Ready to volunteer?
For the second year in a row, October is Volunteer Awareness Month at Concordia. Many events will be held under the theme, Connect with Your Passions, Engage with Your Community!
Valerie Millette, coordinator of Concordia’s Leadership Initiative and Volunteer Engagement (LIVE) Centre, emphasizes that when considering volunteering options, people should take the time to reflect on what matters to them.
“With hundreds of opportunities to choose from, it is tempting to make a quick decision and pick the most convenient option. Of course, logistics will play a role in the decision; however, first you need to ask yourself what cause you really want to contribute to. That’s how you’ll get the most out your volunteer experience,” says Millette.
One of the main events of Volunteer Awareness Month is the Volunteer and Leadership Fair, which provides a great starting point to explore options. The fair provides students, staff and faculty with the opportunity to connect with representatives from close to 40 community organizations.
When: Thursday, October 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Atrium of the J.W. McConnell Library Building (1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W.)
Last year’s volunteer fair broke attendance records with over 700 visitors. This year, attendees can learn about opportunities to support a variety of causes, including promotion of health and well-being, protection of the environment, encouragement of literacy, support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, breaking social isolation, and fighting poverty locally and internationally.
“Come prepared by checking the list of organizations in attendance ahead of time and knowing which organizations you want to talk to,” advises Millette.
Other events taking place during Volunteer Awareness Month include:
- Wednesday, October 12: For students wondering about the benefits of volunteering, a workshop entitled Launch Your Career, Volunteer! will be offered.
- Friday, October 21: Students, staff and faculty will work together to sort food donations at Moisson Montréal, Canada’s largest food bank.
- Wednesday, October 26: For those who are ready to take their volunteering to the next level, a strategic volunteering workshop will discuss linking volunteer activities with career goals, developing projects, and presenting volunteer experience in a job search.
- Friday, October 28: Students will set up and animate a haunted house for children at the Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre.
Of course, connecting with the community does not end after October! Students can benefit from the LIVE Centre’s services year-round by dropping in to discuss opportunities with volunteer ambassadors.
Related links:
• LIVE Centre
• Volunteer Awareness Month
• Organizations attending the 2011 volunteer fair
• Group volunteering
• Workshop registration
• “Oct. 6 – Volunteer and Leadership Fair" – NOW, Sept. 26, 2011