Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1519806
VOLUNTEER MANITOBA One such initiative was the recent city-wide volunteer recruitment fair, the first to bring over 60 non-profits together. The idea was to get as many people as possible to the same place to learn about volunteerism, to talk with people directly, and have them sign up on the spot. VM hopes to make the event an annual occurrence. The organization also hosted its 40th annual volunteer recognition awards in mid-April. "It's so important to recognize the time people have put into building such strong, vibrant communities across our province. Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. We're also hoping that it energizes and inspires other people to get involved in the community and see the impact that it's had on different communities," Seymour says. In addition to promoting volunteerism, VM supports the non-profit sector through training and professional development. It offers public workshops as well as private or custom workshops specific to an organization. The workshops focus on three key areas: board governance, volunteer management, and general capacity building. "There's a lot of turnover and vacancies in volunteer management positions and at the board level right now, and that's a significant need, too. Volunteer Manitoba To find a volunteer opportunity or training or learn more, visit volunteermanitoba.ca. is stepping up to create mentorship opportunities to support passing on generational knowledge and working on changing the perception of being on a board, trying to recruit younger folks, the working professional, to offer their skills and their time to an organization as opposed to boots on the ground type volunteerism." She says there's a misconception that board membership is only for older adults well-established in their careers. However, organizations are eager to recruit younger professionals with different lived experiences. VM's Board Connect program acts as a matchmaker between individuals and boards looking to recruit. They also offer a workshop on the roles and responsibilities of board membership so that people can understand what they're getting into and the legalities. Seymour says they've also been working with organizations to reimagine their volunteer roles. "Recently, we've been exploring more social media and email marketing- based workshops that seem to be a big trend right now and a big need for the sector," says Seymour. "The skill sets have shifted significantly as well. With the pandemic, technology has changed significantly. It plays such a huge role in our lives now, so many organizations are looking for support to be online to keep their social media relevance current and updated." Manitoba 11