Brant Regional Association of Volunteer Administrators (BRAVA) and the City of Brantford once again teamed up for the annual Spring Volunteer Fair on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Held at the T.B. Constain/SC Johnson Community Centre, the free two-hour event featured a range of 25 different organizations that were looking to connect with potential volunteers.
“The Spring Volunteer Fair is a really great way to showcase the different organizations and groups that are in our community, and to share what kind of volunteer opportunities are out there,” said Kari Cass, president of BRAVA. “It’s also a good way for high school students to find somewhere they can get their 40 hours of community service, and who knows, maybe they’ll even discover a new career they never thought about before. It’s really just a one-stop shop to learn more about these organizations and how you can get involved.”
From the Why Not City Missions to the Brant Community Healthcare System, the Brantford Minor Hockey Association, Darmont Gives Back, the John Noble Home, Stedman Community Hospice, and the Brantford Green Team, there were plenty of ways for residents to connect with a variety of meaningful volunteer opportunities.
BRAVA co-secretary Karen Adams said that volunteering is not only a rewarding way to make a difference, but it’s also an important part of the community that plays a vital role in helping a number of groups operate on a day-to-day basis.
“For most organizations, volunteers are the backbone of their work. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes at any given organization, and I don’t know if people realize how much of a difference they can make when they volunteer,” she said. “It doesn’t need to be a full-time commitment either, it could be one or two hours a week, or it could be more; you give your time wherever you can, and in doing so you often gain more from volunteering than what you give.”
Jessica Hill, Community Development Assistant at Nova Vita Domestic Violence Services, shared a similar sentiment.
“Volunteerism is essential to the community,” she said. “A lot of our own programs and services wouldn’t run as smoothly without volunteers, and the same goes for our events. Not only that, but our volunteers also advocate for us, and they help other people learn what we do and who we help.”
Hill added that she spoke to 30 different people over the course of two-hours and that she even had the chance to engage with other organizations too.
“It was incredible, I met a lot of really great people who were interested in learning more about Nova Vita,” she said. “I even connected with some services I didn’t know existed here in town which was nice; that’s why I love this event, I always end up meeting or finding out about a service or organization I’ve never heard of before.”
Noting that over 60 people stopped into the community centre throughout the event, both Cass and Adams said they were pleased with the overall fair.
“It was a great turnout,” said Cass. “We’re just really excited to have our BRAVA members, as well as non-members, here today to showcase their organizations.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
