Help Your Neighbours

• provide service to seniors or to others who have difficulty leaving their homes raking, shovelling (no snow blowers), shopping (students should not drive vehicles for this purpose), visiting, reading, meal preparation
• assist a neighbour with child care – take child to park, watch child while parent prepares dinner
• tutor younger students – read, take to library, help with homework

Help Your Community

• volunteer at a seniors’ home/centre – visit, read, play cards or board games, take seniors for walks, make crafts
• help organize local community events – food drives/banks
• take part in environmental initiatives – cleaning and recycling operations, park cleanup, planting trees and flower beds (students should not use power tools – lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, wood chippers, etc.)
• get involved in charitable activities – walk-a-thons, daffodil sales, canvassing for organizations
• assist with sports teams – community leagues, parks and recreation programs
• volunteer in leadership role with community groups – youth groups
• volunteer in hospitals, libraries or any organization recommended by the Volunteer Centre of Toronto
• volunteer with social service or animal welfare agencies – Red Cross, United Way, Humane Society
• get involved in the democratic political process – scrutineering, canvassing, campaigning
• offer service through religious communities/places of worship
• assist with literacy initiatives – at local libraries, day care centres, community centres

Help Your Schools

• help with sports teams – run skills drills, assist coach
• help in the library – shelve books, tidy up, change bulletin boards
• tutor other students – help with homework, review difficult concepts
  assist students with special needs – act as peer buddy
• assist with planning of arts or athletic events – work on publicity, set up for track meets, sell tickets, check coats, offer technical support
• facilitate school events such as parent information nights – meet and greet visitors, give guided tours, serve refreshments
• assist with environmental activities – encourage recycling, plant trees/flowers, work on grounds crews (students should not use power tools)
• participate in charitable initiatives – food drives, holiday drives for toys or food
• sit on school councils, committees – school governance, be a peer mentor/mediator, help with orientation of grade 9 students

For more information, please contact Marylou Heenan.