Volunteer Peterborough

There is a reason our Volunteer Peterborough website is set up the way it is. There's the volunteer side, and the organization feed. Sometimes a person is not sure where or how they can help. You may say that Jenny's Clog Dancing and Skateboard Festival needs event staff, but without being more specific about what you need,, people may pass the opportunity by, since they aren't sure how they fit in. But once you break it down to Snack Preparation, Entry Fee Collection, DJ, and Alpaca Wrangler, it's much easier for volunteers to say, "snack preparation? I can do that in my sleep! Sign me up!" Likewise, rather than directly assign a volunteer to tasks they may not enjoy, tailoring the description to specific skills means it's easier to spot who is appropriate for that specific job. Gloria has #Cooking as a skill after 25 years in a school cafeteria. Enrique spent summers at his Tio Luis's farm in the Andes, and has listed #AnimalCare as a skill, making him the ideal Alpaca Wrangler. Tim's day job is at a bank, so #HandllingCash is second nature to him. Incidentally, these are three of our five most offered skills by the volunteers. Visiting and cleaning top the list! Yes, visiting! This is a skill, and it is valued by a number of our agencies who seek basic companionship for their clients. The query "How can I help" is frequently best answered with the question "What are your best skills?" Tell us what your best skills are at https://buff.ly/41tbFMd #ThursdayThoughts #UsefulStats #SkillsShowcase #VolunteersArePriceless #JobSkills #TransferrableSkills Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce Trent University Careerspace Peterborough County

Did we forget about #WelcomeWednesday in our rush to post the creek cleanup story? No. But it ties in with our featured groups today. First, we have For Our Grandchildren. Some of you may remember speaking with the representatives at the Meet Your Match Volunteer Fair. They have the daunting task of trying to clean up the planet, one little corner at a time, like when Grandma got you to help her clean the shed. And while the name implies a finely mature membership, the truth is that they welcome all ages. You just need a can-do attitude and a desire to leave the planet better than when you arrived on it. Our second group, and one of our sponsors, is Ontario Public Interest Research Group, or OPIRG. They focus on environmental issues as well as human rights and social change. You might be amazed at some of the overlap of these topics. They skew a little younger in perceived demographics, but again, they do not limit membership to just students. If you share their concerns over the state of the world, feel free to learn more at our opportunities page, https://buff.ly/3w7GpGS We should all want to leave the place better than we found it. It's the polite thing to do. #Environment #GreenPower #EarthActivism #VolunteersNeeded #HumanRights #GreyPower #YouthInAction

Here at Volunteer Peterborough, we don't just talk about volunteering. We do it. So when our Genevieve Ramage had an opportunity to join our besties at the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce in a creek clean-up, she jumped on it. Jackson Creek is a vital yet abused little waterway through the city. A lot of trash ends up dumped in it. For the past seven years, Engage Engineering has organized creek cleanups to add to the health, subtract the trash, and reduce the pollutants that end up in Little Lake. This year, the Chamber crew, Basterfield & Associates Inc. and Optimal Physiotherapy pitched in to help, focussing on the area from Charlotte street to the greenspace south of Dalhousie. Armed with gloves, grabby sticks, trash bags and Joel Wiebe's fabulous waders, the team got this area clean and tidy. Was it a glamorous job? No. Was it hard work? Definitely. Was it important? Without a doubt. Volunteer Peterborough: Not asking you to do anything we don't do ourselves. And thank you, Engage Engineering, for your dedication to this messy but beautiful task. #Volunteering #CommunityBuilding #EnvironmentalCleanup #GreenIsGood #VolunteersRock #FashionIcons

With (supposedly) nicer weather on the way, many groups are planning outdoor fundraising activities. Walks, runs, rolls... many different ways to put on kilometers and put money in the coffers to keep the doors open, or fund vital research. But say you're like your humble author-- not up to running unless something very bad has happened (think zombies). You can still help by being event support. Seven of our organizations are looking for such volunteers. It ranges from route marshals with Walk a Mile In Her Shoes to the Folk Festival check-in and information booth. Capable Con needs help with set-up, take-down and other event-related tasks. The great thing about volunteering for events like these, is they are usually one-and-done. Perfect for people occupied through the week, students needing a top-up on hours, or planning to travel before or after those dates. Just wear comfortable shoes, some sun screen and have rain gear handy and that's all you need! You can access the applications for these positions and more, and further information on what's required by clicking on our Opportunities page and typing Event Support into the Skills Required search bar. We'll start you off: https://buff.ly/3UNtDHL Let's get out there and make a difference! Don't forget the sunscreen! #CommunitySupport #FUNdRaising #EventStaff #VolunteersNeeded #TryItTuesday #WalkAMileInHerShoes #CapableCon

