The facilitator will:

• Support the goals of PSSO in local communities with an emphasis on providing
  information and fellowship for people living with Parkinson’s and their families.
• Attend ongoing training/education and Community of Practice meetings provided
  by PSSO to increase their knowledge about Parkinson’s disease and to enhance
  their skills as a facilitator.
• Ensure all public notices for the group contain the group information, PSSO logo,
  and a reference to the group being a program of PSSO.
• Provide PSSO with updated group lists, including names, addresses, telephone
  numbers, and email addresses regularly.
• Provide an attendance record (First & Last Name of each participant) to PSSO
  immediately following each group session. This will be submitted using the
  volunteer portal “My Impact Page.”
• Document all hours of volunteering using the volunteer portal “My Impact Page,”
  which should include all time spent each month planning as well as group
  facilitation.
• Notify PSSO of any important information immediately as it pertains to the overall
  group or specific client participants (questions, resources, health changes, death in
  the family, etc.).

The facilitator works with the group to:

• Act in accordance with the Volunteer Code of Conduct (see page 12)
• Define the role and emphasize that the facilitator is not an expert in all things.
• Conduct group meetings in a caring, respectful, and compassionate manner.
• Promote the value of empowerment, encouraging individuals to be involved in
  making decisions about their own care.
• Establish, with input from group participants, a list of ground rules and goals for the
  group and review the list with the group on a regular basis.
• Foster an opportunity for people to interact with others dealing with similar health
  concerns and facilitate the sharing of their experience living with Parkinson’s.
• Encourage group members to participate in PSSO programs, education events, and
  fundraising events.
• Invite group participants to connect with PSSO staff and programs as necessary.
• Welcome and introduce new participants to the group, explain group guidelines such as confidentiality and help them connect with other group participants.

Group Interaction & Communication
The facilitator will:

• Ensure group participants are educated about and adhere to the confidentiality
  policy.
• Moderate the discussions in the group to ensure that all participants have an equal
  opportunity to share if they wish. This may require the facilitator to enhance their
  skills to ensure that participants that are talkative do not monopolize the
  discussion. Gently redirect attention to less vocal participants.
• Encourage a balance in discussions by encouraging the group to consider
  constructive solutions when negative issues are being addressed. Although there
  will be times when participants need to freely express and share their feelings, even
  if their tone seems negative.
• Remind the group that the symptoms, treatment, and progression of Parkinson’s
  are unique to each person, so others’ experiences may be different from one’s own.
• Strive to present information and encourage discussion that is honest while at the
  same time promotes a feeling of optimism.
• Remind participants to adopt a “consumers beware” approach to any information
  shared in the group and do their own research or speak with a medical professional
  before actin

Kids Help Phone’s texting service is the only free, 24/7 bilingual text line for people in Canada. The service is delivered by trained, volunteer crisis responders who work remotely. 

We are recruiting overnight and or bilingual crisis responders who will answer texts from young people looking for support in both English AND French.

The volunteer position will be remote, meaning that you can participate from anywhere in Canada as long you have a strong, reliable internet connection!  

Our volunteers need to be enthusiastic about helping people!

You can be a professional, student, teacher, retiree, or anybody else with a willingness to learn how to support people over text.  

The role of a crisis responder is to bring texters from a “hot” moment to a cool calm one, and to help them come up with a plan to stay healthy and safe.

Crisis responders are trained to do this using active listening and collaborative problem-solving.

Mentoring is a method of passing on lived experiences to support another caregiver in an empowering and meaningful way. Anyone who has been a caregiver will know that the caregiving role presents many challenges. These challenges will be different for every caregiver and from time to time support will be needed. A Peer Mentor has a wealth of experience and knowledge which can help another caregiver with the challenges of their caregiving situation. Caregivers share a common identity and can create a bond through sharing their experiences. You can easily connect by phone or by online/virtual discussion with your Caregiver Participant without leaving your home. An OCO trained peer mentor will:

‘Just be there’/Listen

Provide encouragement, support and acceptance

Acknowledge a caregiver’s strengths

Share lived experience and give real life examples

Discuss a caregiver’s wellbeing

Provide support with developing coping strategies

Provide relevant information

Provide support to set goals the caregiver identifies

Celebrate any goals the caregiver achieves

Be someone for a caregiver to bounce ideas of

The Ontario Caregiver Organization invites caregivers with diverse backgrounds from across Ontario to join our 1:1 Peer Support Program as a Peer Mentor. We are actively recruiting bilingual or multilingual caregivers who are fluent in English and also other languages.

Care will be taken to match volunteers with areas of skill and interest.

In 2015, we ran our first ever Butt Blitz — an action-oriented campaign focused on raising public awareness about cigarette litter, while simultaneously removing as much of it from the environment as possible.

Cigarette butts account for 1 in 5 pieces of litter that we find at our cleanups. These small cigarette butts are one of the most common forms of litter and when not disposed of properly, they cause negative impacts on local ecosystems and health.

