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A new year is upon us, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead.

January 2024 Article


A new year is upon us, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead. Or – at least I hope you do. I am excited by the volunteer commitments I have made for early 2024.

What about you? Have you thought about the kinds of things that you might do to help

make another person’s day a little brighter? Perhaps you might consider assisting at

the Hospital where there are numerous areas where you could give time. Or you might

like to help with fundraising for a cause you hold dear. Many not-for-profit organizations

are dependent on fundraising to stay operational. How about walking a dog at the

SPCA or other tasks there? As you see, the opportunities are endless.

The other day I read an article about volunteering being linked to better cognitive health

in Senior’s. This study of 2,476 older adults found that individuals who volunteered

several times a week had the highest levels of executive function.

The study revealed that those who volunteered in late life had better cognitive function,

specifically episodic memory. Some of the volunteer activities the test group engaged in

included educational, religious, health-related, and with other charitable organizations.

Researcher Rachael Whitmer suggests, “Volunteering is about keeping your brain

active. It’s also about socializing, which keeps you engaged and happy, and potentially

lowers stress.”

If this sparks an interest in volunteering for you, please contact the South Okanagan

Similkameen Volunteer Centre at 1-888-576-5661, email the Centre at

info@volunteercentre.info or drop into its new location in The Cannery at 110 – 1475

Fairview Road. Office hours are generally 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday. Calling

ahead first is suggested. Our Executive Director, Subrina Monteith would love to meet

you!

Have a wonderful New Year. May 2024 be filled with great volunteer experiences!


Submitted By – Laura Turnbull - Chairperson

South Okanagan Similkameen Volunteer Centre

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