Healthy Communities • YMCA Volunteers
Celebrate the Value of Volunteering — building confidence, connections, and community
20 April 2018 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
By Donna Morrison, Acting General Manager of Volunteer Development
It’s hard to imagine life at the YMCA without the efforts of the 5,268 volunteers across the GTA. What often surprises people is the myriad of volunteer positions that are offered throughout our five cores and nine program areas. In fact, there are over 100 possible volunteer roles, including before and after school Child Care program roles, Green Roof maintenance, Classroom Assistants at our YMCA Academy, Summer Day Camp Assistants, Employment Resource Centre Assistants, Customer Service duties at the offices of YMCA Immigrant Services, Group Fitness Leaders, Laundry Assistants, and Advisory Boards members. Volunteering is as diverse as the members and participants that the YMCA serves.
Let us think about the value of volunteering to the individual that is willing to give so generously of their time. They develop new skills, find an opportunity to grow, build connections, and become involved in something that they care about. Ultimately, it leads to pride in oneself — pride which can last a lifetime. Many volunteers will tell you that they get more than they give. It is impossible to measure the impact on an individual throughout their lifetime, but we should never underestimate the happiness volunteering brings to those empowered to make a change.
Volunteering played a major role in my 30-year career as a YMCA employee. While I dreamed of working in management, I was told that I did not have the right experience. I decided to do something about it. I chose a group I was passionate about, and started volunteering on the executive committee. I was then able to develop new skills, build connections, and learn from my mistakes. My hard work paid off: I was elected as the president! Then I developed the ability to inspire others to use their strengths and learned how to lead committees through good times and bad. This success gave me the confidence to speak about my own leadership skills and proved to be a stepping stone to a career at the YMCA that I loved. And there was a surprise along the way: I discovered the joy of encouraging others to volunteer. Becoming the acting general manager of YMCA Volunteer Development was a natural combination of my skills and passion.
During my career at the YMCA, I have learned so much from the volunteers and the amazing staff who work with them. I am retiring in May and I hope to continue my journey as a life-long learner through discovering new and exciting volunteer roles. While my time at the YMCA is coming to an end, for those looking for a valuable volunteer experience matched to their goals and skillset, I know exactly where to direct them. The journey begins here.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto celebrates National Volunteer Week April 15–21, 2018. Visit our website to learn more about volunteering at the Y.
It’s hard to imagine life at the YMCA without the efforts of the 5,268 volunteers across the GTA. What often surprises people is the myriad of volunteer positions that are offered throughout our five cores and nine program areas. In fact, there are over 100 possible volunteer roles, including before and after school Child Care program roles, Green Roof maintenance, Classroom Assistants at our YMCA Academy, Summer Day Camp Assistants, Employment Resource Centre Assistants, Customer Service duties at the offices of YMCA Immigrant Services, Group Fitness Leaders, Laundry Assistants, and Advisory Boards members. Volunteering is as diverse as the members and participants that the YMCA serves.
Let us think about the value of volunteering to the individual that is willing to give so generously of their time. They develop new skills, find an opportunity to grow, build connections, and become involved in something that they care about. Ultimately, it leads to pride in oneself — pride which can last a lifetime. Many volunteers will tell you that they get more than they give. It is impossible to measure the impact on an individual throughout their lifetime, but we should never underestimate the happiness volunteering brings to those empowered to make a change.
Volunteering played a major role in my 30-year career as a YMCA employee. While I dreamed of working in management, I was told that I did not have the right experience. I decided to do something about it. I chose a group I was passionate about, and started volunteering on the executive committee. I was then able to develop new skills, build connections, and learn from my mistakes. My hard work paid off: I was elected as the president! Then I developed the ability to inspire others to use their strengths and learned how to lead committees through good times and bad. This success gave me the confidence to speak about my own leadership skills and proved to be a stepping stone to a career at the YMCA that I loved. And there was a surprise along the way: I discovered the joy of encouraging others to volunteer. Becoming the acting general manager of YMCA Volunteer Development was a natural combination of my skills and passion.
During my career at the YMCA, I have learned so much from the volunteers and the amazing staff who work with them. I am retiring in May and I hope to continue my journey as a life-long learner through discovering new and exciting volunteer roles. While my time at the YMCA is coming to an end, for those looking for a valuable volunteer experience matched to their goals and skillset, I know exactly where to direct them. The journey begins here.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto celebrates National Volunteer Week April 15–21, 2018. Visit our website to learn more about volunteering at the Y.
