Volunteerism is vital to the human service system in the City of Timmins, as it is throughout Canada. Volunteers form the basis for community life. Thousands of services that are available to the citizens of Ontario would cease to exist without voluntary involvement. With an ever increasing demand for volunteers, the various agencies that use their services often find difficulty in recruiting the numbers they need.

Volunteer Centres occupy a unique position in the community. On the one hand they serve individuals of all ages and from all walks of life; on the other hand they provide support to the entire range of not - for - profit organizations. Cultural, specialized information, arts, correctional, health, education and social service programs are among those that count on volunteer centres for volunteers and for leadership in the field of volunteer management.

Volunteer Timmins was formed after a year of research, when a need was found for a central co-ordinating body to recruit, screen and refer volunteers to agencies that could use their services. It has been in operation since 1980.

The main goals of Volunteer Timmins are:

1. To make volunteerism a community function using community resources.
2. To provide an opportunity for community service to men, women, youth, seniors, the affluent, and the poor, and to foster a feeling of personal worth which tends to come when people are involved in meaningful volunteer activities.
3. To help agencies find volunteers of a calibre suitable to the work involved.
4. To maintain a directory of volunteers and their skills and interests, and of agencies and their services and volunteer needs.
5. To make information on services available within the city available to the general public.

Volunteer Timmins recruits volunteers using regular media spots, a skillsbank, word of mouth and other well proven methods. The volunteers recruited are given an initial screening, where their interests, skills, and availability are matched with the needs of the non-profit organizations listed at Volunteer Timmins. Interviews are set up and referrals are made to agencies of the volunteer's choice. Volunteer Timmins consults regularly with the various agencies to make sure their needs are being met. Help is often given setting up new volunteer programs and in co-ordinating training workshops for volunteer managers.

When a member of the community decides to volunteer some of their time, they usually have little idea of the enormous range of programs with which they can become involved. If they volunteer through Volunteer Timmins they can make a better choice about what would be most suitable for them because they can consider a variety of options.

Volunteer Timmins is in operation to offer support in any way possible for both agencies and volunteers. Volunteer Timmins views itself as a much needed part of the community and looks forward to continued growth as it seeks to respond to emerging trends in the fields of volunteerism and information access.

Hours

Volunteer Timmins is open daily, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Feel free to drop in at any time to look at the job board.

Mission Statement

The mission of Volunteer Timmins is to create an awareness of community services and the need for a voluntary action and to act as a resource for all non-profit groups who use volunteers.