Volunteer

 

Become a United Way Volunteer

A large part of United Way’s strength is our volunteers – the generous members of our community who give their time to help make a difference. Without them, fewer miracles would happen in our community. Volunteers work with us in a diverse range of projects and roles:

 

Workplace Campaigns

United Way campaigns in the workplace are run primarily by volunteers. Not only do they rally up support and enthusiasm while running the campaign, they also to provide a deeper understanding of local social issues and how supporting United Way can make a difference in our community.

 

Volunteering Committees

Volunteers work with us on numerous ongoing committees to monitor community needs, review programs and initiatives, support fundraising efforts, and find long-term solutions to community issues:

• Board of Directors –provides vision, strategic leadership, advocacy, accountability and stewardship. Within the Board, there are also several smaller stand-alone volunteer groups including our Finance and Audit, Nominations, Human Resources and Governance committees.
• Community Impact Council  – helps guide the annual disbursement of funds and the activities of United Way within the community.
• Priority Impact Teams - support each of the 5 Regional Priorities by evaluating funding applications to ensure investments have maximum impact.
• Workplace Campaign Cabinet – guides and facilitates our annual workplace campaign.

 

Other Volunteer Opportunities

• Community Leadership Champions – assist with the cultivation, solicitation, stewardship and recognition process for securing Leadership donations and major gifts.
• Office and Administration Assistants – support our day-to-day operations.
• Special Events Assistants– ensure the success of our special events by lending a hand with preparations or helping out at the event itself.
• Community Volunteers – provide direct assistance to one of the programs and initiatives we support through opportunities available at the Volunteer Action Centre.
• Impact Speakers - assist with the public work place campaign by sharing your story

 

If you are interested in having your name kept on file, please download and complete our Volunteer Interest Form and email it to Cathy Snyder at csnyder@uwaykw.org.  Forms will be kept on file for 6 months.

 

Impact Speakers

United Way KW is currently seeking volunteers to act as Impact Speakers during the public work place campaign. If you or someone you know has used local social services to get through a challenging time, tell us your story! Click here for further details about the position and how to apply.

 

Volunteer for the Priority Impact Teams 

Priority Impact Teams play a key role in the strategic investment of resources by United Way including the dollars raised through our annual campaign. Volunteers who can think broadly about community conditions are recruited from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Membership is reflective of the community, representing diverse perspectives. Priority Impact Team members are responsible for making sometimes difficult decisions that impact local organizations and the individuals they serve. This is done in a supportive group context including facilitation provided by United Way staff and oversight from the Community Impact Council (a strategic group of volunteers overseeing United Way’s investment and activity strategies related to community development). Volunteering for the PITs is a rich and rewarding experience and there are many opportunities for engagement. Please note, this is a year-round commitment and we ask volunteers to consider a two-year term.

Volunteer activities include:

• Looking at the needs, issues and opportunities affecting the lives of people in our community
• Identifying best practices and suggesting promising models to address those needs
• Reviewing funding applications and making recommendations, with particular attention to the impact a program or agency has on the community; and to what degree it contributes to the achievement of one of the five Community Priorities and its corresponding long term outcomes.

We are currently seeking:

• Volunteers for our Children and Youth team - individuals who have experience with children and youth, particularly in the areas of special needs, mental health, disabilities or advocacy.
• Volunteers for our Families team - individuals who have experience with families, particularly in the areas of law enforcement, family counselling or other social services.
• Volunteers for our Neighbourhoods & Newcomers team - individuals who have experience with newcomer populations or neighbourhood associations, particularly in an organizational capacity.
• Economic Security team [no volunteers required at this time] - individuals who have experience in business, development, affordable housing, employment training, food security or other related not-for-profit sector organizations.

 

If you are interested in joining the Children and Youth or Families team or would like more information, please contact Brian Kamm, Community Development Coordinator at bkamm@uwaykw.org or 519.888.6100 ext. 264.

If you are interested in joining the Neighbourhoods & Newcomers or Economic Security team, or would like more information, please contact Melissa Riewald, Community Development Coordinator at mriewald@uwaykw.org or 519.888.6100 ext. 234. 

 

Volunteer for the Community Impact Council 

The Community Impact Council works to create a community change agenda informed by our community priorities, and the common aspiration that binds them together and that they cumulatively attain.  The Council is composed of members of business, labour, health, social services, government, and community members at large, as well as that of the Priority Impact Teams.  Based on the community change agenda and within the parameters for investment identified by the Board of Directors, the Community Impact Council guides investment to achieve high-level outcomes in relation to the identified community priorities, and further, identifies and addresses common issues and factors that cut across the priorities.  Please note, this is a year-round commitment and we ask volunteers to consider a two-year term.

We are currently seeking:

• 5 volunteers representing education, the not-for-profit sector and labour who can think broadly about community conditions.  Special emphasis on individuals with experience in the areas of neighbourhoods, immigrants and refugees, poverty reduction and associated social issues.

 

If you are interested in a position with the Community Impact Council or would like more information, please contact Nancy Bird at nbird@uwaykw.org or 519.888.6100 ext. 229.