Strengthening the capacity of our network of volunteer centres is at the core of our history and continues to be a key part of the activities we undertake as an organization. A strong volunteer centre means a stronger volunteer core in a community. We partner on the Culturally Welcoming Volunteer Program which helps increase the capacity and build the relationships between the volunteer centres, non profits and immigrant serving agencies in their community.

In 2010, Volunteer BC successfully obtained funding for two years to continue the work of the Culturally Welcoming Volunteer Program (CWVP). Funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development (MAELD) will help continue work already carried out by the successful pilot phase of the CWVP launched in 2007-2009 by our member, Community Volunteer Connections.

As a volunteer centre, there is the ever-present challenge of recruiting volunteers. Many agencies report that those clients coming through their doors do not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. There is an unmet opportunity to tap into communities of new immigrants to Canada, and supporting them to join the population of volunteers. Newcomers to Canada are showing more interest in becoming involved in Canadian society as volunteers. The CWVP aims to assist non-profit organizations to design and manage volunteer programs to successfully recruit and retain diverse volunteers, including new immigrants. The primary objective is to increase volunteer representation from new immigrants as a means to gaining employment.

Through an RFP process, four volunteer centres were selected to manage the CWVP project in their community and undertake new immigrant recruitment and retention activities throughout the span of the project. The CWVP’s goal is to help increase the capacity and enhance the relationships between non profits, immigrant-serving agencies and the local volunteer centre. The successful volunteer centres are: Volunteer Kamloops, South Okanagan Similakemeen Volunteer Centre, Volunteer Cowichan and Volunteer Richmond Information Services. To date, the non-profits who participated in the program rate it highly and found the program extremely valuable. They have begun to develop action plans to implement in their workplaces. Here are some examples:

Make others feel welcome. Have more involvement with other cultures in the community to show you care.”

In the next six months I plan to use what I learned in the program in my workshops that I will be holding for immigrants. I will work with the volunteer coordinator to try and implement some more in depth training for future volunteers.”

Make our organization more inviting by including signage in various languages.”

Get involved with other agencies in the community to get more diverse volunteers.”

Arrange a meeting with the Intercultural Society to get them more included in our organization.”

Analysis of the project, our findings and the development of the final report will be completed the summer of 2012. We will gather and disseminate the best practices in engaging new immigrants in volunteer programs and hiring to the non-profit sector upon completion.