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Snow Angels program looking for volunteers

The Snow Angels program assists people who can't shovel their walks on their own
19619469_web1_191202-BPD-M-Shovel-snow
(The Canadian Press)

The Town of Sylvan Lake's Snow Angels program is looking for volunteers. 

The program, where people can volunteer to shovel the walkways of people who cannot do it themselves, has been an FCSS program for over 18 years and is now a Wellness and Community Connections (WCC) program. 

"The program was created to provide low-income seniors and those with disabilities the opportunity to have a safe walkway that offers them the ability to come and go from their homes without the fear of falling," community services supervisor Val Munro said.

The volunteer centre coordinator screens potential volunteers to ensure criminal record checks are completed. 

"Then the resident is matched with a 'Snow Angel.' The Snow Angel program is completely free to those who qualify. The success of the program depends on community volunteers," Munro said. 

The ideal would be to have more volunteers for the program than residents requesting support.

"Every effort is made to ensure any resident who needs a Snow Angel will get one but there are times when the number of applications outnumber the volunteers," Munro said. 

Once matched with a resident, the volunteer is provided the address of the resident to whom they will be assisting. 

"All effort is made to connect the volunteer with someone who lives close by," Munro said. 

People interested in volunteering can apply online on the Town's website, forms.sylvanlake.ca/FCSS/Volunteer-Application. 

It is important to note that people need to be over the age of 18 to volunteer or between the ages of 16-18 with parental consent, Munro said. 

"Anyone under the age of 16 wanting to volunteer must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have two references, not friends or family, in addition to the application." 

Potential volunteers can also view a map online to see where Snow Angels are needed at, https://geo.sylvanlake.ca/snowangelmap/. 

Individuals who are interested can also find out more information about volunteering by contacting the Volunteer Centre at volunteer@sylvanlake.ca. 



Sarah Baker

About the Author: Sarah Baker

I joined Black Press in March 2023 and am looking forward to sharing stories about the local communities.
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