National Volunteer Week is just around the corner and local officials are gearing up to recognize the many volunteers in Central Alberta.

National Volunteer Week will take place April 6-12. A local launch of the week is set to take place in Red Deer on Monday which will be hosted by Volunteer Central, formerly known as Volunteer Red Deer.

Karen Oatway, community awareness and engagement coordinator for Volunteer Central said next week is an opportunity to recognize those who dedicate their time for good causes.

The theme of Volunteer Week is ‘Random Acts of Recognition’.

“There are numerous organizations in Red Deer and Central Alberta that use volunteers to make sure their programs run properly. It’s not only organizations but volunteers are also used for a number of events,” she said. “Lots of times volunteers put in hours that are equivalent to full-time or part-time hours. Sometimes they are thanked and sometimes they are not, so it’s nice to be able to recognize them.

“It’s very much about thanking these volunteers that put in hours and hours of work many times which are behind the scenes.”

During Volunteer Week in Red Deer, Volunteer Central will highlight a number of organizations throughout the Central Alberta community.

“Volunteering allows people to get out in the community. Volunteers are able to get active, meet new people and learn about their community,” said Danielle Black Fortin, program manager with Volunteer Central.

Oatway added there are a number of ways to get involved in volunteering from sitting on a board to being involved with various community organizations.

“Individuals are able to volunteer and another thing we like to do is work with businesses who encourage their employees to volunteer or they can volunteer as a team-building exercise and also make a difference in the community,” she said.