Apr
26
James Bay Community Project
This month, three volunteers will talk about their volunteering experiences at the Project.
"Volunteering in the kitchens at JBCP is a combination of the expected and the surprising. I expected the kitchens would be the heart of the place. That turned out to be correct. The kitchens have a lot to do with the way the Project welcomes and works with the community. It reminds me of all the kitchens I've been in, from my childhood home to the places I shared with friends as a student and young adult to the grown-up home where we fed and nurtured our children and ourselves.
To my surprise, I learned that the kitchens are more than the heart -- they are the crossroads of the Project. When I work downstairs I'm always surrounded by other activities. Young children and their parents playing in the Family Resource Centre. People making crafts around the kitchen table. A reading group. Volunteers sorting and bagging bread. Conversation over staff lunches. All that, plus other cooks making meals or snacks, cleaning the kitchen, and washing loads and loads of dishes.
In the upstairs kitchen I meet the people who work on the second floor. Partners, tenants, health care professionals, administrators, volunteers and clients in other programs. They represent another dimension of the Project, and I work in their lunch room. It's been the starting place for conversations and introductions that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
I've learned about a lot more than just how to multiply a soup recipe to serve 30. The time I spend at those crossroads is a big part of the fun of being a volunteer." ...George
"I have been in Victoria for 8 months now. One of my first priorities here was to try to be close to people, get to know the community, the culture, the hopes, struggles and beliefs of a different society. This willingness is somehow natural for me because when you are a family doctor you want to be able to understand the person that is in front of you (not just the body or the disease) and this challenge immediately makes part of your daily life and of yourself as a human being.
Since my arrival, I started searching for institutions to volunteer and the James Bay Community Project appeared as a perfect place for me to be. There is a huge variety of activities going on for all ages, and primary healthcare is just next door!
In the last 6 months, at the Family Centre I have seen children growing, starting to walk and saying their first words on a weekly basis. I can hear parents talking about their daily discoveries, giving advices to each other, creating an interesting support network. Together with the other amazing volunteers, I share my time, my thoughts, different cultural experiences and sometimes also my scientific knowledge with these families. It is a great opportunity, especially because I can feel that somehow I am a part of the community." ...Tania
"Volunteering is a rewarding activity that gives you the great feeling of making a difference to the James Bay Community Project via the Community Closet. Being a volunteer enables you to use your abilities to make a difference in the running of the shop. I love working there, meeting new and welcoming old customers. I have always had a great deal of interest in fashion design so this opportunity presented a perfect venue for me: sorting through donations, sorting what is not suitable for the store and selecting the better-often big label items.
My previous work-based skills in graphic design and marketing were immediately recognized, and I produce brochures, posters and various graphics required by the Project.
Previously I have volunteered assisting children with learning difficulties mainly with their reading and writing skills. This was enormously rewarding, and without realizing it, the children's improvement was remarkable. Being a volunteer can teach you new skills or it can give you a refreshing change in your daily routine. By joining the Community Closet team I learned something new, never having had any experience in retailing, and IT IS SO MUCH FUN!" ...Sheila
If you are interested in checking out our volunteer opportunities, please email Catriona at ccampbell@jbcp.bc for more information