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Volunteer Appreciation Night
Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival 2005
16 July 2005
Volunteer Appreciation night held end of the Dragon Boat Festival at the Garson Ontario. Sudbury Crown Attorney John Luczak and On behalf of Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival Special Event Committee Karen Luczak  participated as a special guests. About 50 volunteers received appreciation certificates. Dr. Laxman Amaratunga, Mrs Nandani Amaratunga represents Sudbury Sri Lankans Association.

Volunteering touches every part of a community and is something that is regularly practiced by over 6.5 million Canadians. It has been noted as an important method for youth and other job seekers to gain valuable experience in the labour market. The 1997 National Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating found that over 65% of youth volunteers who were unemployed believed that their volunteer efforts would increase their chances of finding a job. One third of all volunteers believed that their volunteering had given them new skills that could be applied directly to the workplace.

With these statistics in mind, and with many secondary school boards across Canada making volunteering a component of their curriculum, Volunteer Canada, in partnership with HRDC and GAP Canada, developed a series of career awareness products, which are directed at youth volunteers, their parents, and the counsellors and/or facilitators who co-ordinate volunteering. These products provide Canadians with tools that demonstrate both the link between volunteering activities and real work experience, and the overall importance of volunteerism in the community.

Canadian voluntary agencies also benefit from these products. They provide added value to their volunteer programs if they can clearly make the link between volunteering and work experience. Because of the diminished support provided by funding organizations, many agencies now depend on volunteers to implement their programs. This participation from the community also helps to strengthen the capacity of these agencies to deliver their mandated programs.

Open-minded volunteers can immerse themselves in the daily routine of the host community and learn, first-hand, about the joys, struggles, hopes and dreams of the people they serve. While the service component of  volunteer work is your primary focus, it's also the conduit for cross - cultural understanding. Cultural immersion leads to personal insights you can't obtain as a tourist. You learn that there are many ways to approach everyday life by working alongside local people. And, you offer host communities opportunities to learn about your culture and ideas in a personal way. 

Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA) salutes all volunteers who support for Dragon Boat Festival 2005.