The Healthy Kimberley Food Recovery Depot depends on the dedication of volunteers. When it began its kitchen-renovation project, a new group stepped forward to pack up supplies: local youth.
Sarah, a teen from Kimberley, was one of them. “I enjoyed being able to help my community with other like-minded kids,” she says. “I think it is important for anyone who has the capacity to volunteer—especially teens—to do so. The more I take part in my community, the more I grow as a person.”
Around the Columbia Basin, young people are donating their time, energy and ideas to make their communities better places—and gaining valuable experiences in return. Many of these opportunities come through local community youth networks, 27 of which are supported through the Basin Youth Network, an initiative of Columbia Basin Trust.
Youth with the New Denver and Area Youth Network staffed the gate of the Hills Garlic Festival. In Revelstoke, youth with the Stoke Youth Network led the Adopt-a-Tree project, planting native trees and plants throughout the community and in Mount Revelstoke National Park. Here are more examples:
Volunteering Feels Good in Fernie
In Fernie, the community youth network’s Teen Task Force encourages young people to “build, create and make things happen.” Their activities have ranged from baking treats for nurses to organizing storytelling sessions and a Halloween scavenger hunt.
Scarlett, a Teen Task Force member, helped implement a menstruation project that placed baskets of free menstrual products in the Fernie Heritage Library washrooms. “It was a very cool project to be a part of, and something I am still proud of today,” she says. For her, volunteering is “a great way to make new friends, meet new people and help strengthen social connections in your community.”
Alana Minifie-Rybar is Coordinator of the Fernie Youth Action Network. “We are aways telling youth they are ‘the future,’ but volunteering, community engagement and participation help them realize they’re not just ‘the future’—they’re contributors right now.”
Building Connections by Volunteering in Kimberley
Lori Joe, Coordinator of the Kimberley Youth Action Network, also coordinates volunteering opportunities for youth through the VolunTEENS program, an initiative created by local teens. “When youth volunteer, the community benefits from having youthful ideas and fresh perspectives,” she says. For youth, volunteering helps them realize “how good one can feel when they work together to give back to their community.”
Casey and Imogen, both VolunTEENS participants, helped run an art station for kids at Oktoberfest. Casey says volunteering matters “so teenagers can be engaged in community activities, and so they can build a strong resumé for their future.” Imogen adds, “I volunteered with VolunTEENS to build connections and kindness within my community.”
Volunteering Helps Young People Thrive in Cranbrook
The benefits are extensive. Youth volunteers can build skills like leadership, teamwork and problem solving. They gain confidence, a sense of purpose and responsibility, and experiences they can reference when applying for scholarships and post-secondary programs.
“When young people are given the chance to volunteer, they develop a sense of belonging and recognize the value of their own voice and contributions,” says Brianna Richardson, a former Program Manager with the Cranbook Youth Impact Network. One of that network’s projects involved building a free library and stocking it with books that would otherwise have been discarded, promoting literacy while reducing waste. “Communities that welcome and support youth volunteers end up being friendlier, stronger and more vibrant places to live.”
