers and it is always looking for more help to get the work done.

“We’ve seen a drastic drop and while we are trying to increase the number of volunteers, every year we’re still not at pre-pandemic levels,” said Kim Wilhelm, interim chief executive officer of The Region of Waterloo Food Bank.

“There’s a lot of charities in the community, in the province, in the country who rely on volunteers to run their programs…If we aren’t able to get volunteers, some of these programs have to stop operating.”

Volunteers are seen working at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

Karen Pal has been a volunteer at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region for the past eight years.

“I retired and, first of all, needed something to do and wanted to do something with some meaning,” said Pal.

Pal works mainly in customer service, greeting people as they drop off donations, and then unloading and weighing the haul.

She said while it is great to have a week dedicated to recognizing the efforts of volunteers, she can personally do without much fanfare.

“You volunteer because you want to and you believe in the organization that you volunteer with,” said Pal.

“Whether it’s the food bank, United Way or the cancer society, if you believe in it, then you’re going to enjoy it.”

Volunteers are seen working at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

The interim chief executive officer of the food bank said they are grateful to their volunteers and are always looking for more to help them operate.

“As a whole our volunteers contributed about 23,000 hours last year. Which is about the equivalent of just over 11 full time positions,” said Wilhelm.

“So that’s work that can go towards purchasing food that can be put back into our communities instead of having to pay salaries.”

Pal said she has noticed a shortage of volunteers and the demand for food is greater than ever.

If you are considering donating your time, she offered some words of advice.

“If you’re thinking about volunteering, don’t think about it too much. Just do it,” Pal said.

To find out more information about the types of roles available at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, you can visit their website. National volunteer week runs from April 17 to April 21.