Let’s make next year a banner year in Toronto for volunteering in the community.
With 2015 almost upon us, it seems like a good time to issue this call. There’s still a little bit left in 2014 to ponder goals and expectations for the coming year – and perhaps include some time to give to a cause or organization of importance to you.
Also, 2015 is a big year in Toronto. The 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games are coming to the city in July. It’s Canada’s largest multi-sport event. There are opportunities both before and during the Games, which will rely on some 23,000 volunteers to ensure things run smoothly. Visit the Pan Am Games website for more information.
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And Toronto is a city known for its diverse offerings of festivals and events. The city’s special events office regularly lists volunteer opportunities and is a good place to start for those who can commit their time to a specific event – as opposed to a more regular volunteer experience.
But volunteering is not just about what’s good for a cause, an organization or the city. It’s about what’s good for us, too.
When it comes to the positive developments that arise from volunteering, it is not merely a ‘one-way’ street. Volunteer opportunities represent more than just a chance to get involved in your community and help out. In many cases, volunteers acquire new skills and contacts during the course of their work.
Volunteers acquire intangible benefits, too: a richer experience of life in the city and the satisfaction of knowing your efforts are helping your community.
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When we think about what kind of environment we want to live in, what improvements we want in our neighbourhoods and what connections we want to forge in our community, volunteering helps in all of those areas.
William Osler Health Centre recently honoured seven of its volunteers who each had compiled a staggering 50 years each of volunteering with its hospitals, including Etobicoke General.
Let’s see what we can do in one year. Calls for volunteering – the ultimate commitment to our community – are all around us.
Let’s answer the call – in greater numbers than ever.
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