How do you figure out the best way to make your neighbourhood stronger, protect human rights or help someone out? Whether you are considering making a donation, getting involved in community life or volunteering with an organization, it is not easy to sort through all the campaigns, canvassers and recruiters.
You may be seeking answers to some of life’s philosophical questions such as: What do I care about? How can I make a difference? What is the purpose of my life? What kind of society do I want to live in? What kind of world do I want to leave behind?
Maybe you are more of a practical type and you want to know what the stats say about housing, food security, literacy levels and air quality.
Like all good relationships, values and mutual respect between an organization and its volunteers need to be in alignment. Volunteers benefit when they take the time to choose an opportunity, a cause and an organization wisely. This process involves getting to know oneself better by learning more about the issues that matter to you most, be it locally, provincially, nationally or globally.
The Volunteer Quiz is a combination of a personality test and horoscope. In ten minutes, you can work through 13 questions to help you explore what is important to you, what skills you have to offer, what you would enjoy learning and what kind of organization might suit you best. Once completed, the Volunteer Quiz will indicate which of the 6 volunteer types you might be. You may discover that you are a Cameo volunteer, a person who does not want to be front and centre, but who is happy to make an appearance when needed. Perhaps you are a Roving Consultant, a person with a specialty that can be offered to several different organizations. Maybe you are a Rookie, a person who is just starting out as a volunteer and who is testing the waters.
In addition, the Volunteer Quiz is linked to a Matching Tool on GetInvolved, which is sponsored by Manulife Financial. The tool is easy to use and is constantly being updated with new opportunities. Simply select your interests, skills and enter your postal code, and the Matching Tool will produce a list of actual volunteer opportunities in your area.
At Volunteer Canada, we promote the full spectrum of volunteer engagement: from being informed about an issue, to supporting a cause, to active participation and strategic leadership.
To get started, visit volunteer.ca. Contact your local volunteer centre, register with Get Involved and create your volunteer profile. You can also speak to your friends and colleagues.
No matter the type of skills you wish to offer, or how much time you have to give, there is something out there that will suit you. Whether you want to volunteer out in the community or from home, on your own or in a group, once a week or once a year.
Paula Speevak-Sladowski
Paula Speevak-Sladowski, is the Director of Programs, Policy and Applied Research at Volunteer Canada. Here is how she found her last volunteer opportunity: After meeting several motivated, courageous, brilliant and highly qualified people who had endured significant hardship as part of their journeys to find a new life in Canada, I became aware of the many barriers they faced in finding work in their fields. Their credentials weren't being recognized and the requirement for Canadian experience seemed to be over emphasized. Was this just life or systemic discrimination? Last year, my good friend Caroline asked me to volunteer for World Skills, an employment service for newcomers. They were starting a new program for those seeking work in social science research. Consequently, they were looking for volunteer stewards to help facilitate sessions, provide mentoring and support to participants. The commitment was twice a month for six months. While they needed people with research expertise, the actual volunteering was not to do research. I accepted, and met my friend Caroline every second Wednesday for dumplings after work, before we headed off to volunteer together. Engaging directly with people in a situation where I used work-related knowledge was very satisfying. I could see first hand, the impact of the program that I was involved with, and got to know the people who benefitted from it most.Updated on October 31, 2024
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