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This week’s guest post is by Raissanatou Mairou, who shares how planting trees has shaped their understanding of community, nature, and the lasting impact of small, meaningful actions.

Whenever I think about why I love planting trees, my mind always goes back to that one summer in 2013 during my trip to visit my uncle and aunt in another city. I used to play outside with my cousins every day, and one afternoon we ran into one of their neighbors who was heading to her farm to cultivate maize and other crops. She handed each of us a few grains to plant. I got maize, while three of my cousins received groundnut seeds. 

We rushed home immediately, as we were excited to start. I had no experience, so my older cousins showed me how to dig the soil in little sections, place the grains gently inside, and water them. It was simple, but to me it was memorable. Waiting for the plants to germinate was one of the most exciting experiences of my childhood, and I’m still grateful it happened. Watching those tiny seeds turn into living, growing plants made me appreciate the beauty and complexity of life on a deeper level.

As I grew older, that memory stayed with me. And when I learned that my faith considers planting trees a form of ongoing charity, everything made even more sense. Islam teaches that planting benefits not only people but every creature that interacts with that tree; birds that nest in it, animals that eat from it, insects that find shelter, and anyone who rests under its shade during heat, cold, or rain. The list of benefits is endless, and I’ve always found that incredibly beautiful. As someone who has always loved nature, discovering that my beliefs aligned with something so meaningful made me even more passionate about planting whenever I have the chance. 

I still get happy and excited imagining the future: a squirrel climbing the tree I planted, a bird resting on its branches, or a stranger finding shade beneath it on a hot day. That thought alone motivates me again and again. 

I would encourage anyone to try planting at least once, especially with other people. It is really fun and seeing how a small grain grows into something so big is wonderful on its own, but knowing that such a simple action can carry so much lasting good makes it even more powerful. To me, that’s why planting a tree will always feel like the purest form of community service.

This week’s guest post is by Jonathas Melo’o, who shares his experience writing letters to children in Uganda and the lessons he learned about empathy, connection, and the transformative power of volunteering.

"Writing letters to children in Uganda has profoundly transformed how I understand volunteering, solidarity, and even my own role in the world. When I began this experience, I imagined the greatest impact would be on the recipient: the child who would receive a message of affection, encouragement, and hope from someone so far away. However, throughout the process, I realized that I too was being transformed with each letter written, each story shared, and each reflection provoked by the simplicity and strength of those lives.

In the beginning, I tried to carefully choose each word, worried about writing "correctly," as if there were a specific formula to offer comfort and encouragement. Over time, however, I realized that the true value of the letter lay not in the perfection of the text, but in the authenticity of the gesture. The children responded with drawings, small accounts of daily life, dreams, fears, and achievements. This showed me that volunteering doesn't need to be grand to be meaningful—it just needs to be human.

By connecting with those realities so different from my own, I learned about resilience. I realized that, even in the face of profound challenges, many of those young people carried a vibrant hope, a joy that..." It didn't depend on what they possessed, but on who they were. This realization made me reevaluate my own priorities and invited me to see my life with more gratitude and purpose.

Writing these letters also broadened my understanding of social responsibility. I understood that volunteering is not a one-sided movement where the giver is in a superior position. On the contrary: it is a profound exchange, in which everyone grows. By sharing stories and receiving stories in return, I realized that the act of volunteering is not about "saving" anyone, but about building bridges — bridges of empathy, respect, and mutual learning.
The greatest personal growth came precisely from this realization. Today, I see volunteering as a continuous journey of self-discovery. Writing for the children of Uganda taught me to look at the world with more sensitivity, to recognize the power of human encounters, and to understand that true transformation happens in the details: in a word of support, in a sincere gesture, in a bond that transcends borders.

This experience changed not only how I see volunteering, but also who I am — and that is why, when I... "By applying to write for this blog, I carry with me the certainty that words have power. And that, when used to connect people, they become seeds of change."
 

This week’s guest post is by Dimnobi Eleh, who shares his experience volunteering at a summer chess club and the lessons he learned about patience, growth, and connecting with others.

Volunteering at my summer chess club taught me something quiet but big. Chess has always been part of my life. I grew up playing, and I even won a tournament back in Nigeria. This summer, I decided to give back by helping run the Oakville chess club, twhere I taught basics, organized events, and made sure new players felt welcome.

My role was simple on paper. I set up boards, showed kids how the pieces move, and sat with beginners while they learned to think a couple moves ahead. In practice, it was a lot noisier, messier, and far more rewarding than I expected. The room smelled like sweat and pizza boxes after tournaments. Little hands bumped pieces off the board. Players argued about whether a pawn could sneak past a rook. All of it felt flawed, but alive.

What surprised me most was how quickly small wins changed people. One boy came every week and lost almost every game. He would stare at the board like it was a puzzle with missing pieces. After a few sessions, he started seeing patterns. The week he finally won against another child, he did not jump. He simply looked stunned, then smiled slowly as if he had discovered something inside himself. He hugged the king with his palm before looking at me and whispering, "I finally did it". That moment hit me harder than any trophy I have.

