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Don't let the future of volunteering be at risk Recent ndings from the most comprehensive study on giving and volunteering reveal that Canadians continue to be generous by volunteering close to 2 billion hours in 2013. However, the survey also indicates that 12.7 million Canadians volunteered in 2013 compared to 13.3 million in 2010. What does this mean for the future of volunteering in Canada? According to Paula Speevak, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada "although the numbers are down, they provide clarity for organizations and communities. This information sheds light on where organizations need to focus their volunteer engagement strategies." The information also tells us that the volunteer landscape has changed. Youth aged 15 to 19 years are more engaged with 66 per cent volunteering an average of 110 hours per year. While some youth engagement, 20 per cent, is due to mandatory community service, Volunteer Canada believes that youth want to make a difference ­ which is great for the future of volunteering. They are highly motivated to be active global citizens and often volunteer to gain experience and build skills. While the volunteer rate decreases with age, older adults, 55 and over, continue to contribute the most, 39 per cent, of all hours. Volunteer Canada recognizes that these numbers are extremely positive, yet they also raise the question, namely, will subsequent generations be volunteering in the same way given the multiple demands on their time? An opportunity exists to expose people throughout their lifecycle to volunteering in order to ensure healthy and resilient communities into the future. Notably, Canadians between the ages of 35 to 44 saw a six per cent drop in their volunteer rate. This is not a surprise considering that this age group has multiple demands on their time. Many are balancing careers with raising families, and increasingly providing care for elderly parents and other extended family members. A promising practice however that has been growing over the past decade is employer-supported volunteering (ESV). ESV gives employees the opportunity to volunteer through their workplace and often during working hours. In order to promote volunteer participation, Volunteer Canada encourages employers to integrate employer-supported volunteering into their corporate social responsibility strategies. Volunteer Canada recognizes that community involvement is varied and diverse and does not always fall into the traditional de nition of volunteering. Consequently, Canadians are involved in their communities in a multitude of ways that may not be captured in this survey. Volunteer Canada provides national leadership and expertise on volunteerism in Canada. We aim to increase the participation, quality and diversity of volunteer experiences in Canada in order to help build healthy and resilient communities. We work with volunteer centres, not-for-pro ts, businesses, governments and educational institutions to build their individual and collective capacity to promote, celebrate and support volunteerism. The 2013 General Social Survey - Giving, Volunteering and Participating (GSS GVP) is the sixth iteration of a series of surveys that began with the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating in 1997. The survey was last conducted in 2010 and is the result of a partnership of the following federal government departments and voluntary sector organizations: Canadian Heritage, Employment and Social Development Canada, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Statistics Canada, Imagine Canada and Volunteer Canada. Provided by Volunteer Canada - www. volunteer.ca Volunteer Week N AT I O N A L 25 | Friday, April 10, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com April 12-18, 2015 Halton Women's Place From All the Staff at Halton Women's Place Thank You Volunteers Volunteers...A Work of Heart! National Volunteer Appreciation Week - April 12 -18, 2015 Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital is very fortunate to have an amazing team of dedicated and talented volunteers who enhance our patient and visitor experience every day. We would like to extend a BIG THANK YOU to all our volunteers for their invaluable service and fundraising contributions. We are looking forward to working with our wonderful volunteers at the New Oakville Hospital later this year. We also invite others interested in joining our team to contact us. For your dedication and time. Because A life Without Violence Is The Only Life To Live The Salvation Army Oakville Community Church and Community Services would like to Thank the many volunteers who continue to support us in being an active Ministry in our community. We are indebted to the volunteers for their contribution to the services we provide. It would be impossible for us to achieve this success without your help. You help with a range of activities including our Family Service Programs and Food Bank, Christmas Programming, our annual Food Drive and The Lighthouse Shelter. Our Sunday Worship Service is at 10:30am All are welcome; Please join us! We appreciate all you do for us! Volunteer with us! Visit www.haltonhealthcare.com 1225 Rebecca Street, Oakville www.salvationarmyoakville.ca Thank you and God bless. Tel: (905) 827-5324 PLEASE CALL TO REGISTER FOR UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE (905) 827-5324 EXT. 22 THANK you TO OUR VOLUNTEERS www.links2care.ca 905 -844-0252