To celebrate National Volunteer Week (April 14-20), a fellowship of SPLC volunteers and placement students gathered throughout the week for some fun and games as well as sharing and reflection. The theme this year is Every Moment Matters.
The week started with a Jeopardy Tournament.
The category is Dynamic Duos.
Here is the clue: This dynamic duo played an intense, thrilling game of Jeopardy on National Volunteer Week 2024 to claim the coveted title of SPLC Jeopardy Team Champions.
The correct response: Who are Janice and Margarita?
Janice and Margarita will have an opportunity to defend their title on May 9th with the upcoming Jeopardy Game Day.
The week continued with a Trivia Game Day. Janice showed that she can come up with the right questions for Jeopardy and also the right answers to trivia questions to take home another prize.
“I joined SPLC as an Administrative Assistant in June 2023 and it has been an amazing experience for me, especially planning out events and coordinating administrative tasks with Barbara and other volunteers. Everyone I have worked with has always been really helpful and considerate in every matter. Really glad to be a part of SPLC’s Volunteer Services!” – SPLC Volunteer
The week concluded with the National Volunteer Week ceremony. A group of SPLC volunteers and placement students gathered together to consider how Every Moment Matters when it comes to volunteering at SPLC.
They shared heartfelt stories, treasured photographs, and words of wisdom drawn from diverse backgrounds and cultures. For example, Margarita introduced the Japanese concept of ikigai (生き甲斐) which translates to “a reason for being” and Jey quoted Mahatma Gandhi to remind us that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
“I started to volunteer in the Home Project during Covid-19. It was a very interesting job writing inspirational and positive messages on greeting cards. It made me feel very confident and happy because when the seniors who live alone and lonely read these kinds of inspirational messages feel happy and moreover it’s like boosting their confidence to overcome stress and sickness.
I made friendly calls, when I say hello, how are you or when I ask them whether they ate or about some health issues they feel happy and comfortable. I have experienced that some of the seniors who live alone used to say ‘Oh today the whole day my telephone didn’t ring at all – I’m glad that you called me’.
Now I volunteer with security, checking our neighbours to ensure they are safe. So each and every moment matters to me and being a volunteer at SPLC really makes me happy and satisfied.” – SPLC Volunteer
Bowen, our high school co-op student, took in these important lessons from the back of this temporary classroom.
All participants beamed as they accepted their National Volunteer Week Certificate of Appreciation in front of their peers. For those who could not attend the ceremony this year, your Certificate of Appreciation is coming in the mail!
To learn more, please visit our Volunteering at SPLC page.