Building community through volunteering

Finding motivation and purpose by lending a helping hand

Volunteers
By: AV Kitching Posted: 6:00 AM CDT Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

Advertise with us

Andrea Castro was prepared to start from scratch when she decided to move to Canada.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

Andrea Castro was prepared to start from scratch when she decided to move to Canada.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Andrea Castro was prepared to start from scratch when she decided to move to Canada.

The 42-year-old, who is from Ocana, in northern Colombia, moved to the capital city Bogota at 21, where she lived for 17 years. She had a good career at the United States embassy and was in a relationship. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

“I started thinking about what I really want in my life. I was tired of the same routine. In the embassy I met people who had been travelling and living in different places. I wanted to challenge myself in a new place with a new language. I wanted to follow my dreams,” she says.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
Andrea Castro has been busy volunteering since she moved to Winnipeg from Bogota, Columbia in 2021. The friends she’s made along the way while volunteering at places such as Siloam Mission, Assiniboine Park and Comiccon have become her family and community here in the city.

She left her family, friends and her partner. “He didn’t want to come so I came by myself,” she says nonchalantly. Castro arrived in Winnipeg on a frigid December day in 2021 determined to create a fulfilling life for herself.

Five years later, she has built a community of like-minded people through her volunteer work.

“It is not common for people to volunteer in Colombia,” she says.

Castro helps out at about 10 organizations throughout the year by regularly putting in hours at Folklorama, Comiccon, Assiniboine Park Conservancy, the Colombian Association and Festival du Voyageur.

“I moved by myself, so I needed to meet people and create my community. I knew volunteering is really important in Canada, so I decided to get involved,” she says.

In February 2022, Castro took on her first role as a general volunteer at Festival du Voyageur. Three months later she put herself forward for regular volunteer shifts at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, where she also helps out during seasonal events.

She’s been a fixture at Comiccon for the past three years and is a familiar face at Folklorama’s Spanish Pavilion and on the tour buses.

Castro has deliberately surrounded herself with fellow Winnipeggers who enjoy sharing their experience, knowledge and skills with others.

“When people are volunteering it’s because they are good people, because they care about others. They are happy to share their time and their abilities with other people. That is the type of person I want with me in my life. People who want to make a difference in everyone else’s life,” she says.

Volunteer opportunities

The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to wfp.to/volunteers or call 204-477-5180.

Students! Believe it or not, summer is just around the corner. Volunteer Manitoba can help make your summer awesome: volunteering is a fantastic way to make your summer interesting, rewarding and fun! Not convinced? Check out our blog post for plenty of reasons why volunteering this summer is perfect for you. There are also links to volunteer opportunities from non-profits from across Manitoba that will make your summer the best yet. Visit wfp.to/volunteer.

West End Cultural Centre seeks volunteers for the Ellice Street Festival on June 6. As a WECC volunteer, you’ll be part of the energetic crew helping to deliver great live-music experiences. Typical tasks include: supporting event setup and teardown (stage areas, vendor spaces, seating, signage), troubleshooting issues on site and ensuring a safe, inclusive environment, monitoring the chalk area, garbage, vendor or stage hospitality before, after and during the event. There is a volunteer training session on May 25 at 6 p.m. Ages 16-plus can apply online at wfp.to/iaG. Deadline is May 30.

Variety, the Children’s Charity seeks bike camp volunteers for summer. Volunteer spotters are needed to walk/run/jog alongside the riders, encourage them, and help them not to fall. Volunteers are encouraged to commit to attend all five days of camp for the session(s) selected. Riders bond with their assigned volunteer(s) and rely on the same person to be there to support them each day of camp. They do understand this is not always a possibility and will welcome volunteers any day or time they can attend. No prior experience working with children living with disabilities is required. The sessions are supervised by trained professionals who will provide advice on how to best support the child. Ages 15-plus can apply at wfp.to/ia7. Deadline is June 26.

