Pros
I first came across Bootcamps for Change when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Canada and we were all forced to stay home. As I was without work and real structure in my day-to-day life with the university school year coming to an end, I began to seek out meaningful volunteer opportunities on Charity village. In a way, I really wanted to feel a sense of purpose again in this chaotic time. I came across a volunteer position at Bootcamps for Change, an initiative seeking to change the lives of the most vulnerable youth in Canada, through fitness. As a fitness enthusiast myself who’s physical and mental health has been drastically improved with a daily exercise routine, I knew that such an initiative was needed for those who don’t necessarily have the privilege to be educated on the benefits of exercise, or have the resources to afford good exercise programs. To me, fitness is far more than something one does to improve our physical bodies, it is something we must do several times a week to relieve stress and anxiety, take a break from our work and do for the sake of our health. As someone who has struggled with an anxiety disorder for many years, I’ve noticed a direct correlation with how bad my anxiety has been over a period of a few months and how consistent I’d been with exercising and just generally moving my body. This is so important and it is not only a privilege to be able to take the time to care for our bodies, but it is also a need. I immediately reached out to Katie Heggtveit to find out how I could be a part of such an amazing organization, and she replied within the hour, outlining the various projects that Bootcamps for Change had on the go in order for me to pick one to focus on. That same day I was assigned a project and began to work with the organization. Katie has been nothing but friendly, helpful and grateful for the volunteer hours I’ve put in with Bootcamps for Change, and has thanked me in every email she’s sent. Whenever I have a question, she provides an in-depth explanation and instructions, without ever making me feel stressed out about deadlines or overloading me with work. Also, she’s highlighted several times that if I ever feel overwhelmed, I could always focus on one thing at a time, or take a break. It’s honestly admirable how much Katie puts in to be an excellent leader and role model at Bootcamps for Change - she is incredibly busy and still, never leaves me hanging with unanswered questions and makes me feel continuously valued. Finally, when I reached out to Katie about possibly getting her help to deal with my University so that I could get school credit for my volunteer work, Katie was on the ball and let me know how much she believed I deserved real credit for the hours I’d put in. All in all, I’ve had nothing but an incredibly positive experience working with Bootcamps for Change under the leadership of Katie Heggtveit. I hope to continue working with the organization for a while, and hopefully take part in their expansion plans to many more Canadian cities.
Cons
None to date, excellent experience thus far.