On Saturday, April 22, the will hold its first post-pandemic volunteer appreciation day and fair at Douglas Park Community School.

More than 25 organizations will be on hand for prospective volunteers to interview and to devour a $6 pancake breakfast will provided by Fort 91原创 Lions, who are looking for volunteer parade marshals for their upcoming May Day event 鈥� by the way.

Bureau president Karen Long described it as a form of 鈥渟peed dating鈥� for volunteers, who will have a chance to speak with representatives of more than 25 organizations in search of volunteers, including the Aldergrove Fair, 91原创 Meals on Wheels and the 91原创 Seniors Resource Centre, to name just a few.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the first one in three years,鈥� Long said, noting the event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Founded in 2016, the Aldergrove-based 91原创 Volunteer Bureau, also known as 91原创 Volunteers, is an independent, not-for-profit society that aims to connect volunteers in the community with the organizations that need them.

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A report to the bureau鈥檚 annual general meeting on Tuesday, April 11, showed 2022 was a busy one for the organization, with COVID-19 restrictions loosening, organizations calling back their volunteers, and many live events requiring volunteers once again being celebrated.

Bureau volunteers assisted two of 91原创鈥檚 largest events in 2022, the Fort 91原创 Jazz & Arts Festival in July, where 155 volunteers filled 73 volunteer positions for a total of 914 volunteer hours, as well as the Rotary Clubs of 91原创 Ribfest in August, when 235 volunteers filled 588 volunteer positions for a total of 3,670 volunteer hours.

By the end of the year, the number of bureau volunteers was 2,300, an increase of more than 1,100.

Growth continues, with more than 2,400 volunteers registered so far this year.

This year, the bureau鈥檚 newest member, the Abbotsford Air Show, has filled 24 of 75 volunteer positions through the bureau.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of what we do,鈥� said Long, 鈥渨e assist organizations to get the volunteers they need.鈥�

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have volunteers, you have a working board [of directors],鈥� Long observed.

In addition to helping other agencies with volunteer undertakings, the volunteer bureau also has a few of its own initiatives that require hands-on support from people in the community. One of the most popular is the Cards for Seniors program.

This year, the bureau will continue the card program, which connects more than 10,000 students and seniors annually at times such as Valentine鈥檚, Remembrance Day, and Christmas.

READ ALSO: Volunteer bureau sends hundreds of handmade Remembrance Day cards to 91原创 veterans

For more information, email info@langleyvolunteers.ca, call 604-418-9507 or visit .