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Category Archives: News

Volunteer Banff news, updates and events.

Mar 08 2012

How to find meaningful volunteering expereinces for youth & young adults

Posted in News, Organizations, Volunteer Canada, Volunteer Opportunities

Looking for meaningful volunteering opportunities for young adults?

Non Profits looking to work with youth AND youth seeking meaningful volunteer opportunities can now use Volunteer Canada’s new Building Blocks to Youth Volunteer Engagement to identify how to find great volunteering experiences!

Parents and teachers can use this tool learn how to identify the ways young adults can get involved and how they can support them in their search for volunteer opportunities.

Young adults and youth can use self-assessment tools to identify their skills and interests, and learn ways to apply their skills to volunteering.

 

These tools were designed in partnership with Manulife Financial, to address the barriers and opportunities to volunteer engagement outlined in the Bridging the Gap research report. There are also some really great tools and informative fact sheets to download here.

Click here to download the interactive tool; Building Blocks for Youth Volunteer Engagement.

Nov 23 2011

Measuring Your Value

Posted in About, Community Voice, News

A thought provoking Letter to the Editor, published in the Banff Crag & Canyon today, is written by one of our energetic volunteer Board Members, Annie Arseneault.

Annie asks the question: How do you think a community should measure the value of its volunteers?

Please take a few moment to give us your thoughts below – we love hearing from you!

For more recent Banff Volunteer Centre headlines – check this article out.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Measuring Your Value

How can the Bow Valley measure the value of its residents and visitors who volunteer their time and skills? It’s a question I ponder as I begin my new volunteer assignment as a Board member with the Banff Volunteer Centre (BVC).

This morning (Nov. 21) I attended a Town of Banff Council meeting and was pleased to see an overall favourable response to BVC’s new direction. Executive Director Katherine Topolniski had submitted a proposal to reinstate a previous budget of $20,000 annually for core funding.

I was delighted to hear the Council’s questions match one of BVC goals for 2012: to better measure and report on the value of volunteerism in our community. This means I will be putting my performance measurement expertise to good use. Establishing appropriate indicators of success early will be an important step as BVC begins rolling out it’s new business in 2012: delivering services to non-profit organizations, building awareness of volunteerism and encouraging residents (new, temporary and long-term locals alike) to be more actively involved in their community.

I’m excited about volunteering my skills in this capacity while supporting a cause for which I care about: inclusion. I even hope that my volunteering as a Board member serves as a model for other young and highly skilled people and inspires them to find a fulfilling volunteer opportunity.

So how do you think a community should measure the value of its volunteers?

Annie Arseneault
Banff Volunteer Centre, Board of Directors

Nov 01 2011

Volunteers | Join the conversation

Posted in News, VTalk

Join the discussions on the Get Volunteering Facebook Conversation series

The 12-week Get Volunteering Facebook Conversation series focused on volunteering continues Thursday, November 3 with a discussion on best practices for engaging youth within voluntary organizations.

To join in the live interactive talk, click here and “Like” Get Volunteering on Facebook.

The conversation series runs once a week until December 9, and all sessions begin at 9 a.m. Future conversations will be announced via Volunteer Canada’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, and on the Get Volunteering Facebook page.

Oct 25 2011

Volunteer News | Alberta Volunteers are Priceless!

Posted in News, Volunteers

Volunteers could use a little help

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 06:00 am
Published on the Carstairs Courier

An unknown author once wrote, “Volunteers are not paid – not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”

While that sentiment continues to ring true today, with over 50 per cent of Albertans regularly volunteering their time, many municipal volunteer organizations are struggling to recruit and retain new members given today’s more mobile society. Faced with dwindling numbers some groups have folded, while others plod along with the same group volunteering for every event.

One possible solution exists in offering tax breaks to those residents who participate in volunteer activities with registered charities. While many volunteer groups suggest the idea is the answer to declining numbers, critics charge that the idea just doesn’t make sense.

Read the rest of the article here…

Mar 15 2011

For Members | be part of the Rocky Mountain Volunteer Fair!

Posted in About, Events, News

Celebrating National Volunteer Week, The Banff Volunteer Centre is pleased to host the first ever Rocky Mountain Volunteer Fair!

Mark your calendars and register your organization today by submitting your RSVP to the event!

Nonprofit organizations are invited to participate in this free, one-of-a-kind volunteer recruitment and informative event on Saturday, April 16 at the Banff Seniors Centre.

You don’t want to miss this opportunity!

Register for Rocky Mountain Volunteer Fair in Banff, Alberta on Eventbrite

Presentations at the event include morning sessions for organizations and an afternoon session open to everyone.

For Organizations: (all welcome, even those who do not have a exhibition booth)

  • Introducing Change – learn about the NEW Banff Volunteer Centre and all the services and tools in place to enhance volunteerism in our community
  • The NEW Volunteer: Baby Boomers – a look into an outstanding volunteer demographic!

For the General Public & Organizations:

  • Discussion Panel: Bow Valley Non-Profits Being Green – local experts and volunteer managers discussing this growing and important sector.

Register for Rocky Mountain Volunteer Fair in Banff, Alberta on Eventbrite

More Info for Organizations:

The Banff Volunteer Centre works to enhance volunteerism in Banff and the Bow Valley. Reaching out to the public can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor for many organizations. The Rocky Mountain Volunteer Fair is a fantastic opportunity to promote your organization and it’s volunteer opportunities – and you’ll gain valuable information through the various presentations and discussion panel.

Promotion of the event will reach Banff, Canmore and Bow Valley communites – there will be radio and press releases leading up to the event and promotions online (through our website, twitter and facebook) we will provide PDF invitations for you to share with the community, your volunteers and networks

Sign up now to showcase your organization, promote volunteer opportunities and raise awareness about the importance of volunteering in our community!

Let’s celebrate the spirit of National Volunteer Week by making this event an outstanding success!