Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
Volunteer Fort St. James has one clear mission in mind.
It’s all about connecting community groups and organizations with people who have an interest in volunteering.
Fort St. James has built a strong history of volunteerism and today, they continue to rise to the challenge.
Coordinator, Dawn Agno says that Volunteer Fort St. James is currently undergoing transition but that the organization has come a long way since its inception three years ago.
“Although there are many groups that run on volunteers, we still have work to do. We need to get the word out and let everyone know that we are here. We are always striving to let groups know that they can advertise if they need volunteers,” Agno said.
Agno, who will be leaving her current role as coordinator is very positive when it comes to talking about the future of volunteerism in Fort St. James.
“We currently have 41 members from the Fort St. James Fire Dept. to the Stuart Lake Hospital Auxiliary.”
Volunteer Fort St. James began with a simple idea of creating volunteerism in Fort St. James.
The Stuart Lake Seniors Association decided that this was an important service and one that they wanted to include in their strategic plan.
For Chester Hiebert, vice president of the Seniors Association in Fort St. James, it’s all about volunteering.
“You can tell a community by its volunteers. We need to get this out there. It will only strengthen the community,” Hiebert said.
Volunteer Fort St. James continues to work with various recreational groups, service clubs and cultural groups in the community.
“It can be difficult to find volunteers these days but it’s important that these groups pass on their knowledge especially to youth and in turn this can be passed on to future generations,” Agno said.