Volunteering …
… a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour for community service.
National Volunteer Week is April 18 – 24 this year and once again we are unable to celebrate with our volunteers due to COVID.
We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful team of volunteers, most of whom have stayed in touch through this pandemic checking in on each other and with the staff here at the Esplanade.
In keeping with celebrating National Volunteer Week, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for their continued support and dedication to the City of Medicine Hat, the Veiner Centre, the Strathcona Centre and the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre. To all the ushers, greeters, docents, gardeners, tour guides, archives & museum researchers, education volunteers, Meals on Wheels drivers, and many community group committee members – we could not operate so well without your help!
Our facilities closed for the second time following COVID restrictions this past December. We are still patiently waiting until we can open again, welcome the public back in, and invite our very loyal volunteers back into the building.
The Heritage Garden is nearly ready for our volunteer gardeners to come back. This is my first year working with the gardeners and I am looking forward to working with them and seeing what plants and flowers they grow. Perhaps I might get a green thumb in the process.
If you have not yet seen the Heritage Garden, I invite you to come a see it in full bloom this summer. Located at the Ewart Duggan House beside the Esplanade on First Street, it is a relaxing place to sit and have lunch or take a break from your busy day.
Also new for me this year, is the addition of Co-op Place to our workgroup. I am hoping that in the near future we will be able to offer many new, fun volunteer opportunities to the community at this fabulous facility. There are many exciting opportunities to look forward to as we get back to normal!
We really do miss all of our volunteers, they are part of our big family and the buildings are very quiet without them laughing and joking with visitors and staff. We are looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
Joanne Ellis is volunteer coordinator with the Esplanade
