​BRAMPTON, ON (April 26, 2022) – The City of Brampton recognizes National Volunteer Week from April 24 to 30, and thanks its many volunteers for their time, skills and efforts in service of our city.

This year, all City volunteers will receive a thank you letter from Mayor Brown with an enclosed gift to recognize their contributions to our community.

Click here for volunteer opportunities with the City of Brampton. Click here to learn more about National Volunteer Week.

Meet volunteers Aaron, Keneisha and Zachary

Aaron Lenc

My name is Aaron. I'm 26 years old and I have autism.  

I started volunteering for the City of Brampton in 2014. I wanted a part-time job but my mom said I didn't have any experience so she talked to Jim Pitman, Manager of Parks Maintenance and Operations, and asked him if I could pick up litter in our neighbourhood park. He said yes and gave me all of the supplies. Over two summers, I filled 106 trash bags all by myself!!!

My favourite volunteer job was at the Mini Moo Farm in Chinguacousy Park. I was a volunteer Barn Attendant from 2016 to 2019.

When I graduated high school, I was given the Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award for Students. That made me very happy and I always wear my pin when I get dressed up in my suit because I'm so proud of it. Eight months after I graduated, I was hired as a Seasonal Labourer for the City of Brampton Parks Department. This past February, I celebrated my fifth work anniversary!

I love being a COB volunteer because it's fun, you learn lots of different duties and you make lots of new friends! My mom said I'm a famous guy because so many people know me in Brampton.  

Keneisha Baid

I have been volunteering with the City since 2018 as a recreation program volunteer, and as a volunteer ambassador since 2019. 
A typical day volunteering for camps encompasses the many different things that I do as a volunteer best. During a camp shift, I get assigned to a different camp every day of the week once I arrive for my shift, and usually it’s different every day so that I can have experience in many different areas. 

My favourite part is the people that I’ve met as a volunteer. I have made many friends, both fellow volunteers as well as instructors, who have taught me a lot about the activities that we are doing and about life, and I am truly grateful for the experiences that I have had.
Volunteering with the City has taught me to be more confident. As a volunteer ambassador, the leadership required in that role gave me the confidence to be a leader in other areas in my life. I have also improved my skills - from ball hockey to Lego Mindstorm, volunteering has enriched my life in more ways than one.

Zachary Mitchell

I have been volunteering with the City since December 2021. I have volunteered at a Christmas camp and a March Break camp, and most recently I volunteered at the City's Bunny EGGScitement program.
For the camps, typically we played sports activities and crafts and I worked closely with the camp leaders to help the kids understand the activity we were doing, and I played along and supervised them.  For the Bunny EGGScitement program, I guided participants on where to go, counted the number of participants and also worked at an activity centre and explained the activity to participants.  

Volunteering with the City will help me gain experience that I can use towards my future work and school. It helps me gain leadership experience, self-confidence and betters my communication skills.  

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