Latest News | Empathy

At VolunteerConnector we love people who think deeply and strive for strongly rooted empathetic change. We always seek to amplify those humans across the country doing that work in all areas of the sector. There are some brilliant people working in food security who are seeking to put Food Banks Out of Business! These are people who work in these spaces and care intensely about the people in the communities who they work with. Please read more about their desired action and how you can help here. 

Some information about Food Security in this country via Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank. 

- 8.7 million Canadians are currently food insecure.

- 1 in 3 single mothers (and their children) are food insecure in Canada.

- Black and Indigenous people are twice as likely to be food insecure.

- People who are severely food insecure cost taxpayers more than double in healthcare spending.

- Unattached singles on welfare in Canada are living in deep poverty on incomes that are 63 per cent below the poverty line.

- Poverty costs Canadians up to $84-billion per year

There is a bill in the Senate (S-233) that calls for the federal government to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income.

If you volunteer in the space of food security or are involved in your local food bank please do consider joining this vital work and supporting Universal Basic Income in Canada. 

This week we welcome a guest blog from REALTORS Care® at the Canadian Real Estate Association. 

Tristan Kong, a REALTOR® with the Tristan Kong Group at Keller Williams Real Estate Associates Brokerage – Glen Williams, is reducing barriers and championing the Deaf community in the Greater Toronto Area through his volunteerism, sponsorship, and social outreach.

Since he committed to lifting others up at a young age, Tristan has continued to inspire and motivate those who cross his path. Whether through his business, at local charities, or supporting youth through mentorship, this Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2024 nominee is empowering the Deaf community, and its allies, across Canada.

As a shy youngster, Tristan learned how to come out of his shell and find his voice at the Sign Language Summer Program (SLSP) run by Silent Voice Canada. The annual day camp operates entirely in American Sign Language (ASL) and provides a fun and supportive environment for youth who are Deaf, hard of hearing, children of Deaf adults (CODA), and their siblings. For Kong, the camp was a life-changing experience that highlighted the impact positive Deaf role models and mentorship can have on youth. It was the beginning of a lifelong journey to provide that same opportunity for others. 

“Giving back to the Deaf community is deeply meaningful to me as my success and who I am today wouldn’t have been possible without the support I received from the Deaf community, and I am so grateful for that,” shared Tristan. “I believe it’s now my turn to pay it forward, offering support and opportunities to the next generation.”

Building on his transformative experience at SLSP, Tristan has continued to support Silent Voice Canada in various capacities. In addition to their summer program, Silent Voice Canada supports Deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, and their family members, with services that include immigration integration support, after-school programs, language education for individuals and professionals, and provisions of food and necessities for a population that faces chronic underemployment and societal barriers. 

Today, Tristan supports their efforts through directed donations, social media and marketing support, presentations, and as a public advocate for the organization. He was also a key sponsor and supporter of Silent Voice hosting the Canada Deaf Games in 2024, bringing Deaf athletes from across the country to Toronto to compete and vie for spots in the Pan American Games for the Deaf and the Deaflympics. His brokerage also sponsored the games.

“Canada Deaf Games is important because it allows Deaf athletes to be recognized and compete in an accessible way that they don't have the opportunity to if they were competing strictly with athletes who aren't Deaf,” shared Tristan.

Tristan’s commitment to the Deaf community extends beyond Silent Voice Canada. East of Toronto, at Durham Deaf Services (DDS), he is equally dedicated to the senior population and the small but impactful agency that is at the heart of the Durham Deaf community. Tristan began volunteering for the organization by providing workshops to seniors in ASL on a host of real estate topics. For many, this was the first time they had heard real estate information in their first language, providing a more secure and sound understanding of how they could utilize their properties to best support themselves and their families in the future. The success and impact of the program led Kong to accept a position on the Board of Directors and later the role of President, supporting the organization’s move to a new and safer location and helping build its strategic growth plan.