I also learned to be patient and to explain things in different ways. Some players needed a diagram. Others needed a story about the pieces. I learned to celebrate small improvements and to remind kids that losing is part of learning, not a verdict on who they are or how good they were at the game.

Volunteering at the chess club was not a grand project. It was afternoons of repetition, jokes about blunders, and tiny victories that added up. But those afternoons did something important. They helped people feel capable and connected, and they reminded me why sharing something you love with others is important.

This week’s guest post is by Genevieve LaRocque, who shares her first volunteering experience and the lessons she learned about taking risks, facing challenges, and building connection within her community.

My first volunteering experience wasn’t fun, pleasant or validating. So why am I bothering to blog about it? 

Because it was something far more important.

Picture a shy, introverted young woman looking for an opportunity to feel involved, to be part of the world. She has a gentle smile and is brimming with the bravery it takes her to reach out to strangers and join a community.

Then put her in a room full of terrifying, mischievous young children who would rather be playing outside. 

She’s trying to keep smiling and project confidence. Inside, she’s falling on her backside. 

Like Charlie Brown after Lucy has tricked him into trying to kick the football. 

But in her mind’s eye, she had seen it all! A group of lovely children sitting around her in a perfect circle, leaning in so they wouldn’t miss a word. They laughed when she used funny voices for some of the characters and gasped when she left them on a cliffhanger…

Meanwhile on planet earth, she was the last to get picked for a reading group. The kids kept looking over at other groups, rolling their eyes, and acting generally bored. 

It was like she was back in school again, where being introverted was just considered weird. 

And she couldn’t get a lifeline from the other adult volunteers. They all looked like they were afraid the ick would rub off on them!

But 25 years later, when I think about it, I don’t feel the anxiety, rejection or awkwardness that I felt at the time. Actually, I do feel the awkwardness. But mainly, I feel so much pride that I did something challenging because I wanted to connect with people and make my community stronger. 

I went on to make a career based on real human connection. So why was this failed attempt at connecting so important?

Because in time it taught me that failure isn’t a permanent state. It’s an experience that you can build on. The painful emotions pass. The learning about yourself and the world stays with you. 

Sometimes you learn the best lessons when things don’t work out at all the way you planned. 

So take a chance. Do something challenging. Volunteer. 

With any luck, it’ll be a difficult experience.

This week’s guest post is by Stefanni Brasil (stefannibrasil.me), a community-minded writer who values connection, compassion, and curiosity. Through volunteering, she’s discovered that her identity extends beyond her professional life.

“The world is in a bad state but everything will become worse unless each of us does his best” — Viktor Frankl

A few years ago, I got more involved with my local communities. Work filled my life up to that point and I wanted to meet people where nobody cared what I did for a living.

My volunteer journey evolved from volunteering to online tech communities to local initiatives. I didn’t exactly know what I was doing but I knew what matters to me:

Active and accessible transportation modes

Veganism and the environment

Healthy neighbourhoods, placemaking, and third places

I started volunteering to clean up parks with the Keep the Earth Fresh, prevent food waste with the Leftovers Food Rescue, and maintain a clean fridge/pantry for the Beltline Community Fridge. I joined the d.talks Content Writing team for Calgary’s annual Design Week. A few months ago, some friends and I created kindfork.ca, a vegan social club, where we organize monthly meetups to grow a vibrant vegan community.

When I found myself not having a job, being part of these communities made a positive difference. My job can take up my time and energy, making harder to volunteer, but when I do, I re-energize and feel more connected. And the more I push myself to do it, the more resilient I become.

Volunteering helped me learn my biggest lesson: my identity is bigger than my professional one. Being connected to my local community matters. Volunteering reminds me that doing nothing is not an option. And even not knowing exactly where this will all lead, it’s worth getting out there, meeting people and helping as a I can, with what I have.

It’s an opportunity to embrace the unknown, experience life through someone else’s perspective, to do something without expecting recognition, money, praise, etc. Contrary to other adult responsibilities, this low-pressure environment invites us to be more compassionate and curious.

Are you ready to explore where volunteer will get you?

Let whatever makes you curious be enough to try it out. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. It will be uncomfortable, and that’s a good sign. If you start today, imagine where this journey will take you. No one can say for sure but one thing is true: you have more to offer than you think. And more to gain than you expect.

This week we wanted to share the brilliant work from our colleagues at Vantage Point, although focussed on British Columbia the sentiment no doubt resonates across the country.

The Non-Profit Sector in BC is Stretched Thin

The 2025 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Survey, conducted by Vantage Point, reveals that non-profits across the province are under increasing pressure. More than 500 non-profit leaders across the province shared their perspectives, highlighting three interconnected themes:

• Rising demand with growing complexity of needs and severity of issues
• Organizations are striving to pivot and respond during increasingly difficult times
• Supporting the people who deliver programs is both a pressure point and a priority

Non-profits are essential for strong, connected, and resilient communities in BC. Stretched Thin offers a clear picture of the current challenges and highlights potential solutions to strengthen the sector, enabling greater impact across the province.

