By Mabel Marin & Yasmin Rampuri
On any given day across Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands, a Beacon volunteer might be delivering a meal to a senior, driving someone to a medical appointment, sharing conversation during a weekly visit, or sorting donations in one of Beacon’s thrift shops. Often these moments are small and quiet, but together they help shape the kind of community we live in.
In 2026 we celebrate the UN International Year of the Volunteer, a once-in-a-generation recognition of the impact of volunteerism. During this special year, National Volunteer Week (April 19-25) highlights those contributions across Canada. The theme, Ignite Volunteerism, reflects how a simple act of giving time can spark connection, compassion and support throughout a community.
At Beacon Community Services, volunteers are fundamental to making many services possible. With about 250 staff and over 550 volunteers, much of Beacon’s work is powered by people who choose to give their time. They help seniors remain independent through Better at Home, provide rides to medical appointments or assist with light household tasks; deliver meals or offer companionship through the Volunteer Visiting program to people living alone or in Assisted Living; greet visitors and support activities at the SHOAL Centre; and help in Beacon’s thrift shops at the till and sort donations, work that supports affordable shopping while helping fund community programs.
Behind each of these efforts is a broader impact. In 2024, Beacon programs helped house more than 135 individuals, supported 175 youth through homelessness prevention and shelter services, helped 118 people find employment, and served 17,740 meals through the More than Meals program.
“Volunteers bring compassion, creativity and connection into everything we do,” says Yasmin Rampuri, Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Beacon Community Services. “With their time and talents, they help us reach more people and make sure our programs reflect the care that exists within this community.”
Sometimes, volunteers bring their own ideas to life. Student volunteer Mira Wirk, began leading weekly painting activities with residents at Parry Place. What started as a simple creative outlet, gradually grew into a community art show and fundraiser celebrating the residents’ work, a reminder of how one person’s initiative can spark something much larger. Volunteers have shaped Beacon in many ways over the years. Maureen Dale, a Beacon volunteer, recently helped preserve Beacon’s history by organizing decades of records and stories from the people who helped build the organization. Some of Beacon’s programs themselves began with volunteer ideas, including the meal delivery program and the grocery shopping program that now runs out of the SHOAL Centre, both created to help address food security among older adults.
As National Volunteer Week reminds us, volunteerism often begins with a simple decision to show up. Across Beacon’s programs, hundreds of volunteers continue to do exactly that, helping neighbours, building relationships and strengthening the community we share.
Beacon continues to welcome new volunteers who want to be part of that work. For more information please visit beaconcs.ca or email Yasmin at yrampuri@beaconcs.ca.