Written by Stacey Dawes, Volunteer Management Lead, Family Caregivers of BC.
Our volunteers have made extraordinary contributions to support caregivers this past year and we want to acknowledge and honour these efforts. Volunteers are invaluable to Family Caregivers of BC and to our community.
These are truly unprecedented times, and thanks to the determination and selfless acts of many volunteers, our collective response to the coronavirus pandemic is something we can be very proud of. Volunteers create caring, collaborative, and compassionate communities.
During National Volunteer Week 2022, we celebrate the contributions of FCBC’s volunteers: their actions, their understanding, and their genuine concern for family and friend caregivers. Volunteering connects people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, expanding our views. It can build our capacity to work collectively and contribute to a vibrant, inclusive society.
This past year, our volunteers have:
• Pivoted to providing virtual support groups when in-person groups closed. Not only did they switch their own groups to online, but because of the huge need in the province, they stepped up to offer virtual groups for all caregivers in B.C., as well as a men’s-only virtual group.
• Provided insight into the needs of our caregivers during the pandemic and the importance of self-care. Because of this insight, our volunteers launched and
facilitated our Intensive Journal Workshop.
• Grew organizational knowledge by conducting interviews, engaging with other organizations to gather information on other caregiver supports for accurate referrals and providing a caregiver voice by engaging in research, surveys and committees.
The commitment and dedication our volunteers have shown in supporting British Columbia’s family and friend caregivers is something that all of us at FCBC will be forever grateful for.
Thank you for helping to make the present and the future a place where caregivers are valued, supported and recognized as partners in care. If you are interested in joining our volunteer team, please do not hesitate to reach out!
For more information, please visit the Volunteer page of our FCBC website.