By Emily Wei, Columnist
Happy September everyone! With all the hustle and bustle of the upcoming school year, it’s hard to not get caught up in the small things. However, it’s always important to keep others in mind. That’s why, this month, I’ll be writing about a few volunteering opportunities around our city that you might consider giving some of your extra time to.
First of all, if you’re new to volunteering, it might be easier to choose an organisation based on your own interests. For instance, if you’re a sports fanatic, consider Special Olympics Nova Scotia. You can apply to be part of the administration, officiating, program support, team manager, sitting on a council or committee, or helping at games/competitions. Furthermore, CADS-NS provides opportunities for people with disabilities to experience adaptive snowsports. If you’re interested in the environment, check out the Canadian Wildlife Federation or Nature Nova Scotia. In addition to these, the Great Nova Scotia Pick-Me-Up is coordinated by the Nova Scotia Adopt-A-Highway program and, to register, all you have to do is register and choose an area you want to help clean (they will provide you with garbage bags and gloves)!
If you’re trying to step outside your comfort zone a bit and create some new experiences, there are tons of opportunities out there for really good causes. For example, Souls Harbour Rescue Mission offers food and clothes to those less fortunate. With locations in Truro, Halifax, and Bridgewater, it’s definitely fulfilling to know you’re helping those who really need it. In addition, Adsum for Women and Children provides housing, programs, and services for the ultimate goal of ending homelessness. If you want to volunteer but find that you aren’t too flexible with your location, it might be worth checking out Kids Help Phone. You can work remotely from your home and they provide training for you to support youth mental health across Canada. Lastly, there are so many organisations across Nova Scotia that are dedicated to health and wellness initiatives. Some of these include; the Alzheimer Society, Breast Cancer Society, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, Diabetes Canada, Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia, and so much more.
If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, be sure to look them up online to see how you can get involved! If you’re looking for more ideas, I find the Volunteer NS website to be really helpful in compiling numerous opportunities across our province. I hope this was helpful to some of you and see you next month!
