Photo by Brande Jackson

Volunteerism builds healthy and flourishing communities through valuable exchanges and cooperative efforts.  A 2010 Statistics Canada study revealed that over 13 million Canadians collectively devoted about 2 billion hours of their time to volunteer work. Among the trends established, the strongest link discovered was between the number of hours individuals donated to causes, and their level of attachment to cultural practices.

Volunteers who deeply identified with a cultural diaspora and took on leadership roles in their communities accounted for 77 per cent of the total number of hours contributed in 2010. According to their study, devotion to causes is fueled by a set of beliefs or values that encourages altruistic practices.

Working to benefit all communities

Yen Nguyen, director of the Vietnamese Youth Development Program, acknowledges that the projects she initiates could not come to fruition without the tireless efforts of a network of volunteers, many of whom operate as leaders and take on the social responsibility of directly addressing community needs.

“The concept of volunteering in Vietnam, much like in North America, centres on taking responsibility for the development of your community. It’s seen as a central part of civic life by institutions, so much so that it is now becoming a requirement for students to graduate,” says Nguyen.

Nguyen sees a volunteer’s commitment to community affairs as compatible with a commitment to other communities that are just as deeply affected by many of the same issues. At the moment, Nguyen and her team are spearheading a food bank project in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood to strengthen a sense of communal reciprocity among Vancouver’s various communities, and to address pervasive social issues that are more visible in this area.

“We set up a food bank project to attend to the poverty affecting First Nations people, and other low-income households in the neighborhood,” she says.

Rina Joy Comia Sionson, event coordinator for the Philippine Women’s Centre, emphasizes the importance of collective leadership and positive inter-community relations for tackling problems that threaten the livelihood and equity of communities. She explains that events at the Women’s Centre are often about sensitizing volunteers and community members to issues that afftect many aspects of public and private life. Her organization is part of a network of nonprofits aware of how issues that are not culturally specific can still have a profound effect on the livelihood and well-being of these cultural communities.

“In the course of organizing work, we have supported and have been in solidarity with struggles of other marginalized groups. More pointedly, we are supporting the effort to raise the minimum wage of workers, and are assisting advocacy groups that sensitize people to the ongoing issues in environmental justice,” explains Comia Sionson.

Coalitions between the corporate sector and nonprofits

Khim Tan, senior manager at MOSAIC Settlement Services, greatly depends on volunteers to help prepare newcomers for the demands of the workforce. Even with the many services on offer from nonprofit groups, Tan believes that a cohesive effort between the corporate sector and organizations like MOSAIC is required to address issues affecting Metro Vancouver’s communities at an institutional level.

“These problems should not only be considered a matter for nonprofits and charities. We are hoping to see an effort on the part of employers to address important issues like wage discrepancies, and to raise awareness of the potential for stigmatization in current work practices,” says Tan.

Volunteers with MOSAIC | Photo by Erica Huang

Many employees are already contributing volunteer hours to nonprofits and charities. Stats Can studies done in 2004, 2007 and 2010 show with consistency that more than half of Canadian volunteers are employed.

Kerry Greer, professor of sociology at the University of British Columbia, observed through her graduate research that workers, especially those in jobs that demand some level of altruism, understand the importance of volunteering for tackling social problems – issues that might be inadvertently overlooked by an organization, or that the organization may not have the necessary funds to tackle.

“One area of volunteer labour that I think goes unrecognized and was important in my research was the nonprofit board members who gave substantially of their time and skills to oversee and manage operations,” explains Greer.

Despite the upward trend in volunteer hours, one concern that remains for some organizations is the relatively small number of volunteers who are responsible for the majority of hours donated to nonprofits and charitable causes; 10 per cent of volunteers account for 51 per cent of all hours contributed.

Nguyen hopes that more people from all walks of life take up the challenge: “encouraging volunteers to take a serious part in our projects requires greater outreach efforts from the corporate and non-profit sector. We hope that a greater number of volunteers will translate to a greater diversity of perspectives and ultimately extend our impact on the Vancouver community.”