Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough Bigs In Need of Big Brothers/Sisters; At Least 60 Children In Program Needing Mentors
/Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Peterborough (Peterborough Bigs) are dire need of mentors to join their organization as at least 60 to 70 kids involved in the program are without a mentor.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The number of children entering the Bigs program has doubled over the past year according to Brent Shepard, Peterborough Bigs executive director.
“It's an ongoing need,” he explained. “We found that there has been an increase in the number of children requesting to come into our programs and waiting for a mentor.”
Children in the program are entered into a waiting pool and get matched based on what best fits both the mentor and the child.
As a result of the matchmaking system, children can wait from roughly six months to a year before being paired up with a Big.
“Because we want the child's interest to be matched with the volunteer's interest, it can sometimes take longer depending on what volunteers come in,” said Shepard.
Shepard also encouraged potential suitors to join Peterborough Bigs, citing several testimonials from mentors who are getting more than what they bargained for but in a positive way.
“We hear over and over again that someone that wants to mentor with us will come to the program and want to give back to the community,” he explained. “What they always underestimate how powerful of an experience it is for them once they start mentoring. They realize how much impact they make for how little investment they need to make and they'll talk to their friends about how it's a highlight of their month.”
The program allows flexibility for mentors, as they spend, on average, two to four hours a month seeing their ‘little’; however, the time spent can be increased at the request of the ‘big.’
Children in the waiting pool remain active with Peterborough Bigs, with several activities offered.
Activities include sports tickets, event tickets, holiday parties, a children’s camp and more.
Mentors can volunteer online at Peterborough Bigs’s website.
Volunteer Peterborough Makes Its First Hire of a Program Manager
/Volunteer Peterborough had made their first hire in Geneviève Ramage to the position of program manager.
Ramage has a degree in Humanities. Since going live in September, Volunteer Peterborough has signed up almost 70 organizations and more than 350 volunteers. Photo courtesy of Volunteer Peterborough.
Ramage was most recently the Communications Coordinator with GreenUP and worked at the Night Kitchen. Ramage has been a lifelong volunteer in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough, Tkaronto/Toronto and Gurrumbilbarra/Townsville Australia areas.
“With my expertise in building sustainable symbiotic relationships and experience in coordination and communications, I look forward to building more capacity at Volunteer Peterborough,” said Ramage.
“Having an employee to liaise with both member organizations and volunteers will allow Volunteer Peterborough to move forward even more quickly,” explained Lois Tuffin, founder and steering committee chair. “We will be able to recruit more volunteers and pair them up with organizations in need.”
Telecare Peterborough has contributed funds to support this first staff position. They have two mandates: active listening for struggling people and providing opportunities for people to volunteer in their community.
“The Board of Directors was very keen to be part of a group working to increase volunteerism in community,” explained Merrill Graham-Alton, Telecare Peterborough’s coordinator. “Many Telecare volunteers volunteer elsewhere. The opportunity to volunteer in multiple places is very enriching for Telecare’s volunteers.”
Volunteer Peterborough is a matchmaking portal for volunteers and organizations to find each other. Simliar to a dating or employment site, it matches skills and availability with groups’ needs. All of these services are also available in person.
Ramage will work out of the Peterborough Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce offices at 175 George St. N. and can be reached by emailing volunteer@volunteerpeterborough.ca.
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Volunteer Peterborough Launched to Provide Matchmaking Service For Volunteers and Organizations In Peterborough Region
/An online portal matchmaking service for volunteers and organizations in Volunteer Peterborough was launched during an announcement at a Volunteer Expo at Trent University on Wednesday morning.
Tuffin was inducted into the Pathway of Fame in last during its 25th annversary under the Cultural/Community Betterment category.Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Volunteer Peterborough has been in production for a year to create partnerships to create the portal and matchmaking service. There are 50 organizations already available with another 50 coming next week with 175 volunteers signed up according to founder Lois Tuffin.
“We could encourage more of the best of Peterborough,” she said. “We could give people and make it easy for them to fall into volunteering and then fall in love with volunteering. That would be a way for us to move our community better.”
The online portal works like a dating or employment site that matches skills and times with groups’ needs with the volunteers. As of Oct. 10, these services will be available in person after an arrangement with the Peterborough Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
“Volunteers drive the success of large events,” explained Tuffin. “They also step up in times of crisis. Most of all, volunteers welcome new members into the community and deep in social relationships between people who have lived here their entire lives and those human connections have enriched so many lives.
Tuffin continues to explain that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for volunteers increased which helped spark the conception of Volunteer Peterborough.
People stopped volunteering and organizers shifted so they moved volunteer managers to other roles because they didn't have anything to do,” she explained. “Some of those roles haven't been filled so agencies no longer have as much capacity to manage their volunteers so we're just trying to help them so that they can rebuild that membership and get those teams back up and running.”
The portal has volunteers for both in-person and virtual positions.
More information can be found by emailing info@volunteerpeterborough.ca or calling 705-930-2613.
