A couple of weeks ago, I did something interesting that I don鈥檛 often get to do as a reporter. I set aside my pen, pad and camera and instead of being the observer of a phenomenon taking place in the city, I became a听 participant. I volunteered with the Warm Welcome shelter.
I did so for a number of reasons. When you write about something several times over the course of a year, particularly something as beneficial to our community as the shelter, it鈥檚 only inevitable when learning so much about it and how it works, that your curiosity grows.
Learning about it through the interviews and research I did made it clear to me that there was, and continues to be, a need for volunteers at the shelter. That really got under my skin this year, and instead of making up reasons why I couldn鈥檛, I decided this was the year I was going to be part of the solution. I decided to roll up my sleeves and help out, rather than stand on the sidelines wringing my hands over a problem only to do nothing to rectify it.
鈥淲hat the heck,鈥� I thought when a friend of mine said she was going to volunteer shortly after I considered doing so myself, 鈥淚 should do that too.鈥澨�
Up to that point, I hadn鈥檛 volunteered for anything since living in Edmonton, and at the very least, it gave me a break from whichever season of the Walking Dead I was watching at the time.
I saw the local need for the shelter as soon as I started. I鈥檓 not going to say who was there, nor will I say how many people were there, but what I will say is that I saw how important it is that a local resource like Warm Welcome is available locally in those who need it. When people are calling up and asking about a program like the Warm Welcome shelter weeks in advance of its opening, that is a clear indication that it ought to be open.
The need might not be as great this year as it has been in previous years, but even a small amount of need justifies having it in place. Even if there are only a few people actually availing themselves of its services, those people are avoiding a far, far uglier alternative, in what is looking increasingly like a break in the pattern of unusually warm winters we鈥檝e seen over the last couple of years.
No matter how small or large the need, it鈥檚 imperative that communities like Estevan have shelters like Warm Welcome, and a continuing strong sense of volunteerism. It takes so little to volunteer, but it ends up meaning so much at the end of the day. There鈥檚 no trick or knack to it鈥攏o special credentials or skills required to do it. Just a bit of compassion and sometimes, a good listening ear.
The most that is expected of you is to be able to hold a conversation, and do some peremptory sweeping and tidying. The biggest challenge I faced when I volunteered was keeping my voice down when everyone had gone to bed.
One of the most striking things you become aware of when you volunteer anywhere is the immense levels of gratitude.I saw that in spades at the Warm Welcome shelter. Every guest I鈥檝e met has shown an abundance of gratitude to the volunteers, to the people in charge who put the whole thing together, to the Salvation Army and St. Paul鈥檚 United Church for providing a berth for people to come in from that bitter cold, warm up and have a good old fashioned conversation.
Even local organizations and businesses do so much for the shelter and the people who avail themselves of its service. On my first night volunteering, I was astounded by the tremendous amount of food, alone donated to the shelter.听
Suffice to say, I felt awfully good about doing what I did, and along the way met some really good people. So now let me put the ball in your court in conclusion. What do you have to lose? If you have some free time and want to lend a helping hand, drop by and give it a shot.听
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