Volunteering Benefits for the Community
Giving, Volunteering, Participating
Volunteering plays a vital role in Canadian society. Canada has over 161,000 registered charitable and non-profit organizations in which volunteers play key roles. The 2004 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating (CSGVP) shows that over 12 million Canadian volunteers provide two billion hours of volunteer work each year.
Volunteers improve and enhance communities. Volunteering strengthens neighbourhoods and builds unity through work on shared goals. Working with others increases trust levels.
"Volunteer Canada" - www.volunteer.ca reported that continued investment in volunteerism is needed for many reasons including the following:
- ACCOUNTABILITY: Charities and non-profits have boards of directors comprised exclusively of volunteers. These volunteers have ultimate accountability for the organizations with whom they volunteer.
- HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT: Supporting volunteerism is essential to the continued health and wellness of Canadian citizens. Volunteers are engaged in sports and recreation, activities directly related to health, and activities concerning the environment. All levels of government rely heavily on volunteers to deliver needed programs and services from coast to coast.
- PUBLIC SAFETY: Volunteerism helps to keep our communities safe. Volunteers are the driving force behind many community based initiatives from community policing, volunteer fire fighting, and addiction treatment, to training and rehabilitation for those in trouble with the law.
