��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge launches UVolunteer program

trevor.kenney — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 22:16:31 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Volunteer Lethbridge announced a new initiative today that will increase the awareness of volunteer opportunities for students in the Lethbridge community, as well as create more pathways for local organizations to access student volunteers.

Launched at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s annual Volunteer Fair, UVolunteer sets in motion a comprehensive plan that coordinates all the student volunteer activity on campus.

“It is formalizing that relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Volunteer Lethbridge and putting it into action, as well as creating an awareness and process by which students can get their eyes into the community and the opportunities that exist for them,” says Volunteer Lethbridge Executive Director Diana Sim. “It also is a means to get local organizations to consider what a volunteer might be able to do for them and open them up to looking at volunteerism in a different way.”

The U of L and Volunteer Lethbridge forged a partnership just over two years ago that saw the local organization move its offices into the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Dr. Foster James Penny Building in downtown Lethbridge. At that time, U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon recognized the many students who were already embracing volunteer experiences and saw the formalization of a partnership as a way to further enhance the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s presence in the community.

“This partnership has been very beneficial to both our students and the citizens of Lethbridge,” says Mahon. “While student volunteers gain opportunities to add experiential learning to the skills they acquire while going to school, local organizations are able to tap into their energy and serve the community in an even more impactful manner.”

Third-year management student Tiffany Herrell is the program coordinator for the student volunteer initiative, working in a co-op position funded by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Having started volunteering as a child with her family, it was only natural that she would continue to do so while at the U of L.

“I think the values of giving back to the community and collectivism are central to many students here at the U of L,” says Herrell. “It also really gives students an opportunity to gain skills and experience outside a formal educational setting. These skills can be very valuable because often times, students don’t have that work experience when they are trying to enter the workforce.”

One of the key aspects of the UVolunteer initiative is a module on the program’s website that allows volunteers to record their volunteer experiences.

“Currently, we have a large portion of our student population that is volunteering but they have no way to track the volunteer hours they are putting in,” says Herrell. “This will give them a tool to track those hours and create a history of all the places at which they’ve worked.”

It will also give the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ measurable data on the impact of its students in the community; something that Sim predicts will be eye-opening.

“I think a lot of people will be surprised to see just how many students are involved, and how many hours they are actually giving back to the community,” she says.

Students interested in learning more about the UVolunteer initiative are urged to visit the program’s website: volunteerlethbridge.com/uvolunteer.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Volunteer Lethbridge enhance partnership

trevor.kenney — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 18:07:41 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Volunteer Lethbridge are creating greater opportunities for student community service and volunteerism activities by entering into a partnership that will see Volunteer Lethbridge relocate its offices to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Dr. Foster James Penny Building in mid-November.

“This partnership will prove to be of tremendous benefit to the citizens of Lethbridge by providing more opportunities for our students to serve in the community as volunteers,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “It will also be of great value to our students. As a university, we have identified our responsibility to instill a sense of citizenship in our students, and this begins by creating a climate of support and encouragement for community engagement. This partnership further establishes that climate.”

The Penny Building's reception area will now be staffed by Volunteer Lethbridge personnel.

The U of L will give access to approximately 160 sq. m of space for Volunteer Lethbridge, consisting of five offices on the building’s second level. Volunteer Lethbridge staff will also undertake reception duties in the Penny Building’s main lobby, thereby allowing community access to the building and its amenities throughout regular office hours.

Many U of L students already embrace the volunteer experience and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has worked with Volunteer Lethbridge on a number of initiatives, such as the annual Volunteer Fair and through participation in Project Paintbursh.

“This is such a good opportunity for us to further establish our relationship with Volunteer Lethbridge because it’s a partnership that allows both organizations to better serve the citizens of Lethbridge,” says Mahon. “When the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ opened the Penny Building, a key goal was to strengthen the connection we have with Lethbridge and the southern Alberta community, and this partnership continues that mission.”

Volunteer Lethbridge will have office space on the building's second floor, bringing community groups into the Penny on a regular basis.

Volunteer Lethbridge began as a three-year, federally-funded project through the YWCA in 1981, operating as the Lethbridge Volunteer Bureau. It was then transformed into an independent, not-for-profit agency and registered as a society in 1986. Later renamed the Community Volunteer Centre, it adopted its current name in 2000 and is currently associated with more than 100 member agencies.

Its move to the Penny Building will enhance partnership opportunities with the U of L as Volunteer Lethbridge looks to develop specific volunteer activities for students through various programs, such as the Serving Communities Internship Program (SCiP), offered through Volunteer Alberta and the Government of Alberta.

“Building a resilient community is what volunteerism is all about. What we have to offer together will strengthen the volunteer involvement capacity in our community,” says Diana Sim, executive director for Volunteer Lethbridge. “We welcome the general public and not-for-profit groups to come visit us at our new location to learn more about how volunteerism impacts the community.”

Once in the Penny Building, Volunteer Lethbridge staff will provide reception for visitors to the building, schedule bookings of the building’s community rooms as well as operate a U of L ticket kiosk and merchandise centre.

The Penny Building currently houses the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s alumni relations and annual giving programs, the U of L Call Centre and gallery space for Faculty of Fine Arts students.

“By bringing Volunteer Lethbridge into the building, many more people from Lethbridge and throughout southern Alberta will get a chance to utilize the space and participate in community-minded initiatives,” says Mahon.

UNews - Diana Sim

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge launches UVolunteer program

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