Photo: Contributed

Anyone looking to make an impact through volunteering can find their perfect opportunity at the 24th Annual Volunteer Fair at Parkinson Recreation Centre.

On September 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. over 50 non-profit organizations, from all sectors, will be sharing how they support the community and what opportunities they have available for volunteers.

“Volunteers are the life blood of any non-profit organization,” said Ellen Boelcke, executive director for KCR Community Resources, which is home to the Volunteer Centre of the Central Okanagan.

“For our own organization, we annually benefit from more than 352 volunteers giving over 12,000 hours of their time, making a significant difference to the participants we serve.”

The Okanagan Volunteer Fair has been running for 24 years and always provides fruitful connections for volunteers and organizations.

“We asked organizations how they wanted the Fair to run this year,” explains Boelcke.

“Overwhelmingly they said they wanted to meet in person and have a chance to really engage with potential volunteers. Thanks to the continued sponsorship of our partners including the City of Kelowna, Central Okanagan Foundation, Interior Savings, the Kelowna Capital News and BellMedia, KCR is really proud to host the Fair again this year.”

To ensure everyone’s safety, the fair has implemented a COVID health and safety plan and will follow all provincial health orders, including asking for proof of vaccination of attendees and for people to wear masks indoors.

The set-up of the Fair has also changed this year to facilitate social distancing, using both indoor and outdoor spaces.