A Spotlight on New The ArQuives Volunteers

Since 1973, The ArQuives has been a volunteer-driven community organization. Without the commitment of the people at the archives, we would not be who and where we are today. Their diverse backgrounds, experience, and skills, in combination with their time, energy, and hard-work continue to support our mission of Keeping our Stories Alive. In 2017, volunteers put in a total of 13,021 hours of dedicated work. The number continues to grow each year, and new volunteers continue to join our team. So far this year, 41 people applied for our two orientation sessions. We successfully welcomed 26 new volunteers to our team, which has increased to a cohort of 120. These new members come from a wide range of backgrounds: archives and record management; library and information science; environmental studies; graphic design; history; event management; public relations; communications specialist; and fundraising, just to name a few. This broad and comprehensive set of skills will go a long way to supporting our various committees, such as Operations, Facilities, Community Engagement, Fundraising, and Communications. Our new volunteers heard about us from their school instructors, friends, word of mouth, social media, community events, and some found out simply from walking passed the building! Here are just a few of the new faces at The ArQuives:   Anna Kay Eldridge (Collections):

Anna Kay is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s Master of Information program, where she focused on the concentrations of Archives and Records Management as well as Library Information Science. As the child of theatre professionals, she has long been interested in the ways in which ideas are translated into action or reality. She fell in love with archives as they remind her of a portal where the curious can slip into other worlds, experiences, and ways of creating. “It is both a privilege and an education to be a volunteer for The ArQuives, where as a collections volunteer, I am able to help others find windows into the significant stories, personalities, and history that make up this community.”   Dylan Peters (Community Engagement Committee): Dylan is currently studying history at Carleton University in Ottawa, but was born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area! Organizations such as The ArQuives can play such a vital role towards empowering LGBTQ+ stories, that have often been marginalized, or misrepresented throughout history. In his spare time, he loves listening to the latest hip hop Spotify playlist (Yes to Gambino!), hiking, watching the latest episode of Queer Eye, and cheering on his Carleton Ravens! “I volunteer not only to get more involved with the LGBTQ+ community in Toronto, but also the privilege as an openly gay youth to continually learn and engage with other volunteers, allies, and heroes inside and outside The ArQuives.”   Arnold Matsiko (Facilities): Arnold is a newcomer in Canada from Uganda, where they were born and raised. They graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Uganda and a master’s degree from Costa Rica. All the years at the university, they were involved in a lot of community work as an intern and that’s how they acquired skills and knowledge which they have always enjoyed passing on to their peers and family. “I chose to volunteer at The ArQuives because I would like to be more involved in the LGBTQ2+ community. As I carry out my tasks at the archives, in my spare time I look forward to learning and researching how the history and the future of the LGBTQ2+ community can make relevancy of peace and development to environment, people and the world in general.”