International Volunteer Day highlights the crucial role that volunteers play in shaping our shared future as Albertans, as Canadians and as global citizens. There are innumerable organizations that rely on the energy, time and talent freely shared by volunteers, and countless lives are made better thanks to the compassion and dedication of those who step forward to serve. Volunteering is something that we each can do. It is an activity that welcomes all ages, abilities and walks of life. It has been said that the recipe for any volunteer endeavor is simply this: start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. When we find ways to lift up others, even a little bit, the quality of life we enjoy and the world we share are strengthened exponentially.
As Her Majesty the Queen’s representative in Alberta, I offer my most heartfelt thanks to the wonderful volunteers among us who serve programs here at home and around the world. You are lighting the way forward for us all.
Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani AOE, B.Sc., LLD (hon)
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
December 5, 2021