With just days to go before one of Richmond’s longest-running community events, Sue Burford is looking at a lot of empty space on a normally crammed list of youth volunteers for the South Arm United Church Country Fair.
This Saturday (Sept. 20) marks the event’s 55th annual edition, which has suffered from the fallout of the ongoing public school teachers’ strike.
Getting word out for young volunteers has been difficult with the schools shut and teachers walking picket lines three weeks into the current school year.
“We’d normally have about 75 to 80 youth volunteers on the day,” Burford said, “and right now I have just 24 or so signed up.”
With an aging congregation of approximately 200, the infusion of youth at the church’s largest fundraising event is vital. So is the fact that youth account for roughly two thirds of the volunteer workforce needed to stage the good old fashioned fair which has a hay ride, games, silent auction, food concessions, flea market, home baking and a quilting display, to name a few attractions.
“It’s been hard, because normally we’d get youngsters who had committed to volunteer network among themselves and fill out the numbers we need,” Burford said.
Plus each year, as the congregation gets smaller, the fair becomes a little harder to stage, to the point where there have been discussions on its future.
There’s a lot at stake, Burford said, adding money raised at the fair helps support not only the church, but a variety of programs in the community, such as a youth-aimed cooking course at the Steveston Community Centre.
The homeless on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver also benefit from contributions made to the United Church’s presence in that neighbourhood.
“The fair also directly helps those local people in Richmond who are vulnerable,” Burford said, explaining that the used clothing sale provides low income earners with the opportunity to purchase quality, used clothing items at very low prices.
“The cost of living here in Richmond is just so high for many people, that we try and help in whatever way we can. And what we call the ‘junk sale’ is one way,” Burford said.
Youth, as young as Grades 6 and 7 can lend a hand at the fair, but most tend to be high school aged.
They can sign up to volunteer in one of three categories: morning, afternoon, or all day.
“And when they do, they have a great time,” Burford said.
To enquire about volunteering, call the South Arm United Church office at 604-277-4020.
