|
|
|
|
|
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!
Note: You are receiving this e-communication because you have previously subscribed or you have used the volunteer referral/matching services provided by Volunteer MBC and expressed interest in having our information sent to you. If you wish to no longer receive any of our e-communications, you can unsubscribe below.
|
|
Volunteer MBC's 5th Annual Volunteer Recognition Awards Program & Event
Volunteers Are Magical!
Volunteer MBC's Volunteer Recognition Awards Program provides the opportunity to place the spotlight on individuals who give their time and their exemplary efforts, as well as to recognize volunteer managers and their organizations who actively engage volunteers and lead them by example in order to assist their organizations with the delivery of their programs and services.
As a volunteer, this is your time to shine! Community service organization members of Volunteer MBC can submit nominations to recognize you for your efforts. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, March 22, 2015 by 12Midnight!
Got a story to tell? Be featured in our Volunteer Spotlight!
For more information about Volunteer MBC’s Recognition Awards Program and Volunteer Spotlight visit:
www.volunteermbc.org/vmbc-awards
or contact us at awards@volunteermbc.org
|
|
 Featured Volunteer Opportunities
If you are looking for some amazing volunteer opportunities, here are a few to consider:
Mississauga:
Brampton:
Caledon:
To search for more volunteer opportunities you can access our on-line volunteer opportunities database by visiting:
www.volunteermbc.org.
|
|
 Volunteer Spotlight:
Ray Lessard
Written by: Andrew Dmytrasz
For some people volunteering has been an activity they have done for most of their life, while others don’t get actively involved in it until much later. That is the case with Ray Lessard when a coincidence brought him into the realm of volunteering. It began when he and his wife first had children and they got involved in various events for them. It was through these events that Ray was exposed to the needs of the community at large and decided to get actively involved to make a difference not only for his kids, but also for all those who needed it.
When the Community Foundation of Mississauga was formed in 2001, Ray became part of the Investment Committee, and only three short years later became a member of the Board of Directors. He served as President of the Board from 2007 to 2009. In 2009 he joined the Peel Children's Aid Foundation to continue supporting those who needed it in the community.
The reason why he has volunteered in the past and continues to volunteer is not for the recognition, but for the experience of it all. Another reason is how personally rewarding it is to see the results of such hard work pay off. He and his family created the R. Lessard Family Fund that annually donates money to various children’s organizations in Mississauga. He has described the feeling of seeing all the smiles on the children’s faces that they help simply as, “Amazing.â€
When asked what his greatest accomplishment was in his volunteering experience, he couldn’t pick just one. He maintained that it was the accumulation of all the positive impacts that he has managed to make, and the countless disadvantaged youths that his volunteering and family’s funding has been able to provide for their better future.
Another factor that keeps Ray volunteering is because of how influential it can be on others. “When you volunteer and see people doing good things for your community it motivates you to want to do good things as well, and hopefully it encourages other people to get out and volunteer. Any individual taking a small step can have a ripple effect. Whether that is encouraging other people to volunteer or giving someone else an opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise.â€
Ray has no plans of slowing down with volunteering anytime soon. He will continue to seek out new opportunities to help out in the community the best that he can and encourages everyone else to do the same. Volunteering may seem insignificant at the time and you may not even see the effects that your volunteering might have, but other people see those effects and a small ripple effect could lead to a tidal wave of positivity for other people.
Side-note: Ray is a busy executive, family man, musician, pilot, friend and sports enthusiast. His band “The Biznoids†has helped raise money for charity at fundraisers including the annual “Baystock†concert which has raised close to a million dollars for kids’ charities in the Greater Toronto Area.
To read more “Volunteer Spotlights†CLICK HERE.
|
|
 Community Outreach Ambassadors Needed!
Do you have a passion for volunteering? Are you a social butterfly? Do you enjoy meeting new people and helping them find ways to get involved in their community?
Then this is the role for you!
At Volunteer MBC, one of our key roles is to help connect people who want to volunteer with community service organizations who are looking for volunteers. Our Community Outreach Ambassadors play an integral role in making that happen!
Either at a display at a volunteer fair, or to a group giving a presentation, your role is to help inspire people to become more engaged and help them understand how Volunteer MBC will support them in their journey.
For more information and to apply, go to:
http://bit.ly/VolunteerAtVMBC
|
|
Co-op/Volunteering/Internships –
What’s the difference?
Written by: Ebony Wright, Volunteer MBC’s Coordinator of Community Engagement
In recent months, there has been much debate surrounding the issue of ‘free labor’ and utilizing volunteering, interning, and co-op placement opportunities as a means to gain experience and employment. While volunteering can provide opportunities to enhance or build skills useful for gaining employment, here are a few important tips on distinguishing a volunteer opportunity from a co-operative placement or internship:
- Volunteer opportunities are within not-for-profit organizations and/or foundations, and are roles that do not replace the role of a paid staff member. These roles provide support to programs and services that directly serve the community.
- A for-profit organization offering an opportunity for an individual to gain training in a specific profession is called an internship. There are a set of standards that govern the internship which include "that the internship is for the benefit of the trainee, and that the employer must derive little of any benefit from the labor ". These may be unpaid or paid positions, however, you can view www.internassociation.ca/what-is-the-law/ for exceptions for unpaid positions.
- A co-operative placement is an opportunity provided to students that is used to fulfill a credit towards a diploma, certificate, or degree. The placement is for a set period of time, with specific hours and days of involvement.
CLICK HERE to read more.
|
|
 Volunteer MBC's "i care...i volunteer" Show on Rogers TV Peel
Tune in to Rogers TV Peel to check out Volunteer MBC's "i care...i volunteer" show, a new 13-part series on volunteerism in our community.
Each 30-minute episode features a specific theme about volunteering and provides reflections on the impact that volunteers have made on the community and on local community service organizations. In addition, a key message shared on all episodes is how individuals can get involved as volunteers by contacting Volunteer MBC, the local Volunteer Centre serving Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon).
In February, "i care…i volunteer" on Rogers TV Peel can be viewed on cable channel 10 in Mississauga and Brampton:
- Thursdays at 10:00pm
- Fridays at 4:00am, 10:00am & 4:00pm
- Saturdays at 6:00pm
And in Caledon on cable channel 63:
- Fridays at 4:00pm
- Saturdays at 4:30pm
For episode themes and specific air times and dates, go to:
www.volunteermbc.org/i-care-i-volunteer-show
|
|
 Check out Volunteer MBC on Flickr!
Volunteer MBC’s Flickr account contains photos and highlights from many of our events such as our Annual Volunteer Recognition Awards Ceremony, ChangeTheWorld – Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge, our Annual Open House, and so much more! Check it out, you might even find a photo of you and/or your friends there!
Visit:
www.flickr.com/photos/volunteermbc/sets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
