OCNews

For one OC instructor, it’s all about the community and giving back to those around him in any way.

Aaron Orlando wears two hats at the College: he’s an instructor for both Volunteer Adult Literacy Tutoring and English as a Second Language Settlement Assistance Program in Revelstoke. After he hangs up his teaching hats at the end of the day, however, he puts on another one: volunteering for a local non-profit community radio station.

And it’s for this role that Orlando was recently recognized with the Spirit of Revelstoke Award. The annual award honours volunteerism in the city, with 25 to 30 volunteers nominated for the award every year. Orlando was nominated for the award because of his work in grant writing as well as building organizational stability at Stoke FM, all while facing the challenges of the pandemic.

"One thing people love about Revelstoke is the community inter-connectedness. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and build connection by working together on common goals,” he says. “Like many people in Revelstoke, I enjoy volunteering in roles that I find are rewarding for me.”

Orlando is working at Stoke FM, in part, to bring in funding so the station can build its news component. He says journalism is an essential service that the city needs, especially during a time when a myriad of things change often, from public health restrictions to road conditions as climate change takes its toll on infrastructure. Residents need timely and high-quality information, and he hopes his work can support that service in Revelstoke.

“Our latest effort has been to focus on building the journalism component at the radio station to add resources and improve our talk and news segments,” he says. “We have a grant application in now, so fingers crossed.”

This is Orlando’s second Spirit of Revelstoke Award. Five years ago, he was volunteering with the Columbia Valley Skateboard Association (CVSA) along with a core group of about six volunteers to build the Kovach Park Skatepark. He and his fellow volunteers worked for nearly a decade, fundraising and applying for grants to make the dream a reality. The CVSA worked hard to get the park up and running, but the board credited the entire Revelstoke community for the park’s completion.

And because it’s all about the community, Orlando says he hopes this year’s Spirit of Revelstoke Award will serve as an inspiration to others.

“I hope that the awards serve to showcase the many good things that happen in our community is thanks to volunteers,” he says.