As the cold sets in and the snow begins to accumulate, a local program is putting out an appeal for volunteers. ‘Snow Angels’ is a program run by Volunteer Terrace that provides seniors with an essential service in the North – snow removal.

Grace Davidson of Volunteer Terrace explains;

“The snow angels program is to help our seniors with getting safe access at all times to their medical appointments and just being able to get out into the community and being able to have safe access into their homes as well.”

The program is currently on the hunt for more snow angels, as they have more seniors than angels signed up.

“Our volunteers are able to shovel their driveways and give them safe access and put salt and stuff on the driveways. And obviously, our seniors, seniors that we support are low income and socially isolated seniors. So they don't have anybody really in town that are able to do this for them.”

Davidson says it’s an opportunity for any capable hands.

“We've had families do it together. We've had individuals do it together. We've had newcomers do it. We've had, seniors themselves do it. We've had, teenagers do it with all their friends. We've had hockey families, like hockey kids. We've had hockey teams, we've had schools.”

Another option for local businesses is employer supported volunteering.

“Employer supported volunteering, you get your employers to allow you to go out into your community and do it and give back to your community.”

Davidson says the effort comes much appreciated.

“Our seniors are really grateful because this is something that is needed to, hate to say it, to stay alive. Because if a senior were to fall in their home and they are snowed in, it's difficult, almost impossible for some people to get into their homes because they're snowed in, and an ambulance or something, somebody can’t get in.”

If you’d like to be a snow angel, give Volunteer Terrace a call at (250) 638-1330, or visit their website at www.volunteerterrace.com.

“A lot of them are appreciative of our volunteers and a lot of our volunteers we've had have been doing snow angels for a long time. So I think they've gotten used to their volunteers. They've gotten used to seeing them. Now, they're not just volunteers, they’re friends, they’re family. So it's, it's not just like volunteering. It's kind of just like a new thing. It's kind of sort of part of life now, especially, like for me, volunteering is just something I do. It's just like a hobby now. It's just part of me.”