“Tristan is a key player on the Durham Deaf Services board,” shared fellow board member Connie Russell. “Nowadays it’s challenging to get younger people involved in their communities, Tristan stands as a role model and shows the importance of volunteerism and giving back to your community. Hopefully, future generations will see that and follow his example.”

The onset of the pandemic brought new challenges, particularly for Deaf seniors who relied on in-person communication and had little experience with technology. DDS was forced to close its physical programming, leaving many seniors isolated with little to no ability to communicate with grocery stores and pharmacies for necessities. To help keep them safe and informed, Kong began translating COVID-19 protocols and health guidelines into ASL. At the same time, thanks to the support of donors and board members like Tristan, DDS staff began delivering adaptive technology to seniors’ homes, helping them learn to use it, and connecting them back to the wider community.

In addition to his direct work with local charities, Tristan focuses on supporting the Deaf Ecosystem, a term that describes investment in Deaf-owned and operated businesses, professionals, and schools. Having experienced firsthand the barriers that Deaf job seekers face in finding traditional employment opportunities within the hearing community, Tristan works with other Deaf business owners to mentor them through the experience of building a client base. He uses his social media platform as a REALTOR® to promote their work and grow their business. He also hires and contracts within the Ecosystem, building a better business community and helping with poverty reduction in the process.

“It was really touching for Tristan to post about my business,” shared Dallas Boyd-Zagozdzon, owner of Zago Creations “It's been a difficult journey for me, and one that was filled with a lot of doubts. Seeing that Tristan was willing to share the word about my business and help me achieve success as a business owner really meant a lot to me.”

If there’s a REALTOR® in your community whose commitment to their community reminds you of Tristan, nominate them at REALTORSCare.ca/nominate by December 1, 2025 at midnight Eastern so they can be in the running for the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2025 Proudly Presented by REALTOR.ca! In honour of 10 years of celebrating REALTOR® impact, CREA has doubled the donation that the recipient’s charity of choice receives to $10,000 and the winner and their charity will be announced in April  2025 at their AGM.

REALTORS Care® Spotlight shares stories of how featured nominees the Canadian Real Estate Association’s Canadian REALTORS Care® Award are working to make their communities a better place for all.

This week's guest blog is brought to you by Ghazi Abid. He believes education and art can change the world, which is why he is a practitioner of both. With experience in teaching, curriculum design and career development, Ghazi loves working with students from all age groups. As a newcomer to Canada, he is enjoying the pursuit of my varied hobbies: reading, biking, playing soccer and volunteering. To connect with Ghazi you can look for him on LinkedIn or Substack. 

She was hunched over me closely inspecting my every move and even though I sensed some doubt emanating from her demeanor, the air of hope was much stronger. I continued diligently, my latex gloves now torn from the friction generated by the wrench I held. I wrestled with the frequent thoughts of failure and subsequent shame which put my sweat glands into overdrive in the industrious yet warm confines of Bike Root. “Oh wow, you did it, he did it!”, she exclaimed and gently patted my back as I straightened and pointed towards the stand I had just installed on the frame of her bike. She was motioning for Tom, the actual mechanic, to come and see the job I had done which she had felt was impossible to do herself. As I marveled at the work I had done, having no experience as a mechanic, I felt as if I was standing on a podium in front of a crowd of loving supporters. She immediately tested the newly installed stand, her eyes gleaming with joy. I could tell it meant so much to her because she had earlier mentioned how difficult it had been to keep her bike upright as she struggled with a loss of dexterity that comes with old age. I have ever since forgotten her name, but never will I forget that one cold winter evening, in a small workshop in a tiny corner of the world a fledgling immigrant from Pakistan brought joy to a stranger just by volunteering a moment of his time.  

Volunteer Managers play a pivotal role in connecting volunteers with meaningful opportunities. Join Volunteer Alberta and Alberta Blue Cross in celebrating International Volunteer Manager Day (Nov 5), by nominating yourself or a Volunteer Manager who should be recognized in your community to receive a $10 coffee card! Let's raise our (coffee) cups together and shine a light on the impact that Volunteer Managers bring to our communities. While we will prioritize nominations for those who didn’t receive a coffee card last year, we encourage everyone to participate—every Volunteer Manager deserves recognition, so don’t hesitate to nominate someone special, even if you think they’ve already been honoured!

