Employer Supported Volunteering for Groups

ASIAN IMPACT SOCIETY

The Asian Impact Society is a grassroots, non-partisan, BIPOC led not for profit organization based in the Tri-Cities Lower Mainland. Its mission is to share experiences through stories and art and to raise awareness of racial injustice.  Through unity, compassion, empathy and education, our mandate is to eliminate discrimination, create space for healing and build inclusive communities.

The Asian Impact Society continuously seeks out new and creative ways to engage the public on topics such as multiculturalism, equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism.  We are a project and event-based organization.  Our regular activities include  information booths at community events, awareness campaigns and fundraising programs. Our current special projects include Your Stories Your Voice book publication, Your Art Your Reflections: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Anti-Racism Art Exhibit and Contest.

How Your Team Can Help: Festival And Booth Volunteers (Short Term)

Description: The Asian Impact Society will be participating in a number of community events between June and September. We are seeking booth volunteers for event days. An orientation and schedule will be provided prior to the event.

Number of volunteers needed: 4 – 8, depending on event hours and number of days.

Duties Include:

• Help set up the booth
• Engage with patrons who visit the booth
• Take down the booth at the end of the event.

Benefits Of Volunteering With Asian Impact Society

• An opportunity to champion diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”).  We are an organization focused on dismantling discrimination and building diverse, inclusive and equitable communities.
• Your people will meet and work with like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds and ages.
• Your volunteers will be proud to be part of a movement that will shape the next generation to be a stronger, more accepting, compassionate, inclusive people. We prioritize education.  We seek out projects to engage the next generation in conversations about diversity, inclusion, equity and anti-racism.

BC CRISIS CENTRE

The Crisis Centre of BC is dedicated to providing help and hope to individuals, organizations, and communities. The Crisis Centre offers:

• Immediate access to barrier-free, non-judgmental, confidential support and follow-up through 24/7 phone lines and online services.
• Education and training programs that promote mental wellness and equip schools, organizations and communities to assist people at risk of suicide.

Our programs work to ensure timely access to support, destigmatize suicide and mental health concerns, and increase awareness and skills for mental health. We engage a community of passionate volunteers. We foster and create compassionate, connected, suicide-safer communities.

How Your Work Team Can Help: Administrative Support

Description: The team at the BC Crisis Centre lead a variety of mental health and wellness workshops for government and corporations at a fee, to raise funds to ensure the crisis line and their online services can continue to run 24/7.  To support this work, they need teams of volunteers as Administrative Support to prepare all the materials they use for their workshops and promotions.

This is a great opportunity for your team to work together to support a local charity and have time for some team building.

Duties Include:

• Putting cards, brochures, and other materials into folders for general public use
• Preparing booklets, resource lists, and other materials into bundles for group workshops so
• facilitators can pass them out to workshop attendees
• Passing out / putting up flyers to promote our workshops to the general public

Benefits Of Volunteering With The BC Crisis Centre

• Create a significant impact on our team’s ability to complete administrative tasks, reaching more community members who need life-saving support
• Support your community by helping us provide the valuable print resources they need
• Learn more about our community programs and supports
• Coffee and tea available
• Attend a BC Crisis Centre online wellness workshop at no cost

To thank you for your volunteer time, you are welcome to take part in our online wellness programming that we offer to the community which helps to build resilience, manage stress, prevent burnout, and support well-being at no cost to you. Each 50 to 60-minute module is designed to be a stand-alone training so that you can join the modules that resonate with you.

Available Courses

Module 1. Making Sense of Feeling Out of Control: How and Why You Are Healthier than You Think

Module 2. Overcoming and Preventing Compassion Fatigue: The Compassion Paradox

Module 3. Increasing Self Compassion: Caring for the One Who Cares for Others

Module 4. Unhooking from Negative Thought Patterns: Taming and Befriending Your Thoughts

Module 5. Eight Scientifically Proven Ways to Enhance Your Overall Health and Wellbeing

Module 6. Navigating Emotions: How to Remain Centered when Emotions Feel Overwhelming

To further support the Crisis Centre and to learn more, subscribe to the Crisis Centre’s monthly newsletter to receive information about upcoming events, special announcements, education and training workshops, volunteer opportunities, ways to support our work, our annual report, and impact stories.

IMMIGRANT LINK CENTRE SOCIETY

Immigrant Link Centre Society (ILCS) is the lower mainland’s largest barrier free charitable “food recovery” organization on a mission to end food insecurity while preventing food waste and carbon emissions.  The program partners with 17 grocery stores, supports more than 3500 people per month, redistributes $5 million worth of food and prevents the production of 1600 tons of CO2 emissions.

How You Can Help: Food Sorting

Description: Once food is collected from the grocery stores it needs to be sorted into clients’ boxes based on their cultural and nutritional needs.  Immigrant Link Centre Society operates 7 days a week at 27 locations across the lower mainland between the hours of 10am and 2pm.  Corporate Volunteer Opportunities are available on Mondays or Wednesdays, from 10am to 2pm.

