This is National Volunteer Week in Canada, which means it’s the perfect time to celebrate our amazing team of volunteers!
Whether doing data entry, volunteering during the fundraiser, working in the library, promoting CKUA at venues, or taking a group of students on a tour of the station, their contribution is essential and appreciated by all of us at CKUA. Although we can’t meet face-to-face these days, we know that our CKUA volunteers are still with us.
Over the next few days, you’ll hear our volunteers on-air tell us why they love CKUA in their own words – from the surprising to the poignant. And on Friday April 24, we will dedicate the whole day to CKUA’s Volunteer Spirit. Don’t miss an appearance from Cam’s Hams, who, despite not being able to get together for their traditional 6am-9am Friday morning phone volunteer shifts, have nevertheless come up with a way to share their inimitable volunteer spirit with us.
“I LOVE CKUA. It is my family. I have listened to this station for about 50 years Every Saturday my older sister would have on Natch’l Blues. We would clean to the blues beat with Holger Petersen. You own my heart forever.” – Shylow Dustin
“I have been a CKUA volunteer since 1997; and do so, as I believe in the need to have a donor supported radio station in the province. I was introduced to this station when I was in Elementary School; with weekly CKUA school broadcasts.” – Zoe Afaganis
“In these times of physical distancing, I am reminded of the real faces and places CKUA actually reaches. Our hearts and minds are probably more receptive to CKUA than ever, as we are needing to feel the connection that our souls crave in this time of solitary confinement. Sadness, joy, revelry, and celebration are tough things to contend with alone, but with CKUA we can be alone, together – but without all the loneliness! I have depended on CKUA through the years to keep me connected, but I realize connections require both parts, the giving and receiving. I have been blessed as a volunteer to be on both sides, and I encourage listeners to enjoy the blessing of giving to CKUA, while also receiving it into our homes and hearts. Thanks CKUA for being there through and through, and bringing us all into communal collectiveness, even when we are apart. We are apart, but A-PART of something, together.” – Malinda Sentara
“During a couple of my phone volunteer shifts, there were two donors I especially recall (one was a phone donation and the other was a walk-in). Both had experienced a setback in their lives and both were helped along by listening to the radio. I can still vividly remember the walk-in donor. He had incurred a very bad workplace accident. He was quite young and was so sweet. They both tugged at my heart, and I was able to see that a little thing like a radio station could have such an impact on their lives. I actually had to have a little cry after the walk-in donor left.” – Peggy Bevan
Thank you so much CKUA volunteers!
CKUA volunteers:
• We have 350 volunteers on call, 150 active in the last year
• Our volunteers worked 6030 hours last fiscal year: 3300 Fundraiser, 1500 Library, 600 Venues/Festivals
• Volunteers support the Fundraiser, the Library, Fund Development, Venues and Festivals, the Casino, School Tours, and our Arts & Cultural Events calendars
• Our volunteers are responsible for $175k in contributed labour
Alberta volunteers:
• Average 161 hours per year
• Contribute $3220 per volunteer annually, amounting to $8.3 billion worth of value to the province
Canadian volunteers:
• There are 12.7 million volunteers in Canada
• Total work hours amounts to roughly two billion hours per year
• The value of their work is $55.9 billion, or 2.6% of GDP
• 44% of Canadians volunteer an average of 156 hours/year
To learn more about volunteering, now or in the future, at CKUA, visit our Volunteer Page.