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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-13-037 - National Volunteer Week 2013Staff Report I r Community Services Department wvwuukitchenerra REPORT TO: Committee of the Whole DATE OF MEETING: April 15, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director of Community Programs and Services (519- 741 -2200 ext 7687) PREPARED BY: Janice Ouellette, Facilitator of Volunteer Resources and Community Engagement (519- 741 -2200 ext 7227) WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: April 4, 2013 REPORT NO.: CSD -13 -037 SUBJECT: National Volunteer Week 2013 RECOMMENDATION: For information. BACKGROUND: A strong volunteer sector plays an important role in creating healthy communities and improving the quality of life in Kitchener. During consultations for the Plan for a Healthy Kitchener (2006) and subsequent follow -up consultations, leadership and engagement have been identified as a top priority for the Kitchener community. Volunteering is a means of engagement, social inclusion and building social capital. The City of Kitchener has a long history of engaging volunteers in the delivery of services and programs, and in supporting volunteer boards and City affiliated organizations in their service to community residents. Since 1999, the City of Kitchener Volunteer Resources and Community Engagement (VRCE) section has adopted vision and mission statements, developed a strategic plan, developed a Council- approved Code of Volunteer Involvement for the City, and broadened its scope to serve staff engaging volunteers across the Corporation, as well as affiliated groups such as minor sports organizations and neighbourhood associations. It has also expanded its role to include coordination of a number of programs and events aimed at recognizing and encouraging informal volunteering and other forms of civic engagement. This past year, approximately 6000 volunteers contributed countless hours and energy to programs, services, committees, boards and events and with city - affiliated organizations. The VRCE section currently offers a broad range of services to volunteers, volunteer boards, and staff working with volunteers, including a centralized point of entry into volunteering, orientation and training, policies and procedures for staff managing volunteers and volunteer boards, and consultation and tools for volunteer management, training, and recognition. In recent years, the Volunteer Resources and Community Engagement Section has been involved in research aimed at better understanding the needs and interests of volunteers, documenting broad societal trends affecting volunteers and volunteerism and identifying emerging issues in the volunteer sector and trends in good volunteer management. 4 (C) -1 An integral part of good volunteer management is recognizing and appreciating the time and effort volunteers bring to an organization, emphasizing the importance of their contributions and ensuring volunteers know they are valued. Volunteers who feel they are making a significant impact are the volunteers who stay with an organization. It is also important not only to recognize volunteers within our organization but also to promote their accomplishments within the 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 Cast a Beautiful Shadow ". This year, National Volunteer Week will be celebrated April 21 - 27 and is honouring the 13.3 million Canadian volunteers who gave 2.1 billion hours of their time, energy and skills in volunteer service REPORT: 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 2000 direct volunteers and 4000 indirect volunteers generously contribute to the health of the City of Kitchener programs and affiliated community groups. • A CapaCITY training session will be offered for staff across the corporation, particularly those who do not normally engage volunteers in their work areas, to understand the value of community engagement and the resources, tools and support offered by Volunteer Resources staff to help them engage and support volunteers in their work and programs. • Volunteer appreciation pins will be distributed along with bookmarks with a thank you note from Mayor Zehr. Volunteer Resources at the City of Kitchener has chosen the theme "Kitchener Volunteers — Building Strong Communities" for 2013. The 2013 volunteer pin design includes a silhouette of three people seen outlined by circles. The circles represent our diverse volunteers who join together and help communities. Their assistance supports the people (as shown by the silhouettes) in those locations, helping them identify the value of being a part of something larger than them. The bookmark will explain our belief that when we are inclusive and work together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts. • Tributes to the diverse City of Kitchener volunteer team and the many ways they contribute to the community will appear on the City website, Facebook and twitter during National Volunteer week. A newspaper ad has also been booked in The Record thanking all our volunteers, from the City of Kitchener. • Some of our community resource centres are able to put "thank you to our volunteers" on their lawn signs outside their centres during April. Posters from Volunteer Canada have been sent to all our centres to display. • Volunteer appreciation note pads and thank you cards will be distributed for staff use. • Posters reflecting the numerous ways our volunteers build strong communities and contribute across the corporation will be displayed in the Rotunda display cabinets. • "The Value of Volunteers" video (2011) will continue to be shared on the city web -site, Facebook page, Twitter account and with local media. • A volunteer appreciation carnival is being organized for May 23, 2013 at the Kitchener Market. The Volunteer Appreciation event is open to all of our direct volunteers and the boards of Neighbourhood Associations and Minor Sports groups and will be an opportunity for City Council and senior staff to host carnival games, serve carnival food and help celebrate our volunteers as the "8th wonder of the world ". 4(c) -2 A volunteer appreciation presentation has been created for 2013. It includes photos of volunteers and quotes from volunteers about why they volunteer. The slideshow will be used at various venues and events, through National Volunteer Week and beyond, to thank and celebrate our volunteers and to motivate other community members to get engaged. 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, newspaper, posters, thank you cards and other print material, city website and social media, signage and displays, video and slideshow presentation. 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: Michael May, Deputy CAO, Community Services 4(c) -3