Thank you to the 500+ non-profit voices who contributed to this year’s survey.
#SOTS2025
Read the report: thevantagepoint.ca/sector-reports/

We love celebrating brilliant work happening in community. Check out how Stratford Perth Pride is consulting the community being served to ensure the inclusion and equity training that is created is reflective of the communities that they serve. 

If you were in Niagara from 2000 onwards you were likely very familiar with PoultryFest, a one-day free festival which celebrated all things poultry- from chicken chariot races to bounce castles galore to an evening country concert it was really fun for the whole family. Based in a small town in the western side of the region it drew visitors from all over, received a lot of media coverage and brought people together. And then in 2018 it was done. We were curious about how it ended? How does a huge successful festival with a ton of local support cease to exist?

The answer is a common one and likely more complicated than it seems at face value. The equation is the perfect one burnt out board + “no volunteer” = it ends. A bit of history to set the stage. The festival began as a millennium project expected to last a year, it lasted 18 and found major success through a sponsorship model. Sticking to the confines of a one-day festival and maintaining the free model to ensure maximum participation. Recruiting day of volunteers was never a problem, the alignment with the province of Ontario’s 40 hours of volunteer work for high school students certainly did not hurt. The core group of 8 board member organizing volunteers stayed intact with little changes for the full 18 years and they were the ones were eventually “done”. When asked how they managed recruitment to the board the response was something along the lines of the “the word was out there, people knew” serving as a good example of if there is not dedicated capacity and energy put into volunteer recruitment at all levels this type of ending is inevitable. This is not a criticism of the group of humans but a reflection on the number of organizations across the country who are wondering how they will continue but not spending time reflecting on how to rally humans in their spheres to continue the work. Maybe even more how to put one’s own identity aside and see how it could flourish into the future. 

The decision to end was made before the final festival so resources could be allocated. Six months later the team fielded a parade float in the two local Santa Claus Parades to thank the communities and give everyone a sense of closure. The remaining money was donated to local charities. 

What happened with that core group of board members? A lot appeared when the International Ploughing Match came to the area this year. Another event based locally, connected to agriculture. Many found other ways to fill their time, and other priorities took over the space that PoultryFest once resided in. 

If this story resonated with you and you want to talk more, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

This is a wonderful resource when thinking about the web of volunteer engagement.

Thanks to Lori Gotleib for sharing with us! For more awesome resources like this check out your the Library on your dashboard. 

We recently put together a list of things that sets VolunteerConnector apart. We have never been very good about bragging about ourselves so this is good stuff! 

Why the VolunteerConnector 

VolunteerConnector is the only Canada-wide platform that blends national reach with unique local needs, equity-first design, and sector-shaping data — empowering every organization, from grassroots to large-scale, to engage volunteers inclusively and effectively. 

National Reach + Local Relevance 

The VolunteerConnector connects 5,000+ organizations and over 1.5 million volunteers across 293+ communities. 

Most competitors are either hyper-local or purely national; VolunteerConnector blends nationwide accessibility with localized support, customization, and relationships, including regional partnerships and on-the-ground sector connections. 

Regional partners and volunteers help shape the platform based on their experience and knowledge of community needs. 

Equity-Driven Volunteer Engagement 

The VolunteerConnector shifts the responsibility for inclusive engagement onto organizations — a major differentiator from platforms that focus solely on supporting organizations. 

This reframes volunteerism as systemic change work, not just matching skills to needs, aligning with social sector values and priorities. 

The VolunteerConnector integrates anti-racism and accessibility principles directly into the digital platform, making equity practical and scalable. 

Data-Backed Sector Influence 

The VolunteerConnector holds one of the largest datasets on volunteer behaviour in Canada, showing who engages, how, and where barriers exist. 

This insight is not only operationally useful; it positions us as a thought leader capable of influencing policy, funding priorities, and best practices for volunteerism nationwide. 

Competitors may track volume, but few transform that data into storytelling, advocacy, and sector capacity-building. 

We are a nonprofit with over 65 years of experience supporting volunteers and organizations. 

Technology + Human Support 

Many platforms are just volunteer postings or just management software. VolunteerConnector is both, a digital recruitment tool with built-in volunteer management software. 

The platform provides sector-specific support 24/7, along with coaching and resources that help organizations improve their practices — all for free. 

Our widget and API-like integrations give partners customized access to the platform that aligns with their branding, streamlining postings and support for local communities. 

We are not profit-driven — our priority is removing barriers and creating more connections for volunteers to support the organizations they care about in the communities where they live. 

We are committed to continuous improvement and investment in the platform to ensure the needs of volunteers, organizations, and regional partners are met. 

Low Barrier for All Sizes of Organizations 

