Volunteering is the time you give to strengthen your community and improve others' quality of life as well as your own. There are so many ways to be involved in the community that:

1. Speak to your passion

2. Suit your personality

3. Meet your interests

4. Build on your experiences

5. Fit into your lifestyle

6. Contribute to your health and well-being

You may be at a point in your life when you do not want to take on any more responsibility or you may be in a position to take charge. There is a wide spectrum of volunteer opportunities available to suit a range of interests and circumstances.

You can volunteer:

1. From home

2. In an office

3. In a garden

4. Overseas

5. With family and friends

6. On your own

7. Just in the summer

8. Once a year

9. Every day

10. Now or later

11. Short-term, longer-term, ongoing, or occasionally

Combine volunteering with other things that are important in your life such as:

1. Time with family (volunteer with your family or in your grandchildren's school)

2. Travelling (join an international development project overseas)

3. Spending time with friends (get a group together to plan a special event)

4. Hobbies (teach puppet-making in a community centre)

5. Recreation (be a swimming buddy for someone with a disability)

The possibilities are endless.

Leadership

1. Facilitate a strategic planning session

2. Serve on a Board or Committee

3. Chair a fundraising campaign

4. Help start a tenants rights association

Management and administration

1. Review a Human Resources Manual

2. Organize a volunteer schedule for an event

3. Enter data at a resource centre

4. Provide general office help

Technology and social media

1. Design a website for an elder-care co-op

2. Write a blog on affordable housing

3. Customize a donor database for a food bank

4. Teach computer skills in a community centre

Building and handicrafts

1. Build a book shelf for a reading room

2. Sew costumes for a play

3. Teach card-making in a rehabilitation centre

4. Build a stage for marathon ceremonies

Nature and environment

1. Walk a dog for a local animal shelter

2. Research pesticide bylaws in different cities

3. Plant vegetables in a community garden

One-to-one support

1. Tutor children

2. Comfort a victim of violence

3. Be a mentor to a teen

4. Coach an executive director

Direct Service

1. Answer the phones for a helpline

2. Prepare lunch in a soup kitchen

3. Coach a team

4. Drive people to medical appointments

Entertainment

1. Play piano for a sing-a-long at a retirement residence

2. MC at a volunteer service awards night

3. Do a stand-up comedy act at a fundraiser

4. Join a choir that entertains at community events

In addition to the valuable contribution you make to the community, volunteering has been proven to have many benefits for you as a volunteer.

Opportunities to:

1. Learn new skills

2. Expand horizons

3. Maintain or establish a sense of belonging

4. Expand social and business contacts

5. Stay active

Reduction of:

1. Stress, anxiety, and depression

2. Low self-esteem

3. Social isolation

4. Stress-related illness