Q: Does the Resource Centre still need volunteers?
A: On the heels of the annual Sunshine Coast Volunteer Fair that just happened in Sechelt (we were there!), I’d like to use this column to highlight our continued need for front-of-house volunteers, and also explain how valuable these volunteers are in allowing the Resource Centre to provide the best possible service to clients.
Currently, we have a small team of dedicated in-office volunteers who support us at the Resource Centre. Specifically, these are volunteers who sit at our front reception area, and are the first point of contact for clients when they come in. They answer our office phone, book client appointments for staff, and help direct clients to basic resources while they await their meeting with staff members. When we have volunteers on hand to welcome and accommodate clients, our staff are free to dedicate their time to client meetings, outreach, and events around town.
Past and present front-of-house volunteers have a wide-variety of backgrounds. Most have experience working with the public or in public-facing roles; excellent customer service and communication skills; attention to detail; and a commitment to upholding values centred on diversity and inclusion, no matter a person’s age, sexual orientation, gender, heritage, life situation or otherwise. Our volunteers’ varied backgrounds often allow them to lend their skill-sets to us along the way, as various Resource Centre projects come up.
Additional backgrounds that are relevant to this front-of-house volunteer role include experience with counselling work, social work, healthcare, or experience working in social services environments. Computer skills are not required but are an asset.
We ask that volunteers be willing to commit to a regular two-hour shift per week from Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (with the option to commit to more if there is interest or availability.) Ideally the commitment would be longer term.
If you’d like to volunteer, please send us a current résumé, or a summary of your relevant work experience. As well, if you’d like to book a time to chat to find out more, we’d love to speak with you. Call us at 604-885-4088 or email help@resourcecentre.ca with the subject line “RC volunteering.” Over the past 31 years, we really couldn’t support the public in the way we do without the ongoing help from our amazing volunteers. And – if you’d like to volunteer a particular skill-set, but don’t know who to lend it to – let us know and we may be able to help brainstorm some worthy organizations on the Coast who would love your help.
To end this column: On behalf of the Resource Centre, our thoughts continue to be with all members of the shíshálh Nation and their loved ones at this time, and going forward.
Angie Theilmann is an information and referral specialist at the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, your community information hub. The Resource Centre is open Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are recommended to be sure we are available to help you. Note: on some days, we can book clients after 2 p.m. Contact us: help@resourcecentre.ca or 604-885-4088.