Terms & Eligibility: 
- Must be a volunteer manager or coordinator (or equivalent) for an organization or grassroots group in Alberta. We recognize that there are informal ways of volunteering, or that what you do may not be called volunteering depending on cultures, languages etc. Our only requirement is that the nominee supports or organizes a group of people who give back to the community in some way. 

-Deadline for nomination is November 11, 2024. 
- Those nominated can only receive 1 gift card. 

Fill out the nomination form here. 

We love to use this space to give an extra shout out to organizations doing cool work! Food security is a cause that is important to most communities across the country. Especially in the cost-of-living crisis. Food Banks hold a critical space in that work. Food Banks BC is currently looking for several board members. What we like about this opportunity is the clear effort to seek out people who are reflective of the community across the province of British Columbia. Many people often self-select out of board roles because they do not feel qualified, but the voices are critical to centring the actual needs of the people organizations serve. If you are interested in that work and have lived experience in food insecurity or poverty, check them out! 

The holiday season is just around the corner, with that is some long nights and some very short days. The thing that breaks up this time for all of us are dazzling lights. The Burlington Festival of Lights has been a destination for residents of Burlington and beyond for twenty-nine years! If the light life is for you over the holiday season, have a look at their opportunity. What we love about this opportunity; the title “Twinkle Patrol” AMAZING! We adore a unique title. The other thing we love about this opportunity is that the organization has identified this role is good for families, groups and youth! An awesome and festive opportunity. 

Young Politicians of Canada is a national, non-partisan, non-profit youth-led organization based in Toronto. There are elections in the air across the country and we love the idea of supporting youth engaging in the democratic process and the shifts that can happen in our society when people lean into their civic responsibility! You can check out their opportunity here. 

October 10 marks the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day. Normally the dialogue around mental health and volunteering is about all the benefits the volunteering can offer to people; a sense of purpose and belonging, a sense of accomplishment. These are all true. So much so that the United Kingdom and other places have now taken on the idea of social prescribing. There is also other intersection of mental health and volunteering; the individuals and their complex existence that walks through the door of organizations across the country every day as volunteers. If you interact with humans on a day to day basis than chances are you are navigating someone’s mental health. We talk a lot at VolunteerConnector about being humans first and sometimes that is an identity that can get lost in all the valuable work that the charitable sector does. It is so critical however that we all take care of each other. If we believe that volunteerism is fundamental to our community cohesion and individual’s sense of belonging than we must also hold the responsibility of caring for people when they are not at their best. A great resource in this space is the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Mental Health Continuum. If you are seeing a shift in a person who you volunteer alongside, it might be a good idea to start there. The more we normalize these conversations that stronger our communities will be. 

Volunteer Alberta and Volunteer Canada are conducting a national survey to understand what volunteering looks like today in different parts of Canada. This research will explore why people volunteer, how they're volunteering, and what barriers or challenges they might face (or be hindered by) when looking to participate in volunteering efforts. 

Objectives 

Inventory of Motivations: Identify a list of motivations that drive Canadians to volunteer and understand the variations in these motivations. 

Volunteer (Non)Participation Today: Gain insights into volunteer participation today, including the challenges and barriers faced by (potential) volunteers. 

Organizational Support: Identify ways in which organizations can better support and encourage volunteerism. 

Two Surveys 

For volunteers: This survey will help us learn directly from the experiences of volunteers (and non-volunteers) about trends in volunteer participation, key motivations, and barriers.  

For organizations: We also want to learn from the organizational perspective and better understand what organizational representatives think and see regarding this topic. 

National Volunteer Survey

National Organization Survey

We love seeing cool volunteer things in the wild and this sign made the list. Shout out to Bike Cochrane! Here are some reasons we think this sign is awesome: 

You are meeting people where they are at. The humans who are using the pump track are the ones who care and are invested in its ongoing maintenance. 

