I was speaking with an enthusiastic group of young people yesterday. In past years, they have helped at coup kitchens, organized sock drives for the homeless, volunteered at fundraising walks. With closures and COVID, the nature of hands on volunteer experiences has changed. There are relatively few opportunities and yet we know that people are keen to help.
As a charity leader, you know first hand the impact of hands-on volunteerism. Yet many charities have been slow to take advantage of the opportunity to come up with new ways to engage with volunteers. And while there are challenges to making this change, this is one the best moments in recent memory to actively recruit volunteers.
Even in parts of Canada with low COVID levels, the amount of external activity is reduced this year. Many people have extra time on their hands. In addition, we know that people want to make a difference. So you have the twin opportunities of more time plus more people willing to help. This is a moment when you truly can substantially increase your volunteer pool.
It is a new time so it is hard to know where to start. A great first place to check is the Volunteer Canada website. This is a wealth of information about virtual volunteering, volunteering during COVID, research on volunteering during coronavirus. Volunteer Canada is truly one-stop shopping for knowledge as well as advice.
In addition to the Volunteer Canada website, there are local volunteer centres in over 200 locations across Canada. With offices from Nunavut to Gander to Kamloops including information in French and English, there are many ways for you to learn more about how to work with volunteers that meet the needs of your local area.
While it is great to think local, bear in mind that in our virtual world, you can have volunteers from all over, not just in your local community. For example, BC-based GoVolunteer has many opportunities to contribute that do not require you to live right there.
Looking at these websites can be one way to develop ideas for how to create your own volunteer program that is suited to this time. You also can advertise for volunteers more widely. For example, people who used to live in your community might be keen to help back home even though they are miles away.
Volunteers are such an important part of Canada. While it could be hard at first to come up with new ways to have people volunteer, the benefits to you as a charity, and them is immense. Investing in reinvigorating your volunteer program will benefit your organization and your community.
Ann Rosenfield is a less-active-than-she-used-to-be volunteer. She is on the Board of Rainbow Railroad and volunteers for a local fruit harvest charity called Not Far from the Tree. She looks forward to in-person theatre volunteering in the post-vaccine world. Until then she is volunteering with Endeavour Volunteer Consulting and with other virtual volunteer roles.
Cover photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash
