Our Grand Opening event will be held on Thursday, September 20 from 2PM to 6PM and we invite you to join us where you can meet our team, enjoy refreshments, meet-and-greet Caledon-based community service organizations, and mingle with other volunteers, like yourself.
In addition to our on-line volunteer opportunities database where you can search for volunteer roles that match your interests, experience and passion, we are ecstatic to now have a physical location in each of the three communities that our volunteer centre serves - Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon. We also offer a one-on-one consultation/matching service for volunteer placement in the community, which is available by appointment, where you can meet with one of our referral team specialists to help guide you in your search.
In closing, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of the new subscribers to the "I Care…I Volunteer” e-newsletter. We hope that you enjoy this issue!
"Together we can change the world,
one good deed at a time."
~ Author Unknown ~
Volunteer MBC is here to help! Visit us on-line at www.volunteermbc.org to search our on-line volunteer opportunities database, or if you wish to arrange to meet with us you can call our centre at 905.238.2622.
Youth Volunteers Recognized for Changing the World
Loud cheers and applause erupted through the halls at the location of Volunteer MBC’s Brampton Centre on Monday, July 23, 2012 as youth were recognized for their exemplary efforts during the 2012 ChangeTheWorld: Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge. Four youth and the Brampton Mayor’s Youth Team were recognized and thanked in the presence of their peers, family members and staff of the volunteer centre.
“Not only is volunteering helping out the cause, but when you're in the act of volunteering, other people see you helping,” said Linda Bui, one of the four youth who were presented with a certificate and gift. “I hope it can strike up inspiration for them to make a difference too – a chain reaction.” 
This year, from April 15 through to May 6, youth from all across Ontario participated in ChangeTheWorld. The campaign’s goal is to engage high school students to volunteer in their communities for a minimum of 3 hours of volunteering during the three weeks. Volunteer MBC far exceeded their local target with 5,183 youth volunteering over 24,426 hours, which represented an increase of over 66% for youth volunteers and over 102% for volunteer hours contributed compared to the previous year.
“With each year, ChangeTheWorld experiences growth and increased success,” said Philip Manzano, Volunteer MBC’s Youth Engagement Coordinator. “That just means one thing – that the bar is set even higher for the next year. But it is my firm belief that the numbers will never get so high that we won't be able to surpass them. And that is because of the unremitting support of young leaders like yourselves.”
A certificate was also presented to Eugene Wilson, the Volunteer Development Programmer at the City of Brampton Community Services, who has been a strong supporter of Volunteer MBC and has provided exceptional direction to the Brampton Mayor’s Youth Team, who were also recognized at the ceremony. The Brampton Mayor’s Youth Team is currently celebrating its 5th year.
The other youth who were recognized included: Gisela Haryanto and Nicole Hartono, who are students from St. Francis Xavier Secondary School; and Michelle Osei-Bonsu, a student at St. Roch Catholic Secondary School. Each were presented with gift cards for their contributions during the campaign and for sharing their input to help with the future planning of the centre’s youth volunteer engagement program.
To read the full media release about this recognition ceremony, visit: www.volunteermbc.org/media.aspx
Introducing the Volunteer MBC Ambassador Program!
Designed to engage high school volunteers throughout Peel Region, Volunteer MBC positively impacts the community by empowering young leaders. Our Ambassadors are passionate about bringing a youthful edge to community involvement. Volunteering is more than a key to graduation - it is the stepping stone to social change.
So, if you’re ready to step up, join us and become an Ambassador today!
For more information, go to:
http://bit.ly/vmbcAmbassador
Volunteer MBC Website Phase II...Share Your Feedback!
We are currently working on a fresh new look for our Volunteer MBC website and would really appreciate your feedback. The goal for our website is for it to be as user friendly and informative as possible. So, we'd greatly appreciate it if you could please take a few moments to complete a short online survey. Your comments and suggestions will help us to serve you better.
To complete the survey, go to:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMBCWebsiteSurvey
Our new website will be launching later this Fall. We thank you for sharing your feedback with us!
Volunteering Gives Students an Incentive for the Future
In addition to the great benefits of volunteering to include meeting new friends, gaining new skills, test piloting a career and others, did you know that you could be getting something more out of giving your time as well? There are many scholarship providers who seek to reward students who spend their time giving back to their community with scholarships to help pay for your post-secondary education.
If you’re a high school student, now is the time to start the process of exploring scholarships to help pay for school for your freshman year of college or university, and beyond. Scholarships for high school students are the most common kind available with many providers offering big awards to students early on in their academic careers, possibly even funding your education at your dream school. Many scholarships will be easier to obtain if you serve your community from an early age and start preparing early in high school and some allow you to enter before your senior year of high school making the final search for scholarship opportunities that much easier.
To help with your scholarship search, we’ve pulled a list of some opportunities to get you started. Click here to view the list, which is posted on our resources page.
Credit Valley Conservation Needs Your Vote!
You can help promote environmental education in your community by voting online for the Conservation Youth Corps (CYC) in the Shell FuellingChange™ program. CYC is in the running for a $100,000 grant through the Shell FuellingChange™ program.
CYC is a youth volunteer program offering a hands-on environmental stewardship experience for future environmental leaders in the Credit River Watershed and surrounding areas. The program is offered by Credit Valley Conservation and funded in part by Credit Valley Conservation Foundation.
To vote, go to: http://fuellingchange.com/main/project/335/Conservation-Youth-Corps
Calling All Golfers!
A generous friend of the Chapter together with Atlas Care presents the 12th Annual MS Charity Golf Classic! On Tuesday, September 25th, 2012, come participate in an 18-hole shotgun scramble tournament being held at the prestigious Royal Ontario Golf Club in Milton.
All participants will enjoy 18 holes of golf, a signature BBQ lunch, and the opportunity to win exciting raffle prizes and bid on lucrative silent auction items. All proceeds raised go to support the services provided by the Chapter as well as the National research effort.
For more information, please visit http://chapters.mssociety.ca/default.aspx?ChapterID=324&PageID=812&L=2 or contact the MS Society of Canada’s Mississauga Chapter office at 905.278.6186 or at info.mississauga@mssociety.ca.
VMBC At-A-Glance
Thursday, September 20, 2012
2PM to 6PM
Volunteer MBC – Caledon Centre Grand Opening
Albion-Bolton Branch of the Caledon Public Library, 150 Queen Street South, Bolton
Saturday, September 22, 2012
9AM to 2PM
Visit Volunteer MBC @ Brampton Day 2012 “Celebrating Brampton” Community Village
Gage Park (Queen Street and Main Street), Brampton
September & October 2012
Volunteer MBC will be visiting local high schools in Peel!
If you would like us to come to your school, let your guidance department know that they can contact Adriane Beaudry, our Program Manager, at abeaudry@volunteermbc.org
