Count Me In!
I’m Barrie, and I warmly welcome you to my monthly blog Over50andfit.ca
I continue to focus on helping those over 50 embrace a life of total fitness – physical, mental, and emotional.
I have a question for you: How many volunteer hours do Canadians donate annually? Answer: Astonishingly, Statistics Canada estimates in excess of 2 billion hours.
Volunteering is the time we give to strengthen our community, and improve others’ quality of life as well as our own.
My Personal Volunteering
I have been a volunteer in some capacity since my teens, and I can claim with conviction that one of the most meaningful ways of enhancing the lives of our fellow beings is by giving to our community. My own volunteering began as a Youth Club leader and this experience propelled me to a wide diversity of volunteering pursuits, among them: canvassing for charitable organizations, fundraising for the underprivileged, supporting my local Food Bank, mentoring young people, teaching English and Math in Canada and other countries, helping immigrants, coaching sports, and helping to build a village for abandoned children in Costa Rica.
Canada’s International Reputation
Internationally, Canada possesses an enviable reputation in the field of volunteering. More than one half of Canada’s non-profit and charitable organizations have no paid staff and rely solely on volunteers – volunteering is inextricably woven into our social fabric.
Preparing For Volunteering
To acquire the most impact from your volunteering, be thoroughly prepared for your experience. Before you begin to research, spend some time to determine what causes matter most to you and what skills and experiences you want to share or develop. A plethora of information is available online.
Covid-19 Pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a more urgent need has arisen for help in many areas of society because the number of volunteers has dropped alarmingly. Consider, for instance, the huge number of seniors who are restricted to being indoors. This crisis has generated a whole new approach to volunteering: virtual volunteering.
Opportunities Of Virtual Volunteering
The opportunities are seemingly endless, among them: chatting on the phone to a senior, soliciting donations for charities, mentoring a disadvantaged child or adult, teaching English to or translating documents for an immigrant, sharing the talents of your profession, helping your local Food Bank – and so on. Volunteering can contribute to a rich, balanced lifestyle.
Benefits Of Virtual Volunteering
You can choose which demographic you wish to serve, when you wish to volunteer, and to do so within the comfort of your own home. You can contribute as little or as much time as you wish, and you can choose skills related to your profession or learn a new talent to share.
Websites
Among the most inclusive sites are:
www.Canada.ca
This site provides a comprehensive review of everything volunteering. It discusses what opportunities are available, how to find them, their benefits, and the challenges and issues facing our communities.
www.volunteer.ca
The Pan-Canadian Youth Opportunities Platform is an organization that addresses those who are between the ages of 15 and 30. It’s a great site for beginning volunteers and provides more than 75,000 opportunities.
Please feel free to share your comments and questions.
In my next blog, I will discuss the problems of senior loneliness.
Yours in Fitness.
Barrie