Each spring, volunteers from across Canada pick up cigarette butts in their local communities, then send them to TerraCycle Canada for recycling. The social impact of this event is just as important as the environmental impact, as it helps prevent cigarette butt litter from ending up on the ground in the future!

We are looking for Butt Blitz Coordinators in communities across Canada to join us in expanding our impact by engaging volunteers locally throughout April!

As a Butt Blitz Coordinator, you are dedicating your time throughout April to help reduce the amount of cigarette litter in your local community and create a safer, healthier environment. You will help to spread awareness and connect others within your community to get involved in this initiative to reduce cigarette waste. 

All you need to participate is a pair of gloves, an up-cycled container (e.g., an old yogurt tub) to collect your butts in, and an interest in improving your local environment!

Coordinator Responsibilities:

• Review and understand the Butt Blitz Coordinator Information package

• Participate in cigarette litter cleanups to contribute to the overall goal of removing 1 million cigarette butts

• Choose a central and easily accessible location for local volunteers to drop off their collected butts (e.g., your front porch)

• Engage and support a team of local volunteers throughout April (e.g., answering questions, keeping in contact, hosting small group cleanups)

•  Mail in the cigarette butt collection to TerraCycle for recycling (shipping label provided by A Greener Future)

• Attend virtual team meetings via Google Meets (3 in total, max 30 minutes in length)

• Complete weekly check-ins with A Greener Future staff (via email or virtual call)

• Speak with the local media about the Butt Blitz should the possibility arrive

• Sign a virtual Liability Waiver

Please note: The Butt Blitz is a 19+ event (18+ in Alberta and Quebec) because we are working with hazardous waste.

To apply for this opportunity, please complete the application below by Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024: https://form-can.keela.co/butt-blitz-spring-2024-coordinator-form. 

Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview to ensure that the role is a good fit and we’ll answer any questions you may have about the position.

In 2015, we ran our first ever Butt Blitz — an action-oriented campaign focused on raising public awareness about cigarette litter, while simultaneously removing as much of it from the environment as possible.   

Cigarette butts account for 1 in 5 pieces of litter found at our cleanups. These small plastic filters are one of the most common forms of litter globally and when not disposed of properly, they cause negative impacts on local ecosystems, wildlife, and human health.  

We’re calling on volunteers from across Canada to pick up cigarette butts in their local communities, then send them to TerraCycle Canada for recycling. The social impact of this event is just as important as the environmental impact, as it helps prevent cigarette butt litter from ending up on the ground in the future!   

We are looking for Butt Blitz Volunteers in communities across Canada to join us in picking up butts locally throughout the month of April. Join a local team, or take part wherever you are!  

The Butt Blitz will run from April 1st to 30th, 2023. Our goal is to collect and remove 1 million cigarette butts over the course of a month!   

As a Butt Blitz Volunteer, you are dedicating your time throughout April to help reduce the amount of cigarette litter in your local community and create a safer, healthier environment.   

All you need to participate is a pair of gloves, an up-cycled container (e.g., old yogurt tub) to collect your butts in, and an interest to improve your local environment!   

Volunteer Responsibilities: - Review and understand the Butt Blitz Volunteer Information Package - Sign a virtual Liability Waiver - Participate in cigarette litter cleanups to contribute to the overall goal of removing 1 million cigarette butts - Drop off your cigarette butt collection to a local team coordinator (or mail in your own collection if participating independently) - Attend virtual team meetings via Zoom (optional; 3 in total, max 30 minutes in length) - Attend a team Butt Blitz cleanup locally (optional)   If this opportunity interests you, please fill out the form below!   

All participants must be 19+ (18+ in Alberta or Quebec)  

Apply Here.

Katimavik’s National Experience is an amazing opportunity for any Canadian citizens, permanent residents or landed refugees aged 17 – 25 who are looking for 5.5 months of creative learning, community engagement, Truth and Reconciliation, and self-discovery! Youth will live in a group with up to 10 of their peers in two separate communities throughout the course of the program. During the program they engage in 32 valuable volunteer hours a week, learn how to manage a house, make lifelong friends, and gain confidence that they themselves can make an impactful difference in our country. This is a fully funded opportunity where participants’ travel expenses, living accommodations, food costs, and daily needs are covered. All they will need to bring is their dedication, empathy, and commitment to making a better world!

Some of the topics and skills that Participants will be challenged to learn about include:

• The history of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the importance of Truth and Reconciliation;
• The benefits and impact of civic engagement;
• Professional work skills in a variety of sectors, depending on volunteer placements;
• Cooking skills, house maintenance, and practical life skills;
• Conflict resolution, communication, and how to strive within a team environment;
• Environmental protection and sustainable development;
• English or French as an additional language;
• Leadership, advocacy, and project management skills;
• Canada’s cultural, geographic, and linguistic diversity.