As part of our ongoing Central Okanagan Volunteer and Volunteer Opportunities series, we share stories from nonprofit organizations along with our Volunteer55 Ambassador Profiles.
Our goal is to introduce and inspire potential volunteers with unique opportunities that they can connect to discover a new passion and help them make a difference in the community.
Our first profile is the Rotary Center for the Arts (RCA), which is not a municipal entity as some might think.
Rather, the center was planned, created and is now managed by a non-profit organization led by a volunteer board of directors.
There are thousands of volunteers who have contributed hundreds of thousands of hours on committees and boards, helping with events and fundraisers, and championing the importance of art in the community.
The center came about as a result of the passion for arts of local volunteers who, in the early 1990s, recognized the need for a multidisciplinary arts facility.
They formed the Kelowna Visual and Performing Arts Center Society (KVPACS) to raise funds and convert the old Growers Supply building into a cultural center.
With the support of the city, businesses, philanthropists and many other volunteers, the Rotary Center of the Arts came to fruition in 2002 and has become one of the anchors of Kelowna’s cultural district.
The KVPACS remains an important arts organization that has helped make the Kelowna area a more desirable and livable area while making a significant contribution to Kelowna’s cultural tourism.
Volunteers remain at the heart of this nonprofit organization, helping it fulfill its mission to “celebrate, nurture, and advance the arts through diversity, entertainment, and education.”
Colleen Fitzpatrick, executive director of the RCA, shared some of the impact of the center as well as new volunteer opportunities that the facility is now offering.
“Each year, RCA records nearly 15,000 hours of use, hosts 500 programs, and has a combined annual attendance of 230,000,” Fitzpatrick said, citing pre-COVID statistics.
“We typically have over 60 volunteers giving over 10,280 hours of their time. Due to the pandemic, we are expanding the opportunities and demographics of our volunteers.
“We really love giving young people opportunities and recruiting volunteers aged 18-30 to specifically help with events.
“Youth are a very important part of our society. They are passionate about art and want to make an impact on the world around them.”
Fitzpatrick also recognizes the benefits of multi-generational volunteering, where youth and seniors are bound by their love of art and giving back.
“We cannot bring the programs to the community without volunteers. They allow us to take advantage of the many arts and culture opportunities out there,” Fitzpatrick continued.
“We’re expanding opportunities for volunteers to extend beyond theater ushers, and they’re helping us offer more experiences in the community, like the iArt trailer outside of RCA and the Meet me on Bernard project.”
“Our volunteers are the people who are on the front lines, helping to create memorable and lasting experiences for our customers and audiences. We ask volunteers for a one-year commitment of 10 hours per month or at least 50 hours per year.”
To learn more about RCA volunteer opportunities, visit their website at https://rotarycentreforthearts.com/get-involved/volunteer/.
Dorothee Birker is communications and development coordinator for KCR Community Resources.
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