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Background & History
Chronology
of Volunteer BC
1976
Four lower mainland volunteer
centres ( Burnaby , North Shore , Richmond and Vancouver ) start
meeting to share information about trends in volunteerism. The next
year Coquitlam, Delta and Sunshine Coast join them. By September
1978, the full purpose for the Council of Volunteer Centres of the
Lower Mainland was defined.
1979
The Voluntary Action Resource
Centre (VARC) supports and partially finances the formation of the
BC Association of Volunteer Centres (or Bureaus) in response to
a need identified by the BC / Yukon Regional Committee on Volunteerism.
BCAVC's raison d'être
is, "to further the development of voluntarism and volunteer
centres in BC," because, "Volunteer Centres/Bureaus and
other centrally co-coordinated volunteer systems are established
as part of the total community planning process for the purpose
of strengthening citizen participation in health, welfare, recreation,
education and cultural activities."
BCAVC becomes a member of
the national Association of Volunteer Centres (CAVC).
The Honourable Grace McCarthy
supports a request for a provincial Proclamation for National Volunteer
Recognition Week.
BCAVC's constitution and
first by-laws are drafted. The BC Association of Volunteer Centres
(BCAVC) is incorporated as a society on October 15, 1979 .
1980
Funding is secured for Volunteer
Week celebrations and the association's first production of volunteer
recognition items.
BCAVC's first newsletter
is published.
The first annual BCAVC AGM
and Conference costs $1,159.86. A conference workshop generates
a list of Volunteer Centres' expectations of BCAVC:
1. Future conferences and
workshops
2. Standards and Criteria
for Volunteer Centres
3. Acting as a resource with
information and speakers
4. Lobbying with the two
levels of government (Prov/Fed)
1981
BCAVC hosts an AVB (Association
of Volunteer Bureaus), the U.S.-based North American volunteer bureaus
association, regional conference in Vancouver . Representatives
from Calgary , the Lower Mainland, Washington and Oregon attend.
BCAVC's own AGM is scheduled
to coincide with the AVB conference, held at UBC.
1983
Standards and Criteria for
Volunteer Centres are developed.
BCAVC's AGM/Conference is
held at Laurel Point Inn , Victoria .
BCAVC participates on the
national Task Force on Canada 's Voluntary Sector.
Katimavik (National Volunteer
Youth Service Program) is launched.
1984
BCAVC's Annual General Meeting
is held at the Sands Hotel in Vancouver .
BCAVC sends its President
to the Canadian Association of Volunteer Centres/Bureaux (CAVC)
AGM in Toronto .
1985
BCAVC's AGM is held at the
New Westminster campus of Douglas College .
1986
Volunteer centres in BC are
hard at work providing advocacy, agency support, standards expertise,
skills banks, board development, community consultations, research,
volunteer recognition, promotion, training & information resources
and recruitment & referral services.
1987
BCAVC researches and advocates
regarding the effects of service cuts to the sector.
1988
Privatization affects community
services and volunteer centres.
The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy's
Imagine campaign starts to take shape and BCAVC is actively involved.
"Volunteerism is a basic
right and responsibility of all Canadians. BCAVC must be able to
play its role in ensuring that volunteers are involved and recognized
appropriately in our society," said Carol Biely, Chairperson
(October 1988)
1989
The annual promotion of National
Volunteer Week reaches a new level of exposure. BCAVC receives sponsorship
from government and corporate representatives for multimedia coverage
of the "Red V" campaign. Sales of recognition items soar…
A task force on Volunteer
Management Standards works to develop standards that benefit the
voluntary sector as a whole.
A CEIC grant enables the
hiring of public relations and clerical staff that are instrumental
in connecting with volunteer centres and voluntary organizations
in BC and across Canada .
Through an agreement with
the Knowledge Network, BCAVC markets the video series "Voluntary
Sector Leadership - Board Development".
A National Consultation on
Volunteerism, which is initiated by Volunteer Ontario, addresses
issues facing the voluntary sector. This national network works
with the Centre for Philanthropy's Imagine campaign "to increase
giving of time and money to the causes Canadians care about".
1990
Volunteer Week's slogan is
"Volunteers - The Vital Link."
BCAVC prints a Directory
of BC Volunteer Centres/Bureaus.
A BCAVC representative sits
on the National Steering Committee for the CAVC.
Presentations are made to
provincial government elected officials stressing the importance
of volunteer centres and voluntary action in our society.
Success of the Volunteer
Week "Red V" campaign continues to grow.
Emerging volunteer centres
include Powell River , Hazelton, Courtenay, Campbell River and Nelson.
The voluntary sector starts
responding to the multicultural needs of BC's communities.
