Ontario Heroes – a New Addition to the Virtual Volunteering Landscape
Helping others without expecting anything in return is at the heart of volunteering. The ability to help freely and joyously is the hallmark of a volunteer. Some people may be of the opinion that ‘volunteering is for those who have a lot of free time.’ Often we hear comments like, ‘Oh, I just don’t have the time or energy to volunteer.’ It’s not always those who have a lot of time that volunteer, it’s those who have a big heart, that volunteer.
Today, volunteering is an organized form of ‘giving.’ According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, over 12.7 million Canadians engaged in formal volunteering. They gave a total of 1.6 billion hours of their time given to charities, nonprofits and community organizations—equivalent to almost 858,000 full-time year-round jobs.
Volunteering Disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 has dramatically altered the landscape of volunteering, in terms of volunteer opportunities and volunteer availability. Given the current circumstances, as the pandemic is still at large, this disruption is likely to continue for months to come.
In Canada, the most volunteer hours per person, on average were contributed by older adults (Baby Boomers and Matures). In 2018, Matures (40%) and Baby Boomers (32%) were more likely than iGen (19%) to be top volunteers, spending 132 hours or more on volunteer activities. In the new normal, as baby boomers struggle to keep businesses alive or work remotely and, in some cases, care for elderly parents, they most likely have less time for volunteering. The Matures are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 with many of them self-isolating and/or have stopped or cut back on their volunteer activities.
In light of this new volunteering dynamic, it’s time for the rest of the age-groups to step up their volunteering activities and take up as many virtual volunteering opportunities as possible.
Ontario Heroes Offer a Helping Hand
Canada has always welcomed newcomers, people of other countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds, refugees and minorities. As COVID-19 pushes these vulnerable groups to increased stress and challenges, there is a greater need to be of help, to assist and guide them.
Ontario Heroes strives to enable individuals, families, seniors, international students, refugees and diverse community groups to be well-connected with Health Care and Social Services across Ontario. With this vision, we aim to provide them a platform to improve their overall quality of life by assisting them with – health, legal, social work services system navigation and care-coordination in order to overcome systemic barriers.
If you need our help or if you know anyone who needs help, you are most welcome to reach out to Ontario Heroes.
Call us on +1-647-873-2407 | 647-854-0358 or email [email protected]
Don’t hesitate. To ask, or, to offer help
After all, as Martin Luther King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?”