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Home My WebLink AboutCSD-11-056 - National Volunteer Week 2011REPORT TO:Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 11, 2011 SUBMITTED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director of Community Programs and Services (x 2687) PREPARED BY: Janice Ouellette, Facilitator of Volunteer Resources and Community Engagement (x 2227) WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: March 30, 2011 REPORT NO.: CSD-11-056 SUBJECT: NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK 2011 RECOMMENDATION: For information. BACKGROUND: Canada has the second strongest voluntary sector in the world with 46% of our community members over the age of 15 having volunteered at least once in the past 12 months. Volunteering, civic involvement and concern for others are distinguishing characteristics of our country and are, in part, what makes us Canadians. Volunteering is a part of our way of life and Canadians have been celebrating National Volunteer Week since 1943. In Kitchener, as across Canada, volunteering is not only about helping to make valued and accessible services possible. Volunteer opportunities also give volunteers a chance to have a voice, develop skills, build social connections, stay active and find meaning in their lives. And beyond this mutually beneficial relationship, we recognize the vital role volunteer involvement has in creating a just and democratic society and strong and healthy community. Volunteering improves the general quality of life in our community by: improving health by providing for basic human needs and decreasing social isolation; contributing to the social cohesion of our community by increasing our capacity for seeing and understanding diversity and building acceptance; providing recreation, leisure, arts and culture programs and services that attract new talent to our community; and creating more connectedness and a stronger sense of belonging, retaining the talent in our community. National Volunteer Week is the biggest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in our country. Volunteer Canada, with the support of Investors Group, continues to lead the promotion of the national campaign and encourages community celebrations of thanks under this year’s theme "Volunteers. Compassion, Action, Impact”. This year, National Volunteer Week will be celebrated ×Úï ó ï April 10 – 16 and is honouring the 12.5 million Canadian volunteers who gave 2.1 billion hours of their time, energy and skills in volunteer service. On a local and corporate level, the City of Kitchener is implementing a number of initiatives in celebration of National Volunteer Week and in recognition of the countless hours that approximately 2,000 direct volunteers and 6,000 indirect volunteers generously contribute to the health of the City of Kitchener programs and affiliated community groups. REPORT: The City of Kitchener is implementing the following National Volunteer Week recognition initiatives in celebration of the volunteers who generously contribute to City of Kitchener programs and affiliated community groups and in recognition of staff across the corporation who work hard to support our volunteers. Lunch and Learn Sessions will be offered throughout National Volunteer Week to assist staff in their efforts to support volunteers in their work and programs. Four sessions will include: 1. Good Volunteer Management - What does this mean and what is expected of staff; 2. Volunteer Resources at the City - Who are we and what can we do for you; 3. Volunteering and Diversity - A New Canadian tells her story of how volunteering made a difference in her life; 4. From Recruiting to Recognition - Your questions answered. Over 2000 passports from the Volunteer Action Centre, for free events for volunteers during National Volunteer Week (April 10-16), have been distributed to our staff to give out to volunteers in their centres and areas of work. The passports offer access to activities and items such as a free swim per volunteer, a free skate, free admission to The Museum to see the Tom Thomson exhibit, a free rail trip to St. Jacobs and back, free admission to the Butterfly Museum, a free hike at Rare in Cambridge, a free coffee from Williams etc. Signs thanking volunteers will be displayed at these sites during National Volunteer Week. City of Kitchener Volunteer Services will be placing "thank you for volunteering" signs on stands at the centres with adults 50+ programs during national volunteer week. Volunteers will see these signs at the welcome desks and snack bars at each centre, as well as at the meal programs and the day program. Banners thanking volunteers will be hung on display for the month of April at these sites. Some of our community resource centres are able to put "thank you to our volunteers" on their lawn signs outside their centres during April. Postersfrom Volunteer Canada have been sent to all our centres to display. “Volunteer Spirit” ribbons will be given to staff and Council to wear during national volunteer week. Volunteer appreciation note pads will be distributed, and over 5,000 volunteer appreciation pins will be distributed along with thank you cards from Mayor Zehr. A salute to City of Kitchener volunteers will appear on the City website, facebook and twitter during National Volunteer week. A double block newspaper adhas also been booked in The Record thanking all our volunteers, from the City of Kitchener which will be featured on Saturday April 9th. The Volunteer Action Centre has created an ad to run on Rogers TV during National Volunteer Week which includes a segment of some City of Kitchener staff serving volunteers at a past adults 50 + volunteers social and a segment including the City of Kitchener Coordinator of Volunteers with others helping in their office. ×Úï ó î A volunteer appreciation social for volunteers in our direct adults 50+ programs has been organized for Thursday April 16 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm at Victoria Park Pavilion. Invitations have gone out to over 500 volunteers. Catering, entertainment, balloons, door prizes and a complimentary bus have all been arranged. With the assistance of Council, Staff, Volunteers and Participants, the video entitled “The Value of Volunteers” has been produced to share how Council, the Corporation of the City of Kitchener as well as participants, parents and volunteers themselves appreciate the work of volunteers and/ or the opportunity to volunteer. The video will be shared with all of our facilities, through an all departments email as well as on the city facebook page, twitter account and with local media. It will be used at various venues and events through National Volunteer Week to thank, celebrate and motivate. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: People Plan – A Culture of Community Stewardship - “The value of engagement and community mindedness guide our actions and decisions as we move forward”. Through National Volunteer Week celebrations we recognize the dedicated group of staff and other volunteers who cultivate meaningful roles for community members and recruit, coordinate, support, train and recognize them. Community Priority – Leadership and Engagement. Through on-going training, support and recognition, we foster the essential and complex resource of volunteerism that we’ve grown to depend on and value while providing opportunities for citizens to volunteer, to be engaged, to be leaders, to develop skills and to enhance quality of life for themselves and others. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Expenses related to National Volunteer Week are funded through an existing operating budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Through the Volunteer Services Strategy, community members and staff who work with volunteers were consulted using on-line, pen and paper and telephone surveys and focus groups. Their input has helped us understand what training needs exist, what recognition strategies they appreciate and how they access information. Communication efforts to promote National Volunteer Week include radio, television, newspaper, posters, thank you cards and other print material, city website and social media, signage and displays and a video. CONCLUSION: National Volunteer Week provides us with a wonderful opportunity to thank the many devoted volunteers who contribute countless hours, energy, and enthusiasm to the community. It is also an opportunity for us to thank the many staff across the corporation who support City of Kitchener and affiliated volunteers. National Volunteer Week is also an opportunity to showcase the value volunteerism has to program participants, to volunteers and to the creation of healthy communities and to acknowledge that resources and energy must be allotted to foster this vital resource. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, Deputy CAO, Community Services ×Úï ó í