Community Contribution

Career Development 2201

a person who voluntarily offers himself or

herself for a service or undertaking. a person who performs a service willingly and

without pay.

Volunteer

When it comes to benefits of volunteering, a lot of

people think that’s it’s all about the warm and fuzzy feeling you feel after helping someone.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that it is not just about soup kitchens, the peace corps and doctors against borders; charity work requires a wide variety of people, doing a wide variety of things for everything to work.

Because of this you can volunteer as almost anything, which means there are some surprising benefits to be had.

Benefits of Volunteering

Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer

Volunteering provides physical and mental

rewards. It Reduces stress: Experts report that when

you focus on someone other than yourself, it interrupts usual tension-producing patterns.

It Makes you healthier: Moods and emotions, like optimism, joy, and control over one's fate, strengthen the immune system.

10. It’s good for you

Volunteering provides valuable community

services so more money can be spent on local improvements.

The estimated value of a volunteer's time is $15.39 per hour.

9. It saves resources

You can test out a career.

8. Volunteers gain professional experience

Uniting people from diverse backgrounds to

work toward a common goal Building camaraderie and teamwork

7. It brings people together

Understanding community needs helps foster

empathy and self-efficacy.

6. It promotes personal growth & self esteem

5. Volunteering strengthens your

community As a volunteer you help: Support families

(daycare and eldercare) Improve schools

(tutoring, literacy) Support youth

(mentoring and after-school programs)

Beautify the community (beach and park cleanups)

Self: Volunteers discover hidden talents that

may change your view on your self worth. Government: Through working with local non-

profit agencies, volunteers learn about the functions and operation of our government.

Community: Volunteers gain knowledge of local resources available to

solve community needs.

4. Your learn a lot

People like to support community resources

that they use themselves or that benefit people they care about.

3. You get a chance to give back

Civic Responsibility: working to make a

difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

Community service and volunteerism are an investment in our community

and the people who live in it.

2. Volunteering encourages civic responsibility

Every person counts!

1. YOU make a difference

Canadians generously volunteer more than

two billion hours annually — the equivalent of 1.1 million fulltime jobs.

More than 47% of Canadians volunteer an average 156 hours each year.

Many Canadians volunteer out of a desire to contribute to their communities, to use their skills and experience, and because they have been personally affected by the cause

Statistics Canada (2010)

Traditionally, volunteering has been a feel-

good way to give back to the community, but it has also now become a means for young people to gain skills for the labour market.

It’s Win Win!

Volunteers have a better chance of finding a job

than non-volunteers. After fundraising, the most popular volunteer

activities are collecting, preparing distributing or serving food (23.8%), contributing general work or helping out with transportation (19.85) and teaching/tutoring (17.9%).

Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health and that older volunteers are the most likely to receive physical and mental health benefits from their volunteer activities.

Facts:

Facts:

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities are non-paid, outside of class

time volunteer activities. These activities are not to be used for

evaluation purposes in a course (e.g., Cooperative Education, Ensemble Performance 1105/2105/3105).

Students must choose activities from the approved list.

Eligible Activities

Eligible Activities List:

Seniors - Senior’s Residence, Senior’s Resource Centre

Community projects - volunteer for seniors, food banks, seasonal events

Committees - neighborhood associations, regional associations, advisory boards

Fundraising - walk-a-thons, run-a-thons, special events, canvassing

Recreation/Sports - pool assistant, summer games, coaching

Clerical/Office - summer playground and camps, child care centres, drop-in centers, holiday programs

Animals - animal care Arts/Culture - playing in a

school/church band, singing in a choir, library volunteer, art

gallery volunteer School - organizing or assisting

with approved school activities that take place outside the regular school day or during lunch and recess (e.g., newsletter, yearbook, student council, peer volunteering, peer education, dinner theaters, musicals and others)

Eligible Activities List cont’d:

Environmental Projects - flower/tree planting, community clean-up

Community Events - summer/spring fair, city/town functions

Clubs and Youth Organizations - volunteer activities, such as Scouts, Guides, Beavers, Sparks, Boys and Girls Club (active involvement is required; membership alone is not eligible)

Hospitals Virtual Volunteering

(e.g.,online mentoring, development and maintenance of web sites)

Service Clubs - Lions Club, Kinsmen, Kinettes

Church Groups and Religious Activities

Ineligible Activities:

is a requirement of a course and used for evaluation purposes (e.g., Co-operative Education, Ensemble Performance 1105/2105/3105)

takes place during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day (an activity that takes place during the student’s lunch breaks or recess is permissible)

would normally be performed for wages by a person in the workplace

involves the administration of any type or form of medication or medical procedure to

other persons

involves handling of substances classed as “designated substances” under the Occupational Health and Safety Act

consists of duties normally performed in your own home (e.g., daily chores) or personal recreational activities

involves activities for a court-ordered program (e.g., community-service program for young offenders, probationary program)

involves receipt of a wage/honorarium (e.g., tutoring for tuition)

Need Volunteer Ideas?

Red Cross Special Olympics Ronald McDonald

House Gathering Place SPCA Senior Citizen Homes Coaching Tutoring

Frosty Festival Heart & Stroke

Foundation Canadian Diabetes

Foundation Sci Fi on the Rock Boys and Girls Club

Brainstorm at least 5 organizations you would

consider volunteering your time with. In the lab, look up EACH organization and find

the following information (if available): Name of organization What requirements they need in order for

someone to volunteer with their organization (if there is a form-print it off in the lab and start filling it out whether you want to apply or not)

Contact info (email/phone number) Hours of operation

Your Turn! (computer lab)