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Volunteers Sought For Cleanup of 30 Sleeping Cabins For the Unhoused at Former Peterborough Humane Society Site
/Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) is seeking volunteers on five consecutive Saturdays to clean up the new site for 30 sleeping cabins for the unhoused, announced on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of PATH.
The cleanup is at the former Peterborough Humane Society building on Lansdowne Street East. The first scheduled date is this Saturday with June 24 as the last day. Times have yet to be scheduled for the cleanup dates at this time.
The announcement of the cabins was made on April 25, as Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) has leased the property on a three-year deal to PATH to build the cabins.
The houses are meant to create a transitional living center for individuals in the community who are unhoused.
The area requires The City of Peterborough to rezone the area as ‘temporary use’ in order to build the cabins. They are expected to be built by 2024.
(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) TRISH CAMPBELL, PATH CHAIR; SUSAN ZAMBONI, HABITAT PKR CEO, KEITH DALTON, PATH LAND ACQUISITION WORKING GROUP LEAD AND JENN MACDONALD, HABITAT KPR COMMUNICATIONS AND DONOR SERVICES MANAGER. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.
Nominations Open for United Way Peterborough & District's Volunteer Award of Community Distinction
/The United Way Peterborough & District is accepting nominations for the annual Scholfield Award of Community Distinction; recognizing a local volunteer who has enacted positive change in the community.
photo courtesy of united way, facebook.
Since 2004, United Way Peterborough & District has celebrated and recognized outstanding volunteer contributions to the City and County of Peterborough through the annual Scholfield Award of Community Distinction. The award was established to recognize an individual or organization who, through their excellent leadership or outstanding contribution has demonstrated the ability to mobilize positive change within our community.
In 2004, Paul and Ina Scholfield were the first recipients of this award. The Scholfield’s have been long-time philanthropists and community builders– through their generosity and commitment, they lead by example, typifying the spirit of community building.
The 2022 recipients of this award, Jim and Katie Stewart, were chosen for their achievement, commitment and leadership in addressing community needs and issue, the impact of their efforts, their innovative approaches and success in mobilizing members of the community. They were put forth as candidates for this year’s award through an incredibly heartfelt nomination package, that was hand-delivered to the United Way Office by nominator Anne Marshall of Elmhirst’s Resort, containing 12 signed letters of support and further endorsements by 30 community leaders.
“Volunteers are a diverse group of people who create a ripple effect of inspiration and generosity. We are thrilled to honour those who go above and beyond in their contribution to building a strong, diverse and healthy community,” said Jim Russell, United Way Peterborough & District CEO.
The Scholfield Award is open to any resident or organization within the boundaries of the City and County of Peterborough. Nominees are evaluated based on their achievement, commitment and leadership in addressing community needs or issues; the impact of their efforts; their innovative, unique or exemplary approach; and their success in mobilizing members of our community.
Nominations close at 4 p.m. on June 8, and the award will be presented later in the year. Nomination forms can be found online.
For more information, visit the website.
Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group Seeking Volunteers To Help Clean Up Armour Hill
/The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group is looking for volunteers to help clean up a winter of garbage buildup at Ashburnham Memorial Park (Armour Hill) on April 15.
photo courtesy of the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group.
“Your efforts at the last clean-ups have made a big difference to the health, safety and beauty of the park and we really cherish your kindness in doing so,” said the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group in a press release. “Your contribution to these events is very helpful in moving towards positive changes for Ashburnham Memorial Park, and these efforts demonstrate that the community cares about this Heritage Park.”
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, participants will meet at Rube Brady Park at the basketball court at the bottom of the toboggan hill (corner of Armour Road and Munroe Ave) rain or shine.
The group advises participants to dress for the weather, and to expect mud throughout the park (rain boots are strongly recommended.) Bring a reusable coffee mug, water bottle, work gloves (optional) and garbage grabbers (optional). and appropriate attire for the weather. Supplies are provided.
For more information visit the website.
One City Peterborough Needing Volunteers For StopGap Drop-In Centre
/One City Peterborough is seeking volunteers for donation sorting and food preparation among other job positions.
photo courtesy of Peterborough dbia.
One City says they could use help at the StopGap Drop-In Centre and at the new home they are currently renovating (mudding, painting and performing minor renovations to the second half of the new duplex).
Those interested in helping with the new home can contact One City via email here.
Jobs include receiving food and survival gear donations, preparing and organizing snacks and sandwiches, preparing hot food and coffee/hot chocolate urns, collecting and transporting donated food, maintaining/cleaning the kitchen and storage as needed.
Their goal is to get a crew to be able to receive and sort donations as well as prepare food during the shifts between 1 to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Those who are interested, or know someone who might be, can email program coordinator Erin.
New Canadians Centre Seeking Volunteer Board Members
/The New Canadians Centre is looking for board directors to support newcomers and refugees by joining the governance team that shapes and advises the organization’s priorities.
photo by david tuan bui.
