A new on-line listing of volunteer service opportunities is being created for Fort Macleod.
Resident and long-time teacher Rick Bullock received the Town of Fort Macleod’s support last week for justserve.org.
“What I am proposing tonight is that we find a way to make service more available,” Bullock said.
Bullock appeared as a delegation at the May 8 council meeting with F.P. Walshe school students Daniel Choi, Cordelia Yip and Tessa Muirhead.
Bullock started by referring to a quote from author and lecturer Maryann Williamson who said in every community there is work to be done, in every nation there are wounds to heal and in every heart there is the power to do it.
“We can always find need in our community,” Bullock said.
Bullock said his passion is working with youth, noting he started the popular FACES program 23 years ago.
“Part of FACES always is a service project and that’s a meaningful piece of it,” Bullock said.
Bullock said research shows that young people are deeply impacted by the service that they do.
The effects of service by young people include avoidance of problem behaviours,
Young volunteers also develop positive habits of social responsibility. and are more likely to be involved in their communities as adults.
“Obviously, that’s a pretty significant impact,” Bullock said.
Bullock then turned to his “rock stars” for their thoughts on service.
Daniel Choi talked about the impact service has had on his life since he started volunteering three years ago.
“I was really shy and really closed-hearted,” Daniel said. “I didn’t really want to talk to people, and I didn’t really care about them.”
Daniel said his life started to change when Cordelia asked him to volunteer with her in the children’s crafts program at the Fort Macleod Library.
“I think it’s really important,” Daniel said. “If I serve the community I can build connections.”
At the special development unit, where he plays music, Daniel is reminded every day that he can help people.
Cordelia, who volunteers in several places including the library and with the Fort Macleod Skating club, said service is important to her.
“I feel really connected to the kids I teach and the parents as well,” Cordelia said.
Tessa told council that last summer she was a youth leader at the Rotary Youth Entrepreneur Camp.
“I was struggling with a lot of social anxiety,” Tessa said. “Going to that camp where there was 60 kids — and I had to lead my own group — was terrifying.”
Tessa said she was able to help an introverted camper come out of his shell over the course of the camp.
“It showed me I could help people and I could give them self-confidence,” Tessa said.
That experience transferred to the work she does as a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club events in Fort Macleod.
Bullock told council that since service can benefit youths, it is important to connect them with opportunities in Fort Macleod.
That’s where Just Serve, an on-line platform and app made available free of charge by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to encourage service, comes into play.
“It helps link people who want to serve with opportunities,” Bullock said.
Community groups, churches and non-profits are able to list opportunities for volunteers in the community on-line.
Both those listing opportunities and those interested in volunteering register and create an account at justserve.org.
Projects are submitted for approval by an administrator such as Bullock before being loaded on justserve.org.
“It’s just a matter of making sure the project falls within the guidelines,” Bullock said.
Projects should not involve volunteers in fund-raising, have a political focus or be profit-oriented.
For a community to be whole and healthy it must be based on peoples’ love and concern for each other,” Bullock said.
F.P. Walshe school principal Chad Jensen is excited about having justserve.org available to students.
Family and Community Support Services director Amanda Lawrence has also expressed interest in using the platform.
“The purpose that I’m here for is to just get your support so the community knows this is a way for us to get together in a common place to post and a common place to find opportunities to serve,” Bullock said.
Town council passed a motion later in the meeting to put its support behind the initiative.
Chief administrative officer Anthony Burdett said the Town of Fort Macleod could help with promotion of justserve.org through its Web site and other avenues.
“I think this is a great opportunity,” Mayor Brent Feyter said.
