My stamping has slowed down the past couple of years, and the biggest reason is that I joined my community association as a board member. I have so many projects on the go—which is typical for me—but volunteering has really become a big part of my life.
At first, my goal was simple—I wanted my community to have nice things and more events. Well, of course, doing that isn’t actually simple! Many people might think of volunteering as stuffing envelopes or printing flyers, but it's so much more than that these days!
Many volunteer groups and non-profits need capable administrative help. Can you believe that, along with my fellow board members and some neighbours, we pulled off six events in 2024 and 2025? Sure, shopping for snacks and decorations is the fun part, but I also recruited volunteers, hired performers, booked food trucks, made a budget, and applied for grants. A small event like a Halloween party can be $600, but a larger event like Canada Day costs about $3000. Did you know it’s about $450 to rent a porta-potty for the afternoon? I sure didn’t until last year!
Hopefully, event season will be much easier, now that I’ve learned the ropes—and know who to call! On a regular weekday, I spend about an hour answering emails, scanning community Facebook groups for questions, approving the community newsletter, and more.
I did host a cardmaking event last spring, and I hope to bring another cardmaking event to my community this year—there’s no shortage of supplies around here :-D
At the end of the day, I can say volunteering sounds a lot like stamping—I love what I do (and my community), and share what I love, and make all the difference by helping others enjoy their community.
At first, my goal was simple—I wanted my community to have nice things and more events. Well, of course, doing that isn’t actually simple! Many people might think of volunteering as stuffing envelopes or printing flyers, but it's so much more than that these days!
Many volunteer groups and non-profits need capable administrative help. Can you believe that, along with my fellow board members and some neighbours, we pulled off six events in 2024 and 2025? Sure, shopping for snacks and decorations is the fun part, but I also recruited volunteers, hired performers, booked food trucks, made a budget, and applied for grants. A small event like a Halloween party can be $600, but a larger event like Canada Day costs about $3000. Did you know it’s about $450 to rent a porta-potty for the afternoon? I sure didn’t until last year!
Hopefully, event season will be much easier, now that I’ve learned the ropes—and know who to call! On a regular weekday, I spend about an hour answering emails, scanning community Facebook groups for questions, approving the community newsletter, and more.
I did host a cardmaking event last spring, and I hope to bring another cardmaking event to my community this year—there’s no shortage of supplies around here :-D
At the end of the day, I can say volunteering sounds a lot like stamping—I love what I do (and my community), and share what I love, and make all the difference by helping others enjoy their community.
I strongly encourage everyone to volunteer with their community association. Calgary community associations do not receive federal, provincial, or municipal funding. Maybe it's just a one-time commitment like casino volunteer, or join an event committee, or step up to be President—when there’s so much that feels out of control in our world these days, we can do so much for our neighbours building community connections if we reach out and try 💗💗💗
 |
| Children and adults enjoy summer fun in a playing field |
