posted by The Princess Shop |
August 4, 2019 19:39
Written by Bailey Woloshyn.
Approaching the fourth and final year of my Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Saskatchewan, I was eager to find a way to get involved in Saskatoon for the last eight months that I would live there. Having spent most of my degree driving from my hometown to Saskatoon on Mondays and back home again on Thursdays, my time spent in the city had been quite limited up until my fourth year. I wanted to change this by becoming active in the community and spending some time volunteering, even if it would be only for a short period. I came across an ad for The Princess Shop and was instantly intrigued by the Fairy Godmother Program since it was similar to mentoring I had done with Big Brothers Big Sisters in the past. After visiting The Princess Shop’s Facebook page, website, and learning more about the organization, I decided to apply. Due to the short-term duration of my commitment to The Princess Shop, Karen Robson, the previous Executive Director, and I decided that a Volunteer Representative position would be ideal as I could contribute to as many parts of the organization that I could manage. While I expected my time with TPS to be exciting and benefit the community, I did not anticipate all of the spectacular experiences that it would lead to for me!
Here are some of the wonderful places I would never have visited if it wasn’t for The Princess Shop:
- Amigos, for The Princess Shop’s Trivia Night (and delicious nachos!)
- Sports On Tap, for the Steak Lunch Fundraiser where we watched the Rider Game and enjoyed a fantastic meal
- Saskatoon Fashion & Design Festival at the Delta Bessborough, representing TPS in an excellent fundraising opportunity
- The Saskatoon Farmers Market for the Fourth Annual Dress It Up Cupcake Contest
- Hilberg & Berk at the Midtown Plaza, for their International Women's Day Reception
- The Homestyles Home Show at Prairieland Park where TPS volunteers sold 50/50 tickets as a fundraiser
- TCU Place, for the 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses
- Wet Paint Pottery, for our team Glass Slipper Windup
- Countless Saskatoon and area businesses to drop off requests, pick up donations, and meet our supporters, as well as phone calls to businesses around the province where I was able to introduce owners and managers to TPS and find new donation opportunities
- And of course, The Princess Shop, where I was a part of countless meetings, dress appointments, Glass Slipper planning, training, and spending time in office.
Being part of The Princess Shop allowed me to not only become part of the community in which I lived, but to experience the beautiful city of Saskatoon in a different way! Every week, I was able to see more of the city, meet people who amazed me with their generosity and support, and learned the true meaning of ‘community’ through volunteerism by working towards creating an enhanced graduation experience for all of the beautiful graduates who allow TPS into their lives.
I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had with TPS and without a doubt, I recommend volunteering with this fantastic organization. The volunteer team, led by the Executive Director, is a dedicated, supportive group of women and I feel so fortunate to have worked alongside these inspiring individuals for eight months. Although I have moved away from Saskatoon and had to move on from The Princess Shop, my time there has left a lasting impression on me. Being part of TPS allowed me so many cool opportunities and I want people to realize it isn't just time-consuming work to volunteer, its also your ticket to experience so many great events while helping out! I am ecstatic to watch this organization grow and change, and I cannot wait to see how far it goes!
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Tags: best saskatoon non profit, charity, community, empower women, Fairy Godmother Program, Give Back, Glass Slipper, Hillberg & Berk, princess shop, saskatchewan, saskatoon charity, yxe volunteering, yxe volunteers, yxe volunteer opportunities, yxe mentorship, women helping women