Amber Webster Kotak knows that trust is everything in the social sector and recognizes the volunteers at Metro Community for helping to create a trustworthy setting.
“Metro volunteers make an impact by building consistency, dependability and the overall ethos of who we are as an organization,” says Amber. “Our volunteers are the soul of Metro Central. We have a number of volunteers who have been with the organization since it began. This is a testament not only to who they are as individuals, but the culture we seek to create.”
Metro Community’s mission is to serve those who are living in homelessness or who are at risk of losing their housing and they have been serving people in the downtown core for about 10 years. Metro identifies that almost 6,000 people in Kelowna are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of being homeless. They define ‘at risk’ as someone that within a 30-60 day period of losing a steady income stream, cannot reasonably afford rent or secure accommodation and therefore will be forced to use shelters or sleep rough. Metro is actively working with the City of Kelowna and other agencies to help the most vulnerable.
“We rely heavily on volunteers and many of our volunteers have been with Metro from its’ early days,” says Amber. “We value a sense of camaraderie and a shared sense of mission. We offer flexibility in our shifts, variety in the work and positive people to work with! The work itself is also rewarding.”
“Metro is fairly flexible in the length of commitment a person makes and in the frequency with which a person serves,” adds Amber. “However, if a person is able to volunteer for a longer period of time, they will enjoy the benefit of building relationships.”
For anyone wanting to volunteer at Metro, Amber recommends that they have good boundaries and that they are able to keep confidences. They will also be expected to have a criminal record check and will have the opportunity to receive Naloxone and CPR training.
“Metro could not function without our volunteers,” explains Amber, reporting that volunteers share 6,475 hours of their time during the year. “Specifically, during the pandemic, volunteers kept Metro operating for those who were not able to access other services. Volunteers are our lifeblood!”
To learn more about the opportunities at Metro, go online to their website (www.metrocommunity.ca) or meet with the team to learn more (info@metrocommunity.ca P: 778-478-9727).
Dorothee Birker is the communications and development coordinator for KCR Community Resources. If you are interested in sharing your volunteer or organizational news, please contact Dorothee at dorothee@kcr.ca.
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