Many nonprofit and charitable groups depend on volunteers to keep their organization running. Yet only 27 per cent of Canadians volunteered in 2000, according to the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. Of the 73 per cent of Canadians who didn't, nearly seven out of 10 said it was because they didn't have enough time.
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, develop and enhance skills and increase your sense of community. If you feel you don't have the time, why not turn it into something you can do as a family? Make it a priority to teach your children the importance of helping others. You can contribute to a worthy cause while spending time together and having fun -- and you'll be helping your kids develop people skills and a work ethic that will help them in their future careers. Here are five suggestions for places you can volunteer with your teen.
1. Work with animals
If your family loves to make four-legged friends, consider volunteering at an animal shelter. Shelters across the country are looking for people to help out with a variety of hands-on tasks. The P.E.I. Humane Society in Charlottetown, for example, needs volunteers for such things as dog walking, feeding, grooming, cleaning kennels, and just spending time with the animals. You can also foster pets at home, taking care of them until the shelter can find them somewhere to live, or until they're old enough to be adopted. This is a great option for families who love animals but don't want a pet of their own. Many shelters have age limits for volunteers -- for instance, at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Nanaimo, B.C., you must be 16 to volunteer independently -- but younger kids can participate if they're accompanied by a parent.
2. Spend time with seniors
Many Canadian seniors live apart from their families and may need help with household activities such as yard work and meal preparation. Consider adopting an elderly member of your community and offering them assistance with gardening, grocery shopping and running errands, or join a local Meals on Wheels program and help deliver food to those who need it. Or if you're in Calgary, help out the Calgary Seniors' Resource Centre. They offer a variety of services to seniors in the community, including the Friendly Visiting program, through which volunteers are matched with seniors to provide companionship and go on weekly outings.
New to volunteering? Learn how to get started.
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