Your Initiative! What are some tips to getting started as a volunteer?
Author: Volunteer.ca
If you are interested in volunteering, but aren't sure where to begin, try asking yourself the following questions to determine what kind of volunteer opportunities will be best suited to you:
- If you had all the human and financial resources in the world, what problem would you solve, what would you change or what would you create? Your answer will tell you what matters the most to you.
- What kind of time commitment are you willing to make? Are you looking for a regular / weekly volunteer commitment or a short-term / one-time opportunity?
- Would you like to volunteer with other people or by yourself?
- Would you like to volunteer from your own home or would you prefer to volunteer at an organization?
- If you would like to volunteer away from home, where is the best location for you? Near your home, your work or your child's day care?
- Do you have specific skills or talents you would like to share with an organization?
- Would you like to develop a specific skill?
What are your personal goals? Would you like to re-enter the workforce? Meet new people?
The answers to these questions will provide you with an outline of your volunteer expectations. If an organization or cause does not come immediately to mind, you can visit our map of Canada to link to your closest volunteer centre or other online referral site.
