National Volunteer Week

National Volunteer Week – April 18-24, 2021

The theme this year declared by Volunteer Canada is The Value of One, the Power of Many. This cannot be more true of our ESS volunteers. The value they bring and impact they make to the community members and families supported by our programs and services is immeasurable. Individually they bring their own unique skills and qualities to the work they do and the lives they touch. Collectively these individual acts of service bring large-scale change.

ESS currently has over 40 volunteers actively supporting our senior clients and their families on a weekly basis during the pandemic. As our agency pivoted during the pandemic, they did as well with swift offers to help in whatever way they could. From afar, they have been community touch points for our clients and families by supporting our many growing virtual initiatives to keep people safe, supported, well and connected from home.

Volunteers are making regular wellness and social calls to our senior clients. These calls help isolated seniors stay socially active and have a listening ear, serve as check-ins to see if our clients are in need of more support and to pass on feedback to ESS, provide pandemic related health and safety information and more.

Some of our volunteers have also been supporting our virtual group programming to share their musical skills by playing the piano and leading small-group recreational and social activities. One volunteer is a dance choreographer and yoga instructor who leads a popular weekly dance exercise class with our adult day program clients and a monthly Zoom dance party as part of our health and wellness programs.

They’re are doing such amazing and important work in our community.  Our volunteers have been an essential support system to our clients, caregivers and staff during the pandemic. We continue to be amazed and inspired by their generosity, motivation, desire to help in whatever way they can and who they are as people. They are indispensable and we are so fortunate to have a compassionate, talented, skilled and can-do team.

“What you have so generously given this past year, your incredible volunteer service, has been profoundly appreciated.

With the Pandemic, when so many seniors felt isolated and alone, your calls and support have helped them know how valued and important they are.

On behalf of everyone at ESS – and those clients you reached out to – thanks so very much.”

– Alison Coke, CEO, ESS Support Services

Read a statement from Erica Teklits, ESS Board Chair, in recognition of National Volunteer Week.

We have put together a video montage of ESS volunteers sharing messages about what it has been like volunteering during the pandemic. These were so inspiring to see and read.

A special thank you to ESS volunteer Fran, who treated our staff and volunteers to a fun and uplifting dance party in celebration of national volunteer week.

ess volunteer leading a virtual dance party

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