Volunteer to help kids get off to a strong start
The following are volunteer opportunities in Kitchener-Waterloo. For more information, call the Volunteer Action Centre in Kitchener at 519-742-8610 or check the website at www.volunteerkw.ca.
Strong Start is seeking volunteers for the Get Ready for School program. Volunteers assist preschoolers during play and learning activities. They work with a team of instructors to provide children with meaningful learning experiences. The minimum time commitment is two hours per week for eight weeks. We provide training. This program is free to children, offered in a variety of community centres. For more information, please contact Kirsten at 519-743-9578 or email grfs@strongstart.ca.
Canadian Blood Services is looking for enthusiastic, outgoing individuals to become In Community event volunteers. Volunteers are responsible for hosting information booths at various locations to promote the need for blood and recruit blood donors. A commitment of at least two- to four-hour shifts per month is required. Interested candidates can apply online at www.blood.ca or contact Carly at carly.watson@blood.ca or 1-866-537-7700 ext. 6349.
Lisaard House and Innisfree House, two residential hospices in Waterloo Region, are looking for caring and compassionate men and women to help raise the quality of life for their residents and visitors. Picture yourself helping once per week during the evening or weekend for two to three hours at our reception desk, or for three to four hours in the kitchen preparing meals. Please contact Jo Ann at 519-208-5055 ext. 254, jbarber@lisaardhouse.com; or visit the volunteer section of our website at www.lisaardhouse.com for an application. To find a volunteer opportunity that suits you, search United Way’s online volunteer opportunities database at www.uwcambridge.on.ca and click on the Volunteer Centre tab, or call 519-621-1030.
Picture this: After decades of hard work and dedication to your job, you are finally able to retire. Imagine all of the great things you can do with your free time. You would finally have time to travel the world, spend time with family, or even give back to your community by volunteering. Since approximately 53 per cent of non-profits in Ontario are led entirely by volunteers, there is no shortage of volunteer opportunities available.
For 36 years of his life, Ken Reid commuted to Mississauga and Brampton to work every day before he decided to retire. During his working career, he had little time to volunteer so he decided that in his retirement, it was his “turn to give back” and has been doing so over the course of the last four years. Ken currently volunteers at the Cambridge Self Help Food Bank, as a volunteer driver for the Canadian Cancer Society, and at the United Way Cambridge and North Dumfries. Here at the United Way Cambridge and North Dumfries, Ken is in every week charging through databases, phone calls, spreadsheets, contact lists, and various other tasks. According to Resource Development Officer Divya Handa, Ken “keeps us moving forward, he keeps us organized, he keeps us updated, he keeps us focused, and most importantly, he keeps our stress levels low. Ken does everything with great zeal and a bright smile. (He) is making it happen!”
According to Ken, his most recent volunteer opportunity at the United Way Cambridge and North Dumfries “has been great and the people I’ve met have been very friendly and extremely competent. I look forward to many more years of volunteering and I recommend it to anyone.”
When asked why he volunteers, Ken says, “I have been volunteering for just over four years at several local agencies and have enjoyed it immensely. The people I’ve met while volunteering have been amazing and the experiences have been rewarding.”