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Thank you to our volunteers

Barrhead and District Family and Community Support Services community and development co-ordinator and one of the organizers of our community’s annual volunteer appreciation dinner Ros Rudd asked people to take a moment to reflect what our community

Barrhead and District Family and Community Support Services community and development co-ordinator and one of the organizers of our community’s annual volunteer appreciation dinner Ros Rudd asked people to take a moment to reflect what our community would be like if it were not for volunteers.

Go ahead, let’s all take a moment to do it.

If you are like us, what we pictured wasn’t a pretty picture.

No offense to the town and county’s employees, our emergency personnel, and the assorted businesses that without Barrhead would not exist — it is our non-profit organizations and their volunteers that are truly the heart of our community.

Without them Barrhead wouldn’t be the place we know and love.

In addition to the intangibles these organizations provide, that enrich all of our lives, there are tangible benefits that you can actually reach out and touch. The Agrena and the aquatics centre being the best examples.

Yes, in all likelihood, the two facilities would exist, but without the Barrhead and District Agrena Society’s fundraising efforts they probably wouldn’t have the amenities they currently feature and their construction would have been vastly delayed.

The alarming part, is that service clubs and other not-for-profit organizations, are finding themselves under attack. Not in the literal sense, but because they no longer can attract the numbers they need to exist and continue their good works.

In most cases it isn’t because apathy or a willingness volunteer, but because they literally can’t, whether it be for time, family or financial reasons.

Just using the staff at the Barrhead Leader as an example, who routinely volunteer for Christmas light-up, Blue Heron Days, the Wildrose Rodeo finals, etcetera, we as individuals are scaling down the number of events we volunteer for.

The reason, like most people, because work is demanding more of our time and energy.

Unfortunately this comes at a time when charities and volunteers are being asked to do more. Just ask the members of the Elks, Rotary or any one of the Barrhead and District Family and Community Support Services volunteer initiatives, if the need is more or less than it was just 10 years ago.

This is why events such as the volunteer appreciation dinner are so important. When volunteers are under so much pressure, we need to take to take a step back and truly think about what they mean to our community.

On behalf of the Barrhead Leader staff, thank you all.

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