Volunteerism

Volunteering is the most fundamental act of citizenship and philanthropy in our society. It 

is offering time, energy and skills of one’s own free will. It is an extension of being a good

neighbour, transforming a collection of houses into a community, as people become

involved in the improvement of their surroundings and choose to help others. By caring 

and contributing to change, volunteers decrease suffering and disparity, while they gain

skills, self-esteem and change in their lives. People work to improve the lives of their neighbours and, in

return, enhance their own lives  (Volunteer Ontario, 1996). 

VCARS Crisis Support Volunteers: 

• come from all walks of life.                                                          

• represent all age groups.

• are recruited from a range of cultural and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

• have a range of abilities and life experiences.

• contribute freely their time and energy in the belief that their activity is beneficial to others and at the same time, satisfying to themselves. 

• undertake a major commitment that may be personally demanding of their efforts, skills and time. They assist at a wide range of occurrences. Potentially, they can be asked to attend any incident to which police are called. In this regard, crisis support volunteers are recruited, screened and undertake training enabling them to provide victim support. The mandatory training program is a 40-hour Minimum Training Standard, as set out by the Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario Victim Services Secretariat. It is designed to equip crisis support volunteers with knowledge, skills, pertinent information and competencies enabling them to assist those victimized in their own communities.