WEST CARLETON – MPP Dr. Merrilee Fullerton says not only is volunteerism good for your community, it’s good for your health too.

“Kanata-Carleton MPP Merrilee Fullerton released today a paper entitled the Kanata-Carleton Community Volunteer Initiative to raise greater awareness of the positive health and social benefits of volunteering,” the MPP released in a statement today (July 8). “Within the paper, Dr. Fullerton documents the benefits of volunteering and challenges local residents to volunteer for a group or cause of their choice. The MPP also commits to specific actions she will undertake to achieve greater rates of volunteerism in Kanata and West Carleton.”

The MPP’s volunteer initiative is published on her website. The theme of Fullerton’s initiative is described in the paper’s opening paragraphs.

“As a physician, as a mother, and as a person who has volunteered throughout my life, I know how important the act of volunteering is to one’s health and well-being,” Fullerton said. “We are social by nature. So, to volunteer leads to a healthier and happier individual by making those meaningful social connections to others. Volunteering is also integral to a community’s health. It develops social networks of people and fosters friendships and a greater understanding of each other. It also provides essential programs and services that can help bond groups of people and neighbourhoods. In this way volunteerism strengthens the community.”    

 Fullerton says her goal is to increase volunteerism in the community for all the benefits it provides.

“With the community volunteer Initiative, I have provided research and background information about the many positive benefits of volunteering,” Fullerton said. “I hope residents of Kanata-Carleton will consider what volunteer group or local effort they wish to contribute to in the next year. I ask that they reach out and make a commit and volunteer.”

Fullerton, in an effort to make it easier to volunteer, promises to:

• have her community office serve as a community resource to make a connection for residents to a volunteer group
• profile a new community group or cause every week through social media and with the MPP website
• promote volunteerism, particularly with young citizens and seniors in her MPP duties 

Read the MPP’s full document here: Kanata-Carleton Community Volunteer Initiative

Fullerton states she and her local community office staff will work towards the objectives identified in the document.

“I certainly welcome anyone wishing to contribute to advancing this initiative to contact me and my office staff,” Fullerton said. “I look forward to profiling a different local volunteer group or cause each week. And I plan on raising volunteerism with groups and audiences at every opportunity in our community.”