National Volunteer Week April 18 to 24, 2004
By Patrick Clark (Volunteer – Grade 12 High School Student, Cobourg)
Horizons of Friendship, a non-profit international development organization located here in Cobourg is entering its 31st year of operations. I have been a volunteer with their Community Outreach Program for the past year, and I know the projects that I’ve helped with will ripple out for years to come.
Changing the world is a slow process. As we’ve found in the Community Outreach Program, engaging and educating people about the challenges communities face in the South isn’t always an easy job. Very often you find yourself frustrated at the apparent snails pace of change.
Through the projects I’ve completed at Horizons, I can see things changing and coming to fruition. This past year I was involved in piloting a new fundraising and educational idea, the “Fast for Friendship”. We raised over $2,200 for rural families in Nicaragua through pledges collected by the participants.
As I look back on the things I’ve been involved in, I know that the awareness we are raising is rippling out and people in our community are better understanding the realities faced by those in the South.
I am also very inspired by the commitment I see in the diverse range of volunteers at Horizons of Friendship. The board members are committed volunteers who are responsible for the overall success of the organization. Also, many volunteers in Northumberland County and the Kingston area are vital to organizing fundraising events such as “Writers and Friends” as well as the “Homes, Gardens and Music Tour”. Meanwhile our Thrift and Treasure shops would be impossible to operate if it wasn’t for the outstanding dedication of our volunteers.
Volunteerism is something that people do on their own accord. Why a person decides to volunteer is different for each individual. At Horizons of Friendship I feel that volunteers share a collective belief that we can sow the seeds of hope for people in Central America and Mexico.
Whether raising awareness of the issues faced by those in the South and acting as advocates for change here in the North, or helping to raise funds that support those in the South who are working for social justice, our volunteers help to make all of this a reality.
