by Lynda Gerty, Vantage Point Program Director

 "The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting
for our wits to grow sharper."
- Eden Phillpotts

Spring. A time of plenty. 

"Sure — plenty of rain," I hear the British Columbians in the crowd saying.  True.  And the arrival of spring has meant plenty of other things too. This year at Vantage Point, it has delivered plenty of opportunity. A virtual plethora of possibility. And, most importantly, an abundance of people.

This hasn't come as a surprise to us. We know community members are generous with their time and talent. We teach others there are many people with skills and passions who are keen to be involved. We believe when organizations create meaningful ways for people to be engaged, they (almost magically!) appear. If you build it, they will come. During this season of abundance, it has been fun to be reminded about how true that really is.

Sometimes it does feel like a little bit of magic is at play. Over the past few weeks, the people who have connected with our organization have been incredible. A storyteller. A search engine optimization guru. Two fantastic facilitators. Three subject matter experts, offering to deliver training to our members. Four French translators. Eleven "next generation" leaders. Some responded to positions we created and posted on govolunteer.ca.  Others came to us through different channels. All expressed a desire to make new connections, impact our organization's mission, and contribute their passion and knowledge to a meaningful project.

Each of these individuals has reinforced our belief in the abundance of passion and talent that exists in our community.  The positive impact that will be created by as a result of their combined work is impossible to calculate or equate with a dollar figure. Imagine if each not-for-profit organization, and the sector as a whole, could effectively engage all of the people who are passionate about our missions. What would our communities look like then? At Vantage Point, we would love to find out.

Spring. It has brought plenty of rain. What else is appearing in abundance? And in what new ways are you harnessing the energy of your community to achieve your mission?