"I believe that "linking"
or "connecting" is one of the most important and valuable
things for individuals as well as for organizations to do. Through
the process of "linking", each party benefits and becomes
stronger while creating a new partnership. As a result, the community
as a whole is strengthened. Is it any wonder, then, that I see volunteer
centres and the B.C. Association of Volunteer Centres as vital to
the health and strength of our community? Both are dedicated to
making connections and to ensuring that these connections remain
strong by creating a supportive climate," said Lucile Boyko,
Chairperson (October 1990)
1991
BCAVC becomes known publicly
as Volunteer BC.
1992
A Volunteer BC brochure is
printed.
Standards and criteria for
volunteer centres, programs and centres within multi-service agencies
are developed.
A move to work more closely
with the Western Association of Directors of Volunteers is initiated.
The sale of recognition items
remains a major activity of Volunteer BC.
1993
The first National Conference
on Volunteerism is held in Toronto and Volunteer BC representatives
attend.
Volunteer BC publishes "How
To Start A Volunteer Centre," a resource manual.
Renewed support for the mandate
of Volunteer B.C. is expressed at the 1993 Annual General Meeting.
Volunteer BC is given the
BC Association of Broadcasters' Humanity Award. The award provides
funding for media/promotional time and tools and raises awareness
of the value of volunteerism and its positive impact on individuals
and communities.
Despite the hard work of
the Resource/Financial Development committee core funding continues
to elude Volunteer BC. Lack of funding continues to be a bump on
the road toward achieving the association's long-term goals.
Strengthening ties with regional
volunteer centres through frequent contact and feedback of membership
starts to pay off.
Doris Noel (Retiring Executive
Director, Burnaby Volunteer Centre) is the recipient of the first
Volunteer BC Distinguished Service Award.
1995
Carol Biely is awarded the
1995 Volunteer BC Distinguished Service 1996 Award.
Fundraising and Special Event
Planning are the topic highlights at Volunteer B.C.'s annual conference.
1997
Respected author and consultant
Linda Graff presents two workshops (Risk Management / Policies for
Volunteer Programs) at the 1997 conference.
The National Education Campaign
on Screening hosts workshops dealing with the effective screening
of staff and volunteers specifically for the palliative care field.
This serves as a pilot project and provides positive exposure for
Volunteer BC. Volunteer BC is positioned for future involvement
in screening awareness and training.
1998
Volunteer BC consults with
the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology on a
new program in which students can earn credit towards post secondary
education by volunteering.
Volunteer BC participates
in a discussion led by the National Panel on Accountability and
Governance in the Non-Profit Sector.
The province's first minister
responsible for volunteers and the community services sector is
appointed in April 1998.
1999
The 2000 edition of the BC
Volunteer Centres' Directory is published.
2000
The federally funded Voluntary
Sector Network Support Program (VOLNET) provides voluntary organizations
with expanded technological capacity, offering computer hardware,
Internet connections and technical training and support. The 604
Connect project supplies matching funds for a computer system and
software upgrade. Volunteer BC goes live on-line!
The provincial government,
in response to outcomes from the Voluntary Sector Roundtable Initiative,
introduces the InVOLve grants program. Volunteer BC and many volunteer
centres submit successful project proposals. This unprecedented
funding begins to build a support structure for volunteer centres
and volunteerism in the province.
The National Survey of Giving,
Volunteering and Participation develops and distributes BC specific
statistics relevant and useful to volunteer centres.
Volunteer BC unveils its
new logo at the 2000 AGM.
Volunteer BC is poised to
create a sustainable legacy of strength in volunteerism. The association
has a renewed opportunity to demonstrate effective service delivery,
strong infrastructure and provincial presence.
"This is an exciting
time, and a time to really decide what we want for (the future of)
our field." "We need to … work hard and speak publicly
and passionately about our vision," Carol Biely, Chairperson
(June 2000)
2001
2001 is the International
Year of Volunteers (IYV), as declared by the United Nations.
Volunteer BC spearheads celebrations
across the province, including a dedicated website for IYV activities
in the province.
As an IYV initiative, Volunteer
BC launches a Training Resource Database.
2002
Volunteer BC releases it's
A-Z Directory of Board Governance resource
In September, Volunteer BC
launches the Voluntary Organizations Consortium of BC (VOCBC), a
network of provincial and coalition organizations that involve volunteers
in a wide variety of sectors.
Volunteer BC moves to its
new home at 302-207 West Hastings Street , Vancouver in the landmark
Dominion heritage building, becoming neighbours to dozens of other
non-profit and community organizations.
2003
Vancouver is named the host
city for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Volunteer BC begins mobilizing
to ensure this opportunity is used to help stimulate the voluntary
sector and encourage a lasting legacy of volunteerism.
Volunteer BC and the Vancouver
Community Network sign an agreement to work together in creating
a BC Societies Networking Database that will enable collaboration
and cooperation among incorporated BC societies and ultimately to
inform and build capacity in the BC voluntary sector.
Go back to History
of Volunteer BC
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