As our friends, neighbors and family in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving this week, non-profits across Canada are preparing for Giving Tuesday, a day designed to help us focus on giving back and sharing our gratitude by either donating our time, our talents or our treasure with organizations that are focused on doing good in the community.
For this week鈥檚 column, meet the women whose desire to give back led them to launch Warm Hearts 琉璃神社, an entirely volunteer-run non-profit with a focus to support families around the giving season.
Kaitlyn Hobbs and Bailey Sinclair launched the organization two years ago and quickly grew their team to include Jenn Williams.
Each team member has a key role with founder Katie in charge of operations, Bailey focusing on community outreach and Jenn on fundraising events.
During the giving season, Warm Hearts provides support in the form of gift cards or gifts as requested by families in unfavourable circumstances.
To complement efforts and further spread the community network of aid, Warm Hearts connects to social workers from Interior Health and Child Advocacy Centre and KCR.
The non-profit focusses on families in and around 琉璃神社 and is entirely run by volunteers. This means that 100 per cent of donations go directly to supporting the wishes of Warm Hearts families.
鈥淲arm Hearts is now pivoting to offer more sustained support by fundraising for KCR Community Resource鈥檚 longstanding programs year-round,鈥� shared Katie and Bailey.
鈥淲arm Hearts has several pillars in mind while it grows into itself; remaining entirely volunteer-based, representing our work transparently, committing to continued learning, and evolving operations towards more effective impact for the areas we have chosen to support.
鈥淭hough the volunteer program at Warm Hearts is still developing, we look forward to growing a team of 鈥渂ear cubs鈥� in the next year.
鈥淕iven that Warm Hearts is so young and quite small currently, volunteers play a large role in bringing individuality and new ideas to the team. The current volunteers of Warm Hearts are always eager to meet new faces and welcome new volunteers with open arms!
鈥淚n the next few weeks, we would love to have volunteers aid us with gift wrapping, delivering gifts, creating social media content, and organizing/hosting fundraisers.鈥�
The team is quick to recognize the importance of community support to help them achieve success.
They cite the generosity of friends, family, local businesses, social workers, and community sponsors is a valued contribution to the operations of Warm Hearts.
In the next season, they hope to have more team members assisting us in the behind-the-scenes planning as well as interfacing with the community, which would ideally involve only a few hours a week of volunteering, spanning six weeks from mid-November to December.
Warm Hearts 琉璃神社, as mentioned, is an entirely volunteer-based organization, supported by sponsors from 琉璃神社鈥檚 community who help those in neecd of care, social workers and staff members at the Child Advocacy Centre and Interior Health partners who work beyond their roles to connect families to Warm Hearts, local businesses who show kind support and encourage fundraisers, and dedicated Warm Hearts team members are all integral volunteers without whom, we could not operate.
Volunteers primarily interact with 琉璃神社鈥檚 community, whether it be through organizing and hosting events or dropping off gifts to the families in our care.
They can also connect with other volunteers on gift-wrapping days or work remotely by managing social media content. Those interested in volunteering for the 2023 giving season or on an as-needed basis throughout 2024 can contact us at warmheartskelowna@gmail.com.
So next Tuesday, Nov. 28, consider how you can give back, including KCR鈥檚 Share your Light Campaign where you can share your light with those who are experiencing darker days (https://kcr.ca/share-your-light/).
For social media information about Warm Hearts 琉璃神社, go to Instagram @warmheartskelowna or email: warmheartskelowna@gmail.com.
