Volunteer Elgin Rebuilds a Culture of Community Connection When Tif Smith talks about volunteers, there’s no mistaking her passion. As Treasurer of Volunteer Elgin, she sees firsthand how essential volunteers are to the well-being of communities across Elgin County. “At our core, Volunteer Elgin is a collective of community organizations coming together to promote volunteerism within Elgin County,” says Tif. “Some of us are volunteer professionals; others are executive directors, coordinators or volunteers themselves. While we all come from unique backgrounds, we ALL recognize the role volunteers play in the community — and for many of us, our organizations depend on them.” Volunteer Elgin’s mission is twofold: to promote volunteerism and to serve as a platform where volunteers and organizations can connect. Its newly launched website, www.volunteerelgin.org, is already making it easier for community members to find ways to give back. “Before this, Elgin County didn’t have a hub -- no local spot or online portal where people could go to see what volunteer opportunities were available. They’d have to jump from one organization’s website to another or try sifting through job boards not tailored to volunteering,” Tif explains. “We’re trying to bridge that gap.” The Volunteer Elgin website offers a growing job board where organizations can post opportunities and where One Bar. One Act of Kindness. One Step Toward Change.
individuals can search based on their interests, age group, or preferred location. Whether it’s a student looking to get involved in youth programming or a retiree hoping to help out at an animal shelter, there’s something for everyone. “Through the website, we want to create an easy-to-use, streamlined process for new volunteers to find roles that work for them,” says Tif. In addition to its online presence, Volunteer Elgin recently hosted its first Volunteer Fair in May at the St. Thomas Public Library. “A big thanks to everyone who came out and supported us,” she adds. “It was a great first step, and we’d love to see more events like this across the county. Our goal is to be bigger next year with a presence in Aylmer, East Elgin and the western parts of the county too.” Volunteer Elgin isn’t new; it’s a revival of a once-thriving group of volunteer professionals that formed nearly 30 years ago. “From what I’ve heard,” says Tif, “It was a very positive group — members leaned on each other for support, resources and conversations about volunteer engagement.” But like many things, the group faded over time. “It dissolved just before COVID, as membership decreased and some core members retired,” Tif explains. “But the hiatus didn’t last long. In late 2023, as we were all coming out of the pandemic and saw the volunteer need higher than ever, emails started circling about bringing it back.” When the group reformed, the structure stayed simple, but the goals evolved. “Same organizations, new faces,” says Tif. “We had real conversations about what Volunteer Elgin could become. We agreed very early on that our top priority is promoting volunteerism in Elgin County.” First Class Windows, Doors & Siding Making Window Buying a PANELESS Experience!
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Page 4 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • June 2025
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