Plans for Hands Up!
Volunteer Expo and Conference unveiled in Moncton

Moncton, New Brunswick - May 1, 2008 - Organizers of the inaugural Hands Up! Volunteer Expo and Conference unveiled plans today in Moncton for the fall event, which is expected to draw crowds from all sectors of the community.

"Our mission is to give citizens from southeastern New Brunswick an opportunity to learn about volunteering and to offer a professional, educational conference to those working in non-profit organizations," said Tony Hebert, president of ShareKnowledge Inc., the firm producing the event scheduled for Oct. 24 and 25 at the Moncton Coliseum.

"It's all about encouraging citizens to participate, activate and create volunteering opportunities for themselves!"

The United Way of Greater Moncton and Southeastern New Brunswick Region Inc. and the Volunteer Centre of Southeastern New Brunswick Inc. are organizational partners in the two-day expo and conference. Many other key groups related to public, health, safety, education, sports and community service will also be actively participating, said Hebert.

Debbie McInnis, Executive Director of the local United Way, said community non-profit organizations rely heavily on volunteer support and expressed optimism that the Hands Up! Expo and Conference would give residents a better idea of how they can make a difference through volunteering.

"We have some wonderful volunteers but as we all know, the population is aging and our current volunteer workforce is over utilized," said McInnis. "We need to encourage more citizens to lend a hand so community services can be maintained and, ultimately, expanded. We truly believe that everyone has something to contribute and hope that the expo will shine a light on ways people can help."

Annette Vautour-MacKay, Executive Director of the Volunteer Centre, agreed. "We're hoping that this event, which has been a year in the making, helps non-profit organizations recruit new volunteers of all ages to more actively participate in the community," said Vautour-MacKay. "For the non-profit sector, this is really quite an exciting initiative."

More than 150 community non-profit groups, services and agencies in southeastern New Brunswick are being invited to set up booths at the Hands Up! Volunteer Expo and Conference.

Attendees to the event will come from a variety of sectors in the community, from active seniors seeking opportunities to help, to parents looking for areas their children and teens can participate and build leadership skills, says Hebert.

"We'll also have educational institutions sending student leaders and corporations sending staff," he says. "It's well-known that volunteering helps people acquire valuable skills, not to mention the team-building that can result."

To help subsidize Hands Up! operations and booth costs for non-profit groups, the Hands Up! Volunteer Expo and Conference is seeking sponsors and to date has received support from UPS, Rogers Television, the City of Moncton, Legault Decorating, Local In The Know, Enterprise Greater Moncton, the Capitol Theatre, Moncton Lions Club, Codiac Transit, Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, PPS Pharma, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Codiac RCMP, School District 2, Medavie Blue Cross, Hudson Design and Lounsbury's.

Admission will be free to the event, though attendees will be asked to bring a non-perishable food item for area food banks or to provide a free-will donation. All proceeds will be distributed among the exhibitors. Codiac Transit will provide FREE transportation to and from the Hands Up! Volunteer Expo and Conference for exhibitors and attendees.

Both McInnis and Vautour-MacKay applauded Hebert's decision to include seminars for those working in the community non-profit sector during the event, a move aimed at helping non-profit workers improve their administrative capabilities and service delivery. Topics will include volunteer recruitment and retention, marketing, governance and accountability.

For more information on the Hands Up! Volunteer Expo and Conference, visit www.handsup-expo.com or contact the Hands Up! office at (506) 389-1055

Fast facts on the Hands Up! Volunteer Expo and Conference:

What is Hands Up! Expo:
"An opportunity for our citizens to learn about volunteering as well as an educational conference for those working in non-profit organizations to assist them in delivering services to our community more effectively."

When: Friday, October 24 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, October 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Moncton Coliseum. Codiac Transit will provide FREE transportation to and from the Hands Up! Expo and Conference for all exhibitors and attendees.

Cost: Admission will be free. Attendees will be asked to bring a non-perishable food item for area food banks or to provide a free-will donation. All proceeds will be distributed among the exhibitors.