Community groups, organizations, institutions, and other bodies across Canada are celebrating the volunteers that are integral to helping them carry out the work in their communities in honour of National Volunteer Week April 16 to April 22. 

Volunteer Canada, a charity that provides national leadership and expertise on volunteerism to increase volunteer participation, has made this year’s theme “Volunteering Weaves Us Together.” According to the Volunteer Canada website, the theme is meant to symbolize the important role that volunteering has in keeping communities strong and vibrant through collective action. 

In recognition of its volunteers, the Centre d’action bénévole de Cowansville (CAB Cowansville) — a non-profit organization that encourages active volunteerism and provides services such as the Cowansville food bank, medical appointment transport, income tax services, and more — held a special event on its grounds yesterday afternoon. 

Offering sugar on snow, a prize draw, live music, and good company, CIDI had the chance to attend the event to chat with CAB Cowansville president Dora Lewis about her experience volunteering with the organization and the importance of getting involved in our communities. 

“It started about four years ago. My aunt needed help, she was in an apartment living alone, just for house cleaning and these kinds of things. This was a service that the CAB could offer her at the time and she had what we call ‘friendly visits.’ The friendly visits is a group of volunteers that are able to go to these people’s places just to spend an afternoon with them,” said Lewis. “(…) When I finally retired and was looking for something to do, I appreciated the fact that service was available to a family member.”

Lewis knocked on CAB Cowansville’s doors and she hasn’t looked back sense. 

“Now, I’m president and that means several meetings a week because we have a lot of fantastic projects, a lot of needs that have grown because of Covid, and people getting older and needing more services,” she mentioned.

CAB Cowansville has about 50 active volunteers, estimates Lewis, and it’s are always looking to recruit more. 

“For me, being from this area all my life, I just feel that to be able to help, to be able to give back to people that could be our neighbour, that could be someone that I went to school with, it could be anyone living down the street. I think it’s important that we give back to the community and I can be witness to the good work and how we help the people that are here,” she highlighted. 

Lewis added that there is no better feeling than helping someone. 

“The fact is, I don’t think there is anything better for anyone to do than to go home at the end of the day knowing that you helped someone that seems to be in a situation where they didn’t quite know where to turn, didn’t quite know what to do, scared of what was coming down the road, and to say we found a solution,” she emphasized. “We do it as a team here, but we found a solution or at least the first step.”

To learn more about CAB Cowansville or to get involved, visit its website or Facebook page. 

Listen to the full interview below: