It's the basis of a civil society, and Squamish Volunteer Centre Society co-ordinator Pam Gliatis has dedicated her life to spreading the wealth it generates.April 27 to May 3 is National Volunteer Week and Gliatis, along with long term volunteers from a variety of the community's sectors, are taking the opportunity to share their journey "from compassion to action" during a get-together at the Squamish Library Thursday (May 1) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meeting will hopefully inspire more residents to spend time on altruistic pursuits. "It's based on people really caring about their community and taking steps to get involved and give some of their time, so I think it's really important, " said Gliatis. "People's willingness to do that, to step outside their core life, their work and their family and put themselves out there for other people that aren't necessarily related to them or part of their interests in some way - that's really important and I feel very lucky to do this job."In the wake of declining volunteer enrolment numbers throughout the country, Gliatis said it's more important than ever to get the message out. Squamish sees significant numbers of volunteers for events and causes, but few sign up for on-going commitments, as requires by organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters and Hilltop House."There's a core group of people volunteering, so a small group do a lot of hours. And so although a lot of volunteering is going on, it doesn't mean that the vast majority of people are volunteering. The goal is really to try to spread it more widely in the population. "Like young people volunteering, children with their parents as a family. Friends volunteer with friends. There are various ways of setting volunteering up to attract different kinds of people." One the ways the society facilitates volunteering is by creating a list serv through the centre's location, the Hotspot on Cleveland Avenue, to keep groups and volunteers up to date. And during the May 1 event, Gliatis will update residents on new technology enabling even more opportunities for locals and organizations.For more information, join volunteer centre organizers at the Squamish Library on Thursday (May 1) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., drop by the Hotspot at 38027 Cleveland Ave. or simply call 604-815-4121.
