#BuildBackBetter with the Ontario Volunteer Centre Network

We are grateful for Ontario’s 5.08 million volunteers!  As part of the network of Volunteer Centres here in Ontario, we are advocating and celebrating this season.  During the Thanksgiving Holiday we shared our gratitude for the 3.3 million volunteer seekers and the 4,300 nonprofits we engaged with and we are not stopping here!  Help us spread the word, read our Open Letter here, and let’s celebrate:

November 5th – National Volunteer Managers Day

December 5th – International Volunteer Day (IVD)

WE SEE YOU!

Behind the Scenes Journey to Community Recovery through Volunteerism

TOGETHER WE CAN!
Our Community Behind the Scenes
with The Ontario Volunteer Centre Network (OVCN)

Volunteer Markham proudly represents York Region on the OVCN.  We join our Volunteer Centre partners across Ontario as seen here to build a stronger, caring community through volunteerism.  This past Thanksgiving, we worked together in publishing a co-authored, open letter to acknowledge the essential and ongoing contributions of volunteer managers and our province’s 5.08 million volunteers.  Read excerpts from this letter below:

“The reality is that the pandemic has impacted the volunteer infrastructure in Ontario.  To recover from COVID-19, we need to invest in people.  Ontario volunteers contribute $2.07B to Canada’s GDP as volunteerism plays a critical role in delivering essential programs, building personal opportunity (skills and employment) and fostering inclusion”

“You may be surprised to know that 1 in 2 organizations have laid-off or permanently re-deployed their volunteer leaders.  This trend has significantly disrupted volunteer engagement across Ontario as volunteer demand outstrips the supply of available positions.”

 

“Over the past 18 months OVCN members have build connections with 4,300 nonprofits and 3.3 million volunteer seekers from every demographic and we’re here to work with community partners and the provincial government to ensure we harness the Ontario Spirit as we #BuildBackBetter because every Ontarian benefits from the contribution of volunteers.”

 

Across Ontario and on behalf of Volunteer Markham and the OVCN, we are grateful for:  Ontario’s 5.08 million volunteers.  We are here for you!  #VolunteerYorkRegion #VolunteerMarkham #VolunteerCentres #StrongerTogether #BuildBackBetter

Behind the Scenes Journey to Community Recovery through Volunteerism

TOGETHER WE CAN!
Our Community Behind the Scenes
with
The Cross Cultural Community Services Association -Community Connections Team

As a Volunteer Centre servicing the broader York Region, our goal is to to connect volunteers to organizations that need them.  In doing so, our doors have remained open! We work through a team of passionate volunteers reaching out to engage our community and build bridges to help us all recover from the pandemic.  Behind the scenes there is a great deal of effort to meet the needs in our community and ensure that those that need us know we are here.

Introducing Alison Cheng and Rizette Catarroja, working with the Community Connections team at TCCSA  focused on Youth.

Our mission is to assist newcomers in adapting to Canadian life in their neighbourhood and to provide support to Canadians in building a stronger community. We offer settlement services such as one-on-one counseling and workshops, as well as education and language training to enhance English literacy skills.” shared Rizette.

We recently met to brainstorm on how we could work together given our aligned mission and vision as it relates to youth.  The conversation was engaging and exciting as we explored the potential of various initiatives to get youth engaged.  A second meeting was planned.

 

TCCSA has a strong, dedicated team and exciting programs to offer youth.  Each month they have a calendar of their programs (see below).  They are also building more opportunities for youth.

Given Volunteer Markham has an established team of youth leaders on their “Change the World” youth platform and are focused on engaging more newcomer youth;  the opportunity to work together couldn’t have happened at a better time.

Our community is highly supportive of our youth and our youth are wanting to get engaged.  With the  combined experiences and expertise of both Volunteer Markham and TCCSA we are excited to explore how best to meet this need.   

Stay tuned and watch out for our collaborative work to engage youth.

To learn more about TCCSA check out their website and social media links: Instagram handle: @tccsa.ontario and Facebook handle: @tccsa.on.ca

Together we can make a difference.