Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Nampa and Northern Sunrise County (NSC) residents are being asked to nominate their favourite volunteers in the community to be recognized at this year’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Volunteer Appreciation celebration.
The Volunteer Appreciation Barbecue will be held on April 20 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the St. Isidore Gazebo. FCSS director Amber Houle is urging residents to nominate people they think deserve to be recognized, for any amount of volunteering no matter how seemingly small or large.
“We want to recognize people for the seemingly small things that are really huge in the scheme of everyday life,” says Houle.
“Volunteering can include something like a neighbour who shovels for a senior every snowfall. We want to recognize people doing things for others,” she adds.
Houle mentions last year there was a young person who would go to the Cadotte Lake every time it would snow, and he would shovel a patch on the ice so other kids could skate. She says these types of things are often forgotten, but they make our communities a brighter place to be and live. She and the FCSS team feel these acts need to be recognized.
“It’s important to give a shout out to the volunteers to recognize them and all the people that they’ve positively affected,” she says.
“So far we haven’t had a lot of people put names forward, and we hope that will change soon. There are a lot of volunteers that make our communities a better place, whether they sit on boards or help another mom when they’re stressed, or various other unique and random acts,” she adds.
Houle says county council likes to show the impact of volunteerism by hosting this event during National Volunteer Week. She said that this year they have decided rather than recognizing only a handful of volunteers, that Nampa/ Northern Sunrise County FCSS would showcase all the nominees’ names in a list that will be shared through social media, county newsletters and in local newspapers.
FCSS is partnering with Nampa and NSC Protective Services to host the day.
“We appreciate that they manage the barbecue,” says Houle. “Really, they should be enjoying the event because they are some of our most recognizable volunteers, but they choose to serve others.”
She says the Protective Services members also provide fire truck rides for the kids during the event. This year, she says they hope to also add a local musician to add an extra element to the celebration.
If you’d like to nominate a volunteer to be recognized, please visit https://northernsunrise.net/volunteer-appreciation/.
Nominees will receive an invitation to the 2023 Volunteer Appreciation Event. The forms can be filled out and emailed online or printed and dropped off at the county office or to the FCSS offices.
Candidates must live in either Northern Sunrise County or the Village of Nampa. They must have been involved in a voluntary activity that is not part of their occupation or job. The activities must provide a benefit to the community and enhance life within the community.
Should you have any issues with downloading the form, please contact Amber at (780) 625-3287.