Accommodations Winnipeg requires a community funding & grant development volunteer to help strengthen its ability to expand community programs by identifying and securing new funding opportunities. The volunteer will assist with researching grants and funding programs from foundations, governments, and community partners. They may help draft grant applications, prepare supporting materials, summarize program impact, and assist with tracking funding deadlines. Working alongside the leadership team, the volunteer will help translate the real-world impact of their work into compelling proposals that communicate the needs of the community and the outcomes of their programs. Apply online: wfp.to/iaH. Deadline is June 1.

The Manitoba Writers’ Guild seeks enthusiastic volunteers to act as competition coordinators. The role includes promoting writing competitions, managing entries and judges, and assisting with the editing and publication of the Guild’s anthology, Beyond Boundaries. The volunteers will also help organize an awards gala celebrating outstanding writers. Apply by email: mwgrdf1981@gmail.com. Deadline is June 15.

Thrive Community Support Circle seeks reliable and community-minded volunteer drivers for donation pickups and food security programs. This role is essential in helping Thrive get food, clothing, and essential items to the families and individuals they serve. Volunteers will use the Thrive van to pick up and deliver donations and food resources during daytime hours. Tasks include: pickups from Winnipeg Harvest and other food suppliers, collecting clothing and essential goods from donation partners, assisting with the safe loading and unloading of items and supporting the timely delivery of resources back to Thrive’s main site at 555 Spence St. or 475 Sargent Ave. Apply by email: jesssmith@thrivewpg.com. Deadline is Oct. 31.

Assiniboine Park and Zoo Camp is looking for volunteers for its camp crew. Crew volunteers are between 14-18 years of age and support camp counselors in their daily activities. Camps run Monday to Friday every week of the summer. Volunteers will greet campers (ages 5-12 years) at the start of camp, play games, organize crafts materials, and befriend them while exploring the zoo and park. Volunteers must commit to a minimum of two 40-hour weeks during the summer. Shifts are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Opportunities are also available throughout the year for in-service day camps and spring break camps. Apply online: assiniboinepark.ca/volunteer. Deadline is May 31.

The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada seeks Winnipeg Walk Day volunteers on June 27. Volunteers will play a key role in creating a smooth and inspiring event by helping with setup, registration, cheering on participants, and more. No experience is needed — just a passion for supporting a great cause. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Apply online: wfp.to/ia3. Deadline is June 15.

Jazz Winnipeg seeks event volunteers for the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival. Open crews vary depending on availability. You could be a part of event safety, enviro, bar, bar sales, raffle, front of house, merchandise sales, stage and setup, and more. Some crews require extended periods of walking or standing and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds. All applicants should be prepared to work outside. Apply online: jazzwinnipeg.com/volunteer. Deadline is May 30.

The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Apply at wfp.to/0pE, volunteer@redcross.ca or 1-844-818-2155.

Some volunteers are now her best friends and she considers one in particular as a family member.

“I met my best friend, Lidija, the first time I volunteered at Festival du Voyageur, on the first day. She is a nurse and she also volunteers regularly. She has become a sister to me — we are a support to each other. Her family is like my family now,” she says.

She fits her roles in after working full days as a receptionist and building co-ordinator at the nursing college at the University of Manitoba.

Her schedule is especially gruelling during peak festival season.

“I volunteer in my free time. I go there right after I finish my work and start volunteering from 5 p.m. until midnight, then the next day I am up at my usual time and come back to work, then do it again until midnight. And also all weekend,” she says.

Friends and colleagues have asked how she able to maintain the pace.

“They say ‘Andrea, I don’t know how you do it,’” she says, laughing. “But what I do gives me energy to continue moving all day. I feel so motivated when I am helping. I feel so energized that instead of feeling tired I have the power to continue.

“When I am retired, I am going to be volunteering full-time. I like helping others, I like guiding people and I like learning. Volunteering has filled up my life.”

If you know a special volunteer, please contact AV.Kitching@freepress.mb.ca

AV Kitching
Reporter

AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.

Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

AV Kitching
Reporter