Volunteer with the Library Foundation
A Volunteer-Based Organization
The Gibsons & District Library Foundation is a Society run by a volunteer Board of Trustees. We have no paid staff and keep administrative expenses to a minimum in order to contribute as much of our funds as possible to the Library.
Because we are a small organization, by volunteering with us you can make a big difference to what we can achieve.
Why Volunteer?
Numerous studies have identified that volunteering raises wellbeing in the volunteers. Volunteering can help you:
- feel more involved in your community.
- feel positive about doing something for the greater good.
- meet like-minded people.
- socialize and grow your social network.
An article in Forbes from 2023 says:
"Research reveals that volunteering can increase positive feelings, also referred to as the helper's high, instill greater trust in others, increase social interaction, and increase health and happiness of individuals who commit to volunteering."
The volunteer community is a community unto itself, full of generous people, with varied talents and passions. Joining that community can enrich your life. And of course, you'll be doing work that benefits your community.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are opportunities to volunteer for various levels of commitment.
Short-Term
For example, you might commit to volunteer one time, for several hours to:
- help us prepare for, or take down after, an event. This might include designing a poster for the event, moving furniture, putting up event decoration, installing event signage, or preparing or serving food.
- be one of the volunteers who help out at our event table. This might be at a public market, a public event, or in the local mall. We do this to raise awareness about the Foundation and to fundraise by selling our tea towels. We always have two people at the table, and one of them will be a Board Trustee, or other long-time member familiar with the Foundation and its work.
Long Term
Or you can commit to a two-year term of working on our Board as a Trustee.
- Over the years, our trustees have told us that participating in this manner has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience. It's a great way to meet other like-minded people and support your community.
- You can read about how the Foundation is governed. If you're interested in learning more about what is involved in being a trustee, please reach out to us.
Special Skills
There are particular skills that would be very helpful to the Library Foundation. If you have one of these skills and would like to discuss what level of commitment would be necessary to make a difference, please contact us.
- Grant Writing
- Event Production
- Fundraising
- Lawyer/Legal Experience
- IT Skills
As a retiree and a member of the community: I live alone and have only one close friend in Gibsons, yet I have met so many people through participating in programs at the library, for example, at the open mic and the book club. These are programs where people share who they are as they read their writings or express their ideas about a book, which means that the library provides me with the opportunity to encounter new people at a more in-depth level than anywhere else.
Retired Gibsons Resident
