Self-esteem coach. TV camera operator. Blacksmith. Volunteer fair showcases some unexpected ways to give back.

Matthew Stewart says volunteering with the Council for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) for the last year and a half has been “the most rewarding time” of his life. 

Stewart takes photos of the non-profit’s events around Peterborough and helps spread awareness of the work it does in the community.

“It’s just amazing,” he said. Stewart, who has a disability, said he’s learned a lot from lending his time to the organization, calling it an “empowering” experience. He added that CPD is receptive when he requests accommodations. “They listen,” he said.

Stewart was one of hundreds of people who filled the lower level of Peterborough Square on May 7 for Volunteer Peterborough’s second-ever “Meet Your Match” volunteer fair.

The organization is trying to make it easier for people to give back to the local community at a time when volunteering is on the decline across the country. According to a 2023 survey by the online donation and fundraising platform CanadHelps, only 24 percent of Canadians actively volunteered in their communities that year, compared to about 36 percent a decade ago.

Launched in 2023, Volunteer Peterborough aims to reduce barriers to volunteering by helping match people willing to donate their time and skills with the wide-ranging needs of Peterborough non-profits.

Stewart attended the fair looking for other organizations to offer his time to.

“I was a little bit nervous,” he said shortly after he arrived and began weaving through the crowd to check out the different booths local non-profits had set up. As someone with a disability, Stewart said he worried about how he’d be perceived. “I don’t have a high school education or that kind of stuff… but everyone is so friendly.”

About 40 community organizations of all kinds, from theatre troupes to service clubs, sports groups to support agencies, were there seeking support – and sharing stories about how volunteers help keep the city’s social and cultural networks thriving. 

After about half an hour, Stewart had already signed up to volunteer at the YWCA’s “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” event, which raises awareness and funding to support those fleeing domestic violence. He also agreed to help out with the Kiwanis Club of Scott’s Plains’ “Lemonade Stand Day,” which sees children across the city setting up lemonade stands to raise money for Peterborough’s Riverview Park and Zoo.

And, Stewart realized he had nothing to fear in seeking opportunities to give back. His message to others considering volunteering: “Be yourself. Just follow your gut. Follow the inner voice… be honest and have some fun.”

Lois Tuffin, founder and board chair of Volunteer Peterborough, said in an email following the event she was “delighted with how many passionate and focused people showed up looking for a volunteer role.”

Many people stopped organizers “to share their excitement about how they had found a group that really resonated with them,” Tuffin said. “They couldn’t wait to get started.”

One organization that set up a booth at the event was Cogeco’s YourTV, the community television station that broadcasts Peterborough Petes games and other local programming, which was there seeking help behind the scenes. 

Longtime local producer John Costello called volunteers “the lifeblood” of YourTV. With a staff of only four producers, “the rest of our crew is reliant on volunteers,” he explained. To cover a typical Ontario Hockey League game, YourTV engages between five and twelve volunteers, doing everything from operating cameras to capturing and editing audio. Costello said volunteers receive training in all aspects of TV production, and several have gone on to pursue careers in television.

At Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH), volunteer coordinator Dave Sumner said their needs include wound care specialists, self-esteem coaches and social service workers. In addition to building four-season tiny homes to shelter unhoused community members, PATH provides free clothing and supplies, checks in on vulnerable tent-dwellers, and offers wrap-around support and mentorship to help people get back on their feet. Sumner noted that some people who’ve relied on PATH’s services in the past have come back to volunteer. 

“We had a person who on first meeting with me said that he just got out of recovery and he wanted to stay that way,” Sumner said. “And he’s been a worker at PATH two days a week ever since, probably six months’ worth now.”

At Bedford House, the Bridges Peterborough program takes a different approach to giving back. It holds regular gatherings where volunteers from middle- and upper-income brackets come together with those living on low incomes to share their experiences, build community and learn about “class divides and how they keep us separate.”

“It’s a huge commitment and it’s not about rescuing people out of poverty,” said longtime volunteer Mary Gordon. “It’s about building a relationship, changing the conversation and the way we view poverty, and sharing our resources… It’s not for the faint of heart. To be a volunteer, you have to be really, really dedicated to eradicating poverty.”

One retiree who was looking for a volunteer role said she already gives back in her own way, by picking up litter on her daily walks.

“I had my pail and I had my grabber and everything, and everybody’s thanking me,” she said, recounting a recent cleanup at Beavermead Park. “And I said, well I came out for a walk with a purpose. Everyone wants to get out for a walk. It’s healthy, right? So why not have a little bag with you, some gloves or a grabber, and pick up a bit of litter on the way?”

After seeing the different options, she expressed interest in volunteering with Lang Pioneer Village, whose booth drew a crowd throughout the day. The village is an immersive “living history” museum which offers a glimpse at rural life in Peterborough County in the 19th century.  

“Every year I say I’m not going to do it again this year… As soon as May comes around I get the itch to go back and help,” said Kathy Bazley, a fifteen-year Lang Pioneer Village volunteer who interprets local history in period costume. “Without volunteers, we don’t have Lang.” This year, the museum is seeking history buffs, reenactors, gardeners, bakers, blacksmiths, and more.

Bazley recalled a fond memory of her granddaughter coming to volunteer alongside her at Lang one time. “She was dressed up with her costume and her braids, and a bunch of tourists came and thought she was Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie,” she laughed. “I think her pictures are scattered all over the world because everybody wanted a picture with her.”

Julie Morris, who runs social media for Volunteer Peterborough, said new volunteers can expect surprising benefits and ongoing learning while helping others in the community.

“I’m gainfully unemployed,” she joked, “and what I can do with my time is try to put it towards making things better for other people.”  

“So it’s not a case of sitting on the couch eating cookies all day,” she said. “It’s a case of posting things for the betterment of the community, to get people the help they need.” Her message to potential volunteers: “Do it. It’s not the work that you think it is, and you get so much more out of volunteering than you put in… You end up with more skills down the road than you thought you’d pick up.”

For those looking to get involved, Volunteer Peterborough’s website lists opportunities year-round at www.volunteerpeterborough.ca