Last night’s meeting on volunteering in the city of Ottawa won’t be the last. Mayor Dan Aussem was surprised by and happy with the turnout of 30 people at City Hall. He wants to hold another meeting later this month.
Dave Manigold asked for the meeting. Although Ottawa has had a great volunteering reputation, Manigold says it could be better organized. He says it’s sometimes hard for someone who wants to volunteer to know what there is to volunteer for. The Ottawa Chamber may help with his suggestion to have an online list of organizations, tasks they need volunteers for, and how volunteers can get started.
The volunteer opportunities talked about last night include docents for Reddick Mansion, the Ottawa History and Scouting Heritage Museum, and the canal tollhouse. People also talked about the homeless shelter, Alzheimers fundraising walks, and city commissions.
Ottawa is Blooming was a popular topic. The city will be involved in the city beautification contest again this year. It, like many other volunteer opportunities, went on pause during the pandemic.