The commitment is short and flexible, especially during the summer when schedules are out of whack. People who don’t have a lot of time in other seasons might have time in the summer, and life in the summer can sometime vary week to week. This allows people to make a commitment that fits in their schedule. 

The expectations are clear and reflect the urgent need of the organization. The organization gets to keep a list of the things that need done for everyone to enjoy the space and people get to contribute in a meaningful way. 

The connection is instant. A person can immediately go to the site, check their schedule and sign up for a week that works. 

Humans can do this as a family unit and that set up is encouraged! We get inquiries to our email from people looking to experience the benefits of volunteerism as a family so it is awesome to see an opportunity that fits that need!

This week we welcome guest blog writer Ashley. Ashley lived and worked in Calgary for more than 25 years, but now resides in B.C. She volunteered with the 39th Rangers in Calgary for three years. Ashley loves all things outdoors and adventure, is meticulously organized with a safety mindset, so Girl Guides was a natural fit. She loves to travel, write anything and everything and truly believe in the power of volunteering and education to better the world. Ashley currently work as a substitute teacher, tutor and freelance communications specialist in Vernon. She firmly believes her dog, while a menace, is also the cutest dog ever.

When I first began volunteering with Girl Guides, it was a way to fill my free time and give back to the community. Little did I know, it was the beginning of a transformative journey. 

I had just left my corporate office job and was searching for a career path with more meaning when a friend had suggested joining her in leading a Ranger unit (girls aged 15-17) in need of Guiders. I had no idea how much saying yes would change the trajectory of my life. Through volunteering with Girl Guides, I rediscovered my passion for mentoring and teaching, which led me to pursue a career in education. 

I was a little intimidated to be joining an organization I had not been a part of growing up - I worried that I didn’t know as much as the girls I’d be leading, as most of them had been in Guides since they were young. I couldn’t have been more wrong! They were so welcoming and I was amazed by the enthusiasm, openness and supportiveness they brought to every meeting. Guiding them through their planning, helping them develop new skills and watching their confidence grow reignited a spark in me. It was in these moments that I realized how much I had to offer and how deeply I enjoyed inspiring young minds and witnessing the girls become empowered. 

Encouraged by my experience with the Rangers, I took the leap and went back to school (well into my late 30s) to earn my Bachelor of Education. It was a busy and rewarding two years of intense learning, and I remained a volunteer guide leader throughout. My ongoing involvement with the Rangers was so beneficial to my classroom learning - they taught me so much about inclusiveness, equity and capability, and patiently bore with me as I tried new teaching tools and techniques with them. 

After graduating, I began working full-time as a substitute teacher and had to take a step back from guiding as I navigated a new and challenging career. Looking back, I am so grateful to the friend that extended her hand and the people that guided me along this path. Volunteering with the Girl Guides was the catalyst that ignited a passion for teaching. Each day brings new challenges and rewards. When it gets tough, I take a deep breath and remember what volunteering with the Rangers taught me - be positive, supportive and inclusive and your students can surprise and amaze you.

If you are looking to help support the people of Jasper as they move forward after the devastating wildfire that is still active in their community, there are a couple of different approaches you can take. 

Immediately 

Jasper Community Team Society is the primary organization that the municipality is asking that funds be directed towards. Jasper Community Team Society works directly with the Municipality of Jasper’s Community Development Department to ensure a thriving community. Donations can be made directly to them through their website. 

There are webs of connections in the province of Alberta, if you have a specific offer put it out into the community via friends/family and community pages. You never know who knows someone, who knows someone who needs a hand. The needs of individuals and families will shift and vary as time progresses. 

In the future 

Follow Jasper Community Team Society on their social media channels and stay updated on the needs of the people in Jasper.

Check back on VolunteerConnector regularly to see what opportunities come available to support the community of Jasper. Fundraising events require volunteers and there will undoubtedly be those needs in the future.