MOOSE JAW — Community Connection, a local volunteer-run outreach program, is on a quest to find volunteers as it continues to offer its support to the bagged lunch program held each weekend by St. Aidan Anglican Church assisting Moose Jaw’s most vulnerable residents this winter.
“Community Connection is currently looking for volunteers to fill three different roles,” announced Crystal Harvey, a Community Connection co-ordinator. These openings include community support roles, cooks, and servers.
Support workers volunteer from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays, and from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Cooks volunteer from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays and on statutory holidays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and servers volunteer on Sundays from 4 to 5 p.m. — with time to clean up afterwards — and from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on statutory holidays, plus cleanup time.
“So, on Saturday and Sunday mornings, we provide volunteers that help create a welcoming and calm environment while they (St. Aidan Church) serve their bagged lunches,” she added.
The outreach program also steps in to plug a gap in food provision by offering a hot meal on Sunday afternoons and on statutory holidays — a time when St. Aidan Church isn’t available to serve meals and when no alternatives exist within the community. Thanks to an ongoing partnership and shared sense of purpose, St. Aidan Church offers its hall to Community Connection during these times.
Volunteers who offer to cook will be given a menu and ingredients and two to four individuals are required for the role. The menu features a rotating hot meal and anyone can suggest new meal options. Servers deliver the food and clean up afterwards, and three or more individuals are needed for the role.
Whereas cooking and serving roles are more easily filled, volunteers offering community support typically require some level of advanced training not offered by the organization. Two community support workers are responsible for helping to create a welcoming environment, building relationships, and helping de-escalate situations if required.
Community support volunteers are primarily responsible for building relationships, Harvey said. “(We) sit and connect with (guests), we drink, we make coffee, and provide coffee — that’s about it. If somebody needs (assistance), let’s say they’re having a rough day, we will help them connect with different resources in our community.”
Harvey noted that every event hosted by Community Connection welcomes the donation of warm winter clothing, jackets, and personal hygiene products that will be available to guests and volunteers as required.
Later this month, Community Connection is also planning to host a volunteer information night and a separate naloxone training event with a time and date to be announced.
“Volunteers with Community Connection find it (to be) quite a rewarding opportunity,” Harvey noted. “They get the chance to build relationships with a variety of people in our community. We have a lot of laughs and fun, and we also get to bring some connection to folks that may be feeling isolated or disconnected from their community.”
Harvey said that volunteer roles are offered on a flexible schedule and can include a single day, month, or every day, with no long-term commitment required.
To volunteer, simply email [email protected] and state the role you wish to volunteer for. A member will reach out to arrange a meeting to get a feel for the venue before duties begin.
You can learn more by calling 306-313-4576 or visiting ‘Community Connection’ on Facebook.
St. Aidan Anglican Church Parish Hall is located at 124 First Avenue Northeast.