After fully digesting the events at Meet Your Match last Wednesday, and having some quality time over the weekend to rest and relax, we are back and more determined than ever to make the Volunteer scene in Peterborough even hotter. (No, not that kind of hot.) We're going to continue to highlight various opportunities and the advantages of volunteering. And if you're a nonprofit who has a volunteer who is All That And More, please, let us know so that we can celebrate them. Are you a volunteer who is having a blast at a particular organization? Ditto! If you missed Lois Tuffin's blog about how things went at the event, you can read it here:https://buff.ly/4a8Dyfe And if you weren't able to attend as a volunteer or organization, remember that our page is available 24/7 for your convenience.. Now, let's get out there and make the world a better place, starting right here!! #MondayMotivation #Pumped #VolunteersRock #CommunityBuilding

We did a thing yesterday. Our founder Lois Tuffin has written a blog about it, featuring pictures from Clifford jr Skarstedt of the Peterborough Examiner. Give it a read, while we soak our feet. Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough Peterborough County Trent University Careerspace Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce 4th Line Theatre Fleming College Peterborough Humane Society Peterborough Regional Health Centre

The Meet Your Match Volunteer fair is not the only event happening on Aylmer Street tomorrow. Apparently, it's also "Overdue Repairs Day." The road to the YMCA of Peterborough Employment Services has been blocked off at Romaine Street to local traffic only but please keep going! See you there!

You know what day it is: #MeetYourMatch Monday! For those of you planning to attend as a FREE guest/ potential volunteer, please remember that we run from noon to 4 pm. When we say 4PM, be aware that we start packing up then. We have exactly an hour to clear up before the gym is turned over to the Youth Programs. If you show up at 3:55 and expect to take your time, you may be disappointed. Also, be aware that we can't control parking. The YMCA is still operational during our volunteer fair, so they will have their usual traffic, plus us. Are you taking the bus? You're good. If you are attending as a participant in the fair, please note that we have access to the gym starting at 11. You have an hour to set up, and an hour to pack up and cede the gym to its regularly scheduled activities, so please plan your display accordingly. Being considerate guests means being thorough and time-aware. It's a volunteer fair, not Laser Floyd. Any difficulties, please seek out one of the friendly Volunteer Peterborough members, who will happy to help you out. We are really, really looking forward to this. We want everyone to have a great experience, and sometimes that means planning ahead. Event details here, if you haven't already committed them to memory: https://buff.ly/3UmCoH5 See you there! YMCA Balsillie Branch, Noon to 4pm THIS WEDNESDAY! (May 8th) #volunteerfair #volunteerrecruitment #communitybuilding #meetyourmatch #planahead #volunteersrock

It is important that when one is granted access to a property, one acknowledges and thanks the host. Thus, this #FanFriday, we thank last month's host of our display window, and next week's venue for our #MeetYourMatch Volunteer fair. While We've mentioned on Facebook our gratitude to Brant Basics for their kind loan of the display window for April, we echo this sentiment here. This kind of support is invaluable for any nonprofit who want to draw attention to an event or a cause. They don't have to do this, but they do, and we love them for it. We're also very grateful to the YMCA of Peterborough Employment Services of Central East Ontario, Balsillie Branch, for use of their gym on Wednesday, May 8th. The pickleball players have been displaced so that we can set up forty booths of nonprofit organizations, all hoping to attract volunteers. All shall be well. (But we need to skedaddle by 5 o'clock when the youth activities take over.) Thusly, to Brant Basics and the YMCA of CEO, we lift our glasses with a hearty toast of gratitude. They have been hosts with the mosts. #Thankful #FanFriday #Ettiquet #GoodManners #VolunteerFair #WeLoveVolunteers

We're going to take this #ThoughtfulThursday to draw your attention to the survey we put up on behalf of University of Regina, about why volunteers leave and what can be done to improve retention. We can't stress enough how important it is to know WHY people quit, why they opt out of returning, and what we, as nonprofits, need to be doing better, or at least have an awareness. Some reasons are beyond anyone's control. Health or financial changes can cut in on a person's ability to continue in their role with your organization. People move. People have drastic life events that may affect their volunteer hours, and that can be a new job, new baby, or, unfortunately, death or divorce. There are other situations that are within the scope of the nonprofit to address. If one or two people no longer show up, it's problematic. If you have a complete exodus, it's catastrophic. It may be awkward, but this is where an exit interview should be given. As mentioned, some things are a "them" issue. Sometimes, it's you. This calls for some self-reflection and evaluation of your operations. Unclear instructions? Personality conflicts? Unreliable hours? Underutilization of sills? Unrealistic expectations? All of these are valid reasons for someone to walk. And unfortunately, an unhappy parting can result in a negative reputation for you as a volunteer experience. If you are a former volunteer, please take a moment to do this survey. We hope to share the results when the study is done. https://buff.ly/3y0K3U5 #VolunteerRetention #WeLoveVolunteers #NonprofitLife #Survey