Maximum number of Volunteers we can take at one time: 10 people

Benefits Of Volunteering With Immigrant Link Centre Society

• Help end hunger in your community (over 4 million Canadians (1.23million are children) go hungry each year)
• Help the environment by preventing the production of CO2 emissions (Canadian food waste produces 124.5 Billion pounds of CO2 each year which is equal to 17.3million cars)
• Reduce Canada’s food waste problem (Canadians waste/lose 58% of all food produced in Canada)
• Connect with your community
• Have fun and swap some family recipes

ACCESS YOUTH OUTREACH SERVICES SOCIETY

ACCESS Youth Outreach Services is the only youth-specific, independent, community-based organization providing support and services for at-risk youth 12 – 23yrs living in the communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, BC.  Their award-winning mobile youth centre, Project Reach Out, operates when other doors are closed. They are pioneers in the field of “outreach” and are making a real difference in the lives of street-involved youth.  They are working towards a future where no youth is left behind.

How You Can Help: Youth Gour-made/Food Program

A youth community kitchen program, where youth can learn healthy eating and cooking skills right in the comfort of their own home.  Each week the Gour-Made team delivers food parcels with all the ingredients needed to complete that week’s dinner recipe (with step-by-step prep and cooking instructions).  Enough food is provided so the youth can cook dinner for their entire household dinner.

Volunteers can support the program by preparing the meal packages for delivery and assisting with delivering the meals.

Maximum number of volunteers the placement can take at one time: 5-8 people

How You Can Help: Art Journaling Program

Is a free after school program for youth that uses art to support youth in investigating and moderating their emotions and as a way to initiate open conversations on topics such as consent, boundaries, and what healthy relationships look like.

Consider supporting this program by collecting new art supplies that can be distributed to program participants.

Benefits of Volunteering with Access Youth Outreach Services Society

• Improve the safety and the quality of life of disadvantage, marginalize and at-risk youth in your community
• Support the emotional and mental well-being of youth in the Tri-Cities
• Support healthy eating and food security

• Learn more about the issues facing youth today

VOLUNTEER CANCER DRIVERS OF BC

The Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society is a 100% volunteer run charity focused on providing free, safe, reliable, compassionate transportation and peace of mind for Lower Mainland cancer patients who have no viable means of getting to their cancer treatments and cancer related medical appointments.

In 2022 Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society was able to complete 26,000 patient trips (122 of those trips were for children) to appointments and treatments because of the support of 360 dedicated volunteers.

How You Can Help: Host A Gas Drive

Like a food drive but you are gathering donations of gas gift cards that the society can then use to support their volunteers.

The corporate volunteers can set up at a local gas station (with their permission of course) and ask drivers filling up to consider adding $5 or $10 to their bill in a gas card to donate to cancer drivers society.

The society does provide reimbursement to all volunteer cancer drivers to cover the cost of gas, but as this is a wholly volunteer run organization that operates on a small budget, the majority of the volunteers do not claim their gas reimbursement amounts.  With the ability to give out donated gas cards the society may have a more acceptable way to give some financial relief to their volunteers without draining their operations budget.

With the ability to give out donated gas cards, the volunteers may find this a more acceptable way to find financial relief as it would not be a drain on the organization’s operations budget.

How You Can Help: Host A Car Wash For The Volunteer Drivers

Set up a mini car wash that the volunteer drivers can bring their cars to for a fee car wash and maybe vacuum as a way to recognize the work the volunteer drivers do and so they can have a fresh clean car for the next time they drive a client to an appointment.

This will be impacted by access to a suitable location and weather.

How You Can Help: Build And Donate Drive/Client Care Packages

Gather and package much needed supplies for cancer patient transport. Most of the Volunteer Cancer Drivers carry a care kit with them that they stock themselves. Common care items include:

• Large freezer zip closer bags (very useful as barf bags)
• Tissues
• Hand Sanitizer
• Gum/mints
• Surface wipes
• Disposable masks
• Could also include company swag (such as a pen, paper pad, water bottle etc.)

This volunteering can take place at your place of work with flexible timing.

Benefits of Volunteering with Volunteer Cancer Drivers of BC

• Provide support for our neighbours dealing with cancer
• Show appreciation and support for the work being done by the Volunteer Cancer Drivers Association
• Ease the financial burden on volunteers and cancer patients
• Make the return trip to treatment and appointments a little easier

HAWTHORNE SENIORS CARE COMMUNITY

Hawthorne truly is a Campus of Care, offering a total of 271 units of affordable as well as specialized accommodation to seniors across four locations. Over their five decades of care the name “Hawthorne” has become synonymous with quality accommodations and quality care for older adults.

This charitable society provides a home to 131 residents in their Complex Care Program and their Dementia Care Cottages. They also support 70 tenants in their assisted living program and 75 clients in their adult day program.

The health care and life care needs of senior citizens have been changing over the decades, and Hawthorne has responded by providing older adults with a variety of “choices” that suit independent lifestyle as well as health-related needs, all in a warm and welcoming community setting that promotes wellness and well-being.

How you can help:

• Sensory Garden Project
• Virtual Fundraiser for the Magic Table

Read about the Sensory Garden HERE, And the Virtual Fundraiser Magic Table HERE

FOYER MAILLARD

Foyer Maillard is a non-profit housing society offering 125 private rooms of fully subsidized long-term care for older adults. They provide bilingual services to senior adults through social and cultural activities, and health related programs. Since opening their doors to their first residents in 1969, Foyer Maillard has continued their commitment to helping senior citizens in the community. Their emphasis is on flexible care, meaningful activities, resident abilities, resident choice and relationships.

How You Can Help:

• Special Events For Residents
• Special Events For Staff

Benefits Of Volunteering With Foyer Maillardville

• A multitude of thanks
• A sense of pride for a job well done
• To make the day a little more special for residents and staff

Read About the Special Events for resident Program HERE, and the Special Events for Staff Program HERE