In between working to pay for the mortgage and food, and perfecting our recipe book, we both volunteer for the Winnipeg chapter of KidSport. You may have seen our retweets of fundraising drives and events over the last year.
If you’re unfamiliar with KidSport – it helps financially strapped families pay fees for organised sports. If you were a single parent earning minimum wage and a couple of children, it would be impossible to have your kids play soccer or football. KidSport helps with that.
The local chapter has several Athlete Ambassadors – Desire Scott (herself a recipient when a kid), Doug Brown, and Mark Scheifele – all familiar names. All three give their time free to help run camps in their sport – as fundraising drives or as events for the children who are in receipt of funding. Check them out at kidsport.ca/winnipeg
Sometimes volunteering can seem like stretching the envelope of hours in the day a little too far. And sometimes after an event, you can be absolutely exhausted, but as you get to know a volunteer team, it can be a lot of fun. The satisfaction from working for a charity like KidSport is the knowledge that the effort directly impacts chldren in your city, your neighbourhood, or even your street. The money raised by a local chapter stays in the area.
KidSport is always looking for volunteers, so you too can join the team.