Spirit of Kelowna volunteers drives the the holiday season

KELOWNA – The giving nature of the holiday season has inspired many people to volunteer their time and money to help those less fortunate, but many organizations rely on volunteers year round and hope those they can recruit at Christmas will keep helping out the rest of the year.

The Kelowna Gospel Mission describes volunteers as 'a cornerstone' of the organization. It will take new volunteers anytime, provide them with an orientation and set them to work in one of six different areas such as transportation, the kitchen and guest services.

The Kelowna and West Kelowna ministries of the Salvation Army say volunteers at Christmas and throughout the year help realize their mission of 'meeting human needs and being a transforming influence in our community'. Would-be volunteers can call 250-860-2329 ext 333

The Central Okanagan Community Foodbank is always looking for volunteers to help with its annual Christmas distribution. Contact the foodbank at 250-763-7161.

A wider range of volunteer opportunities is available year-round through Kelowna Community Resources. It lists volunteer positions for dozens of smaller charities and non-profit organizations.

If we've missed any local charities or non-profit organizations that rely on volunteers, please let us know in the comments section below.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.