Gananoque Volunteer Fair returns with call to action

There’s no money in it. No benefits. No title.

Just a warm room upstairs at the Lou Jeffries Arena, a handshake from a stranger, and maybe, if you’re lucky, the beginning of something that changes your life, or someone else’s.

Gananoque’s third annual Volunteer Fair returns May 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., welcoming residents and students alike to explore the engine room of their community: the volunteers who keep its lights on, its trails clean, its food banks stocked, and its festivals full of joy.

“There is no paycheque,” said Vicki Leakey, deputy mayor of Gananoque and the driving force behind the fair. “But the continuous support from this community and the opportunity to continue to learn from so many of our residents is priceless.”

This year’s fair lands during National Volunteer Week (April 27 to May 3) and arrives at a moment of quiet urgency. Local organizations are not just looking for helping hands, they’re looking for reinforcements.

Many board members are aging out. Clubs are struggling. The same smiling faces show up year after year, tired but still showing up. They need others to step in, to learn, to lead.

Leakey, who has her fingerprints on pretty much everything community-based in Gananoque, sees it first-hand.

“I see the joy many volunteers speak to when they are passionate about helping a cause for the community,” she said. “And I also see the need.”

From the Gananoque Food Bank to Big Brothers Big Sisters, from the Lions and Rotary Clubs to the Gananoque Arts Network, more than a dozen organizations will be at the fair to share what they do and how residents can help.

Whether you’re into music and art, gardening, sports, seniors’ programs, animal care, or just looking to meet new people while doing something that matters, there’s a role waiting for you.

High school students looking to complete their 40 mandatory volunteer hours will find plenty of options, too. An earlier school-based fair at Gananoque Secondary School drew a crowd, but Leakey hopes those who missed it, or want a second look, will come out on May 3.

There is no cost to attend, and no pressure to commit to anything long-term.

“You can call your own hours,” said Leakey. “Whether it’s help at one or two of the big events like Ribfest or the car show, or regular monthly support for a board, it all matters. It all counts.”

While event volunteers are always welcome, there is also a growing demand for skilled help, especially in administration, accounting, and social media. Many of these behind-the-scenes roles are key to keeping local organizations afloat.

Above all, Leakey emphasizes, volunteering is not just about filling a gap, it’s about finding connection.

“Our poster says it’s for anyone interested in developing more social time while assisting the community,” she added. “But it’s really about building something together, one hour at a time.”

For more information or to register as a community group, contact Leakey at vickileakey@gmail.com or 613-484-6197.

“Because of the variety of need for volunteers in town,” Leakey said, “it’s easy to find those residents with common interests to match up with the community group need they can relate to.”