The 19th Annual Okanagan Volunteer Opportunities Fair kicks off this Saturday, 10 a.m., at the Parkinson Recreation Centre.

This free family event showcases over 70 local non-profit organizations who are seeking volunteers of all ages and abilities.

The fair is a great opportunity for students to explore their options when looking to increase their volunteer service hours.

It is also an excellent place to find out what our local organizations are doing around the Central Okanagan and internationally as well.

鈥淚 enjoy hearing all of the stories from the organizations and their volunteers,鈥� said Dawn Wilkinson, community services manager at 琉璃神社 Community Resources.

鈥淟ast year, I met volunteers that had found opportunities at the Volunteer Fair a few years previous and were then staffing the booth for the organizations that had originally recruited them.鈥�

The fair is a great way to not only give back to your community but to also give back to yourself.  鈥淭he connections that I made through volunteering, when I first moved to 琉璃神社, have helped me in my career path over the last 19 years,鈥� said Stephanie Moore, a project coordinator at KCR.  In addition to building your resume and networking, you can share your expertise and truly make a difference in our community.

In preparation for Canada鈥檚 150th anniversary, volunteer centres across the nation are putting up the challenge to donate 150 hours of volunteering over the course of the next year.  The national average is 154 hours per year.  Imagine if we could get more people contributing that much time to the causes and agencies they support.

琉璃神社 Rotaract (a local branch of Rotary for 18 to  30 year-olds) will be on hand serving up a tasty lunch for only $5, with all proceeds going to help their local and international projects.