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Tag: community service

  • Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer

    Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer

    Thinking of becoming a volunteer? Here are 10 good reasons to do so!

    #10: It’s good for you.

    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.

    #9: It saves resources.

    Volunteering provides valuable community services so more money can be spent on local improvements.

    • The estimated value of a volunteer’s time is $27.00 per hour as of 2017.

    #8: Volunteers gain professional experience.

    You can test out a career.

    #7: It brings people together.

    As a volunteer you assist in:

    • Uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal.
    • Building camaraderie and teamwork.

    #6: It promotes personal growth and self esteem.

    Understanding community needs helps foster empathy and self-efficacy.

    #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)

    #4: You learn a lot.

    Volunteers learn about things like:

    • 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.

    #3: You get a chance to give back.

    People like to support community resources that they use themselves or that benefit people they care about.

    #2: Volunteering encourages civic responsibility.

    Community service and volunteerism are an investment in our community and the people who live in it.

    #1: You make a difference.

    Every person counts!

  • Getting Your 40 Hours of Community Service- UPDATED!

    Getting Your 40 Hours of Community Service- UPDATED!

    As you know, all high school students need to have 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Use this information to discover where your 40 hours can best be used.

    Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. With more than 200 in Canada, each volunteer centre’s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community.

    To find a volunteer centre in your area, click here.

    There are so many ways you can get your 40 hours of community service completed. Besides volunteer centres, you may be able to find other alternative ways to get your mandatory service hours.

    If you are living in Ontario, check out these guidelines listed on the Ministry of Education website:

    http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/124a.html

    These guidelines will let you know what is considered acceptable and not acceptable volunteer activities. If you don’t live in Ontario, visit your provincial government website’s high-school volunteer guidelines.

    An excellent search resource for students looking to complete their hours is charityvillage.com . This website allows you to search for volunteer listings all over Canada. It is easy to access and will give you a choice of many different volunteering opportunities.

    Another great, easy, searchable resource for finding volunteer opportunities is volunteermatch.org . This website will let you search opportunities all over Canada, as well. It is easy to navigate and allows you to search by category or what you are passionate about.

    What Volunteering Can Do for You

    Volunteering can turn into a life-long habit. If you are passionate about helping others or a specific cause, it may follow you throughout your life. You can learn a lot about yourself, your community, and others. Even though it is a requirement in high-school, it doesn’t have to stop there. Your interests might change over time, but you can always go back to how you felt while volunteering in high-school. Do not see volunteering as a chore- see it as a chance for you to walk in someone else’s shoes.

    Tip: Whatever you do, don’t leave volunteering to the last minute. If you do, you may not be able to get your diploma-you don’t want that to happen!

    Tip: You don’t want to be grunting and groaning through your volunteer experience- you want to enjoy it. Remember to research and take up opportunities that you will like and have fun doing.

    Tip: Mix it up! You don’t have to pick only one type of volunteer opportunity. It may be in your best interest to do some hours at one organization and finish the rest with another.

    Revised by Erin Lynne Bouman

  • Getting Your 40 Hours of Community Service

    Getting Your 40 Hours of Community Service

    As you know, all high school students need to have 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Use this information to discover where your 40 hours can best be used.

    Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. With more than 200 in Canada, each volunteer centre’s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community.

    To find a volunteer centre in your area, click here.

    Many volunteer centres are independent non-profit organizations, while others are part of a United Way, Social Planning Council, Community Information and Referral Centre or municipal services. Though diverse in many ways, they share the following common functions:

    • Promote volunteering
    • Build the capacity of organizations to engage volunteers
    • Facilitate connections between people with volunteer opportunities
    • Provide leadership on issues related to volunteering and citizen engagement

    If you want to volunteer, your local volunteer centre is there to connect you to opportunities in your community. It may have a database of volunteer opportunities or can connect you directly to opportunities within its member organizations.

  • Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours

    Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours

    As you know, all high school students need to have 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Use this information to discover where your 40 hours can best be used.

    Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. With more than 200 in Canada, each volunteer centre’s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community.

    To find a volunteer centre in your area, click here.

    Many volunteer centres are independent non-profit organizations, while others are part of a United Way, Social Planning Council, Community Information and Referral Centre or municipal services. Though diverse in many ways, they share the following common functions:

    – Promote volunteering

    – Build the capacity of organizations to engage volunteers

    – Facilitate connections between people with volunteer opportunities

    – Provide leadership on issues related to volunteering and citizen engagement

    If you want to volunteer, your local volunteer centre is there to connect you to opportunities in your community. It may have a database of volunteer opportunities or can connect you directly to opportunities within its member organizations.