Volunteer Calgary
Encyclopedia
Volunteer Calgary is a volunteer center based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The main role of this volunteer center is to provide service to the non-profit community in Calgary and help to promote and encourage volunteerism in the city.http://www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/?gclid=CNSIzNSW7ZgCFQ0NDQod9BgM0g
has a long history of volunteering, as a prairie settlement, volunteering was literally a matter of survival for the Europe
an settlers who came with dreams of settling the west. The spirit of community was evident in the lives of these early homesteaders as they quickly formed tight niches amongst each other. For those early settlers, volunteering was as simple as helping a neighbor build a house to donating food or supplies to those settlers that were struggling and as the community grew so did the spirit of Volunteering (i.e.)traditional barn raising events, church socials, volunteer fire brigades etc.
The first Volunteer Center in Canada
was established in 1937 in Montreal
to respond to the need for volunteers during the Second World War. The first volunteer center in Calgary was established in 1955 by the Junior League. During the 1960s and 1970s, Volunteer Centers were established across Canada in many urban areas, with intentions to promote and support effective volunteering.
Today there are over 200 Volunteer Centers across Canada these centers have developed significant expertise in the area of volunteerism through the development of programs, research, and training. The centers are committed to resolving issues influencing the way people volunteer in Canada by reducing the barriers and promoting safe and meaningful volunteer opportunities. Volunteer Centers support and promote a variety of new and emerging trends in volunteering. Areas of volunteering include such programs as: youth volunteerism, corporate volunteerism, mandatory volunteerism, community service orders, educational campaigns, and governmental legislation.
Since the early settlers, Calgary has grown to become a vibrant cosmopolitan city of over 1 million and the spirit of volunteering is becoming prominent due to the ongoing work of the local volunteer centers.
There are currently over 400 organizations that benefit from the services of Volunteer Calgary. Members are a wide range of registered charities and non-profit organizations in Calgary and area, including The Salvation Army
, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, Alberta Theatre Projects
, Calgary Stampede
, Calgary Public Library
, Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta, EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
, Girl Guides of Canada
- Alberta, UNICEF Alberta, Habitat for Humanity - Calgary.
History of Volunteering in Calgary
The city of CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
has a long history of volunteering, as a prairie settlement, volunteering was literally a matter of survival for the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlers who came with dreams of settling the west. The spirit of community was evident in the lives of these early homesteaders as they quickly formed tight niches amongst each other. For those early settlers, volunteering was as simple as helping a neighbor build a house to donating food or supplies to those settlers that were struggling and as the community grew so did the spirit of Volunteering (i.e.)traditional barn raising events, church socials, volunteer fire brigades etc.
The first Volunteer Center in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was established in 1937 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to respond to the need for volunteers during the Second World War. The first volunteer center in Calgary was established in 1955 by the Junior League. During the 1960s and 1970s, Volunteer Centers were established across Canada in many urban areas, with intentions to promote and support effective volunteering.
Today there are over 200 Volunteer Centers across Canada these centers have developed significant expertise in the area of volunteerism through the development of programs, research, and training. The centers are committed to resolving issues influencing the way people volunteer in Canada by reducing the barriers and promoting safe and meaningful volunteer opportunities. Volunteer Centers support and promote a variety of new and emerging trends in volunteering. Areas of volunteering include such programs as: youth volunteerism, corporate volunteerism, mandatory volunteerism, community service orders, educational campaigns, and governmental legislation.
Since the early settlers, Calgary has grown to become a vibrant cosmopolitan city of over 1 million and the spirit of volunteering is becoming prominent due to the ongoing work of the local volunteer centers.
Statistics on Volunteering in Calgary
- 71% of Calgarians Volunteer on average 15 hours per month. A 20% higher increment than the Provincial average
- Over 5,000 non-profit organizations exist in the Calgary area, most of which use volunteers
- 63 % of volunteers in Calgary are female, 37 % are over the age of 55, 46 % are married, and 62 % have a post secondary degree
- 65 % of volunteers in Calgary are involved with activities surrounding youth and children, but many are also active with sports and recreation (44 %), social services (42 %), education/research (41 %) and faith/religion (36 %)
- 76 % of volunteers in Calgary are driven by a desire to give back to their community, by an appreciation of volunteering as something of value for the social good, and the belief that volunteering helps volunteers feel good about themselves.
- 71% of Calgarians aged 12–18 have volunteered in in the past year
- 63% of young volunteers are inspired by family members who also volunteer
There are currently over 400 organizations that benefit from the services of Volunteer Calgary. Members are a wide range of registered charities and non-profit organizations in Calgary and area, including The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, Alberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects is a Canadian theatre production company, founded in 1972, based at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary, Alberta....
, Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
, Calgary Public Library
Calgary Public Library
The Calgary Public Library is a distributed library system featuring 17 branch locations including the Central Library. It is the second most used system in Canada...
, Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta, EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
The EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts is a multi-venue arts centre in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada, located in the Olympic Plaza Cultural District.-History:...
, Girl Guides of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in 1910 and was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1928. As of 2006, the association had 116,206 members.-History:Mary Malcolmson...
- Alberta, UNICEF Alberta, Habitat for Humanity - Calgary.