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Dear <<First Name>>,
Welcome to our latest edition of "I Care...I Volunteer".
In this issue:
If you have any ideas on what you would like to see in an upcoming issue, please send us an email to: newsletter@volunteermbc.org.
Enjoy!
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In December we launched with great excitement Volunteer MBC’s new-and-improved website, our new mobile friendly on-line volunteer opportunity database, and our new mobile app!
Here’s a quick recap:
- Volunteer MBC’s new website features an at-a-glance calendar of events, easy access to our volunteer referral/matching services, resources for volunteers and community service organizations, and much more.
- Our on-line volunteer opportunities database lists hundreds of volunteer roles in the Peel Region community, which are posted by over 180 community service organization members of our volunteer centre.
 Through our new mobile app you have access to the latest information and updates about our centre and how you can get connected with us through our social media channels, by email, by phone or in person. You can also connect to our on-line volunteer opportunity database. Volunteer MBC’s App is FREE and available for Android, Apple and Blackberry devices.
Now, you are just a click away to connecting with your local volunteer centre serving the Region of Peel community (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon)...24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
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 Importance of Creating a Profile to Help with Your Search for a Volunteer Role
Volunteer MBC’s on-line database provides you with direct access to search and find a volunteer role that suits your interests, passions or experience. You can search opportunities by organization name, by interest, or you can create a *secure profile* in order to help you with finding suitable volunteer roles that are posted on-line.
Creating a profile is easy! There are many benefits to creating an on-line profile such as being able to save your interests so that the database can send you updates by email about new volunteer roles that match your criteria. You can also save your searches and view a list of volunteer roles that you have sent referrals to.
Here are the steps to creating your profile:
- First go to our main website at: www.volunteermbc.org and click on the button that reads “I Want To Volunteerâ€.
- Then click on the link that reads “Self-directed search†to access our on-line database.
- Once in the database, click on the link that reads “Create a Profile†(note: this link is the first bullet that appears beside the text that reads “Do you have a Volunteer Profile?â€).
- Fill out the on-line form, and don't forget to enter your email address as this is required to set-up your profile (note: passwords should be at least 8 characters long, with at least one lowercase letter, uppercase letter, and number. Here's an example: “iwant2Volunteerâ€).
- Then click on “Submitâ€. You will then receive an email to the address that you provided which is required to activate your profile. You will need to click on the link that is provided in the email in order to activate your profile successfully.
- Once you have logged in, fill out the search criteria so that the database can start helping you find the ‘right’ volunteer role.
- When you find a volunteer role that is of interest to you, click on “Yes, I’d Like To Volunteer†at the top of the posting and submit your information. This will generate an email which will be sent directly to the main contact at the organization (note: please be a little patient as it may take a few days for them to respond to you).
In our next e-newsletter edition, we’ll review how to use the available search tools on-line. In the meantime, should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 2volunteer@volunteermbc.org
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 Featured Volunteer Opportunities
If you are looking for some amazing volunteer opportunities, here are a few to consider:
- Tobacco Prevention Subcommittee Members, with Peel’s Action Team for Health (PATH):
http://bit.ly/vmbcPATH
- Program Managers, Partners, and Board & Committee Members, with Blue Rose Diabetes Association:
http://bit.ly/vmbcBRDA
- In-Home Client Volunteer, with Region of Peel, Volunteer Resources:
http://bit.ly/vmbcRegionofPeelVR
- Studio Production Crew Member, with RogersTV:
http://bit.ly/vmbcRogersTVPeel
- Wellness Mentors, with Catholic Family Services of Peel-Dufferin:
http://bit.ly/vmbcCatholicFamilyS
- Program Planning Committee Chair, with Seva Food Bank:
http://bit.ly/vmbcSevaFoodBank
- Floor Walkers and Hosts, with Bramalea Boxing Club:
http://bit.ly/vmbcBramBoxClub
To search for more volunteer opportunities you can access our on-line volunteer opportunities database by visiting:
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 Volunteer Spotlight:
It’s overwhelming!
Guest article submitted by:
Namrta Mohan
To a newcomer, everything in Canada is new, in every sense. From the scenic beauty to the weather, from the people to language, from norms to housing…and then there’s culture, which is included in every aspect of what is new.
Culture is what everyone has grown up with. Every situation has a cultural aspect associated to it; work, housing, education, government benefits, traffic, and even the behavior of people. All of these things can be just too much for a person to accommodate, especially for a newcomer. Someone who has just moved out of a country which had a collective culture, family support, settled job and, most of all, an identity now has to start all over again in a new country.
A point to ponder is where do you start from? How do you approach things and achieve the dreams you have held on to? Usually the first contact point for every newcomer is their family, relatives, friends or acquaintances. They are able to share their experience which influences the expectations and perceptions of new immigrants. Most people land in Canada to achieve a better lifestyle through earning more money. It’s sad but true, but they usually have a notion that it’s easy to earn money here. So often times they arrive here wanting a job right away and for that they follow the method that was prevalent in their home country. When newcomers face a rejection on the basis of the fact that they have no “Canadian experience†they find themselves trapped in a vicious circle of needing a Canadian experience, but not able to secure a job to get the same.
Many people are highly educated, with rich experience in their respective field of expertise and many who have also held high positions from where they travelled from. For these people, it’s frustrating and confusing to not get a job. So how can they break through this vicious circle? Volunteering is the answer.
Volunteering is the easiest, safest and most respectable solution. Rather than devoting all of your time in a survival job, a great idea is to be a volunteer. By doing so, you can exhibit your skills, build your network, get to know people who can make connections for you, make new friends, adapt to people from other cultures, enhance your communication skills, and understand the Canadian culture in the most conducive manner. The most convenient aspect of volunteering is the very fact that one can do it at their convenience and become highly respected as a result.
With countless other unlisted amazing advantages of this beautiful process of volunteering, it’s the first step someone can take to reach their goals successfully. Trust me, when you look back nothing will be the same. So, go ahead, be a volunteer and begin your journey towards realizing the dream you came with.
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Got a Volunteer Story to Tell?
We want to hear from you!
Send us a brief overview of your volunteer story and you may have the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming e-newsletter or appear in our on-line Volunteer Spotlight.
Email us at: info@volunteermbc.org
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Member Profile: Our Place Peel
Hat’s Off – It’s Toque Time! Help Put A Cap On Youth Homelessness In Peel
Our Place Peel invites the residents of Peel to come together and participate in solutions to end youth homelessness by buying and wearing a "Raise the Roof" toque. They are a non-profit agency located in Mississauga that provides shelter for youth ages 16 to 21 within the Region of Peel.
Sale of these $10 toques directly helps homeless or at risk youth. A portion from each toque sold on behalf of Our Place Peel goes towards providing shelter, food and support for homeless and at risk youth.
If you are interested in learning more about “The Raising the Roof†campaign or to purchase a toque please contact Christy Upshall at 905.614.1215 ext. 201 or by email at cupshall@ourplacepeel.org.
Our Place Peel is one of the 180 community service organization members of Volunteer MBC.
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 Survey Prize Winners!
In the Fall, we asked volunteers to share with us their feedback in a survey.
We pleased to announce the following survey prize winners:
- Nishi Bhatt, Brampton
- Jane Skeffington, Caledon
- Sylvia Gaskin, Mississauga
Each winner will be receiving a gift card from Target.
Congratulations!
Feedback from the survey helps our volunteer centre to improve the services we provide for the community. Thank you for sharing your volunteering experience with us!
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