All-important volunteering still slow after COVID

Justyne Edgell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This week is National Volunteer Week, thanking all those who put aside their personal time to help others in their communities.

There are many organizations within Uxbridge that depend on their volunteers to function and serve their patrons.

Volunteering reportedly took a hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many organizations in a lurch, and unfortunately, it was many of those organizations that were the most in demand, like food banks, community outreach and service programs.

Here in Uxbridge, there appears to be a level of post-pandemic volunteer revival.

Service organizations always need members and volunteers to work in the community. Here, members of the Rotary Club of Uxbridge help prepare a thanksgiving meal for the community at the Uxbridge Seniors Centre.

“The COVID pandemic did see a decrease in our volunteer base,” says Sloane Hillis, volunteer coordinator for the Uxbridge Loaves and Fishes Food Bank, “but we were fortunate to retain enough of them to see us through the pandemic. We have recovered and now have a full team of committed volunteers.”

Not all organizations seem to be as lucky with a full return to normal. Jen Thorson, volunteer coordinator for the Uxbridge Public Library, reported that they still haven't returned to their pre-pandemic volume of volunteers.

“The pandemic did affect volunteering dramatically, and here at the library, we have not seen a return to previous involvement levels, although I'd say we're getting close,” says Thorson.

Esther Veens, program coordinator at Sunrise Pregnancy and Family Support Services, notes that their volunteer team also hasn’t bounced back like they had hoped.

“We were fortunate to have a few of our very loyal and long-term volunteers return to us once we were able to have volunteers at our program again. We had a few whose life circumstances had changed after COVID and were not able to continue volunteering. We have had a hard time bringing on new volunteers this year and little interest.”

Many local organizations say they see ‘volunteers’ as high school students who are looking to fill their volunteer hours requirement, though it appears that the majority of the volunteers tend to be in the senior age demographic; retirees with available time throughout the week, and some note that these are also the most reliable helpers.

“Most (high school students) are quite reliable, a few will cancel last minute,” says Ngaan Chan, Uxbridge Farmers’ Market’s volunteer coordinator. “Our most dependable volunteers are those who are retired, and a few that are still working and can book a Sunday shift. It's rare to have youths offering their time "for fun" or "for community," she adds.