First ever volunteer seminar and fair announced

For the first time in Steinbach, potential volunteers will have a chance to meet with a wide range of organizations in one place to find out where they can plug in.

On April 18, the Mennonite Heritage Village will host the first ever volunteer seminar and fair.

MHV will host the event which will see 10 additional organizations come to take part.

Robert Goertzen, MHV executive director, said he and program director Jaysa Thiessen heard about the need from other organizations.

“It was clear to us that people want to know more about volunteering and having meaningful purpose,” he said. “They want to create meaning in their life and volunteering is an important way to do that.”

“We know that many of the volunteers at the museum also volunteer at other organizations, so we thought why don’t we work together,” he added.

Thiessen said she reached out to other organizations she knew were largely volunteer based and operated.

“Everyone was totally on board,” she said. “They said yes, our volunteers are incredible and we’re always looking for more.”

Thiessen said the event is great for organizations in that they can present what their needs are to a group but added it’s also great for individuals.

“It also gives attendees the opportunity to connect with organizations fit with their values, their skills and talents,” she said.

The morning will begin at 10 a.m. with a seminar led by MCC Steinbach general manager Dave Thiessen who will share the importance of volunteering for individuals, organizations and the community.

At 10:30 each organization will have the opportunity to tell their story and share what opportunities they have.

At 11 a.m. attendees can visit the booths of those organizations, talk with staff members and sign up to volunteer.

Thiessen said many organizations such as MHV have a wide variety of ways people can help.

“I’m sure the idea is out there that if you volunteer at the museum you have to enjoy history and Mennonite history in particular,” she said. “Of course, we have positions that are geared toward that, and we value people with those interests, but also if you enjoy serving food, we have a position for that. If you just want to welcome people as they come through our doors and process payment at our admission stations, we have that. If you want to park vehicles in our parking lot, we have (positions) for that.”

Goertzen agreed and while they aren’t predicting what the crowd size will be, they’re hoping people will respond.

“We’ve had a fantastic response from other not-for-profit organizations,” he said. “We hope that the public also sees this as an opportunity to do some exploring and connecting with various organizations.”

Dave Thiessen said he’s happy about the event, saying they’ve been invited to speak at Bible colleges before, but never to take part in something like this.

MCC Steinbach operates with 12 paid staff and 20 to 30 volunteers daily. They generate income for local and international projects, giving away about $650,000 last year.

“For every volunteer hour we have it helps us maximize what we can give away,” he said.

Thiessen said since COVID many organizations have been having trouble filling their volunteer ranks and he hopes the event draws attention.

Participants in the April 18 event include Mennonite Heritage Village, MCC, Eastman Immigrant Services, Safe Families Canada Steinbach, Steinbach Community Outreach, Soup’s On, Youth for Christ Steinbach, Helping Hands, Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue and the Jake Epp Library.