I’m sitting here drinking a coffee and trying to get warm after getting caught in a rainstorm. Usually, wet socks get me pretty annoyed, but this time is different. This time I wished the rainstorm lasted longer and created a bit of relief for our region and province.
Before I get too far into my thoughts I want to send my thoughts to everyone who is on evacuation alert, and/or has had to leave their homes and communities. I can not imagine what you are feeling. Please know Prince George is here with open hearts willing to help in any way we can.
I also want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who is helping battle the fires and striving to keep homes and communities safe. You are away from friends and family, working long hours in dangerous working conditions. You are appreciated more than words can express. All I can say is thank you, and know that it seems so little to recognize you for the sacrifice you are making.
What I have seen from Prince George over the past month is the motivation for my blog. Prince George’s best cinnamon bun 2.0 will have to wait for another month.
Our community is generous with its time
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Volunteer PG logo launch
One thing I have seen time and time again is that people in Prince George are willing to give their time and give more of it than the rest of the province. I had the opportunity to be President of Volunteer Prince George, and during my time on the board, the BC State of Volunteering report released by Volunteer BC in 2008 called the city the Volunteer Capital of BC with a rate of volunteerism at 62 percent for those aged 15 and older, compared to a provincial average of 45 percent. Despite this report coming out eight years ago, nothing has changed. I am saying this based on the over 3,000 people who stepped up to volunteer in 2015 for the Canada Winter Games, and the thousands who stepped up in 2017 and 2018 to support wildfire evacuees who found refuge in our community. In a world where everybody says there is not enough time in the day, the citizens of Prince George always give what little time they have to create change.
Our community is generous with its resources
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Big Brothers Big Sisters
A large part of my job for the past twelve years has been fundraising. It’s not an easy job but living in such a caring community makes my job a little easier. I have seen time and time again Prince George residents step up to donate to our agency (Big Brothers Big Sisters) in support of our mentoring programs. In addition to this job, I have the privilege of being one of the administrators on Hell Yeah Prince George. I see each and every day the generosity of our community members. Whether it’s financial or in kind support, our community is not afraid to give and give generously.
Our community is in good hands
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Lemonade stand
Whether it’s my work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, as Board Chair for School District 57 or as a father, I am amazed at the generosity and social responsibility shown by our children and youth. There’s a lot of negativity about “kids these days” or “those dang millennials,” but I can say that our children and youth are building a stronger and more positive community. Throughout the summer we see children selling lemonade for charity, forgoing birthday gifts to support the SPCA or spearheading random acts of kindness throughout our community. We see youth picking up garbage, doing food drives and volunteering their time to make our community a better place and we see those millennials creating change both locally and overseas, driving change in the charitable sector and creating businesses that create a social impact. I have said it before and will say it again: our community, and our society is in good hands.
I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Labour Day weekend. I can’t believe summer is almost over. As always please feel free to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Until next time.
All the best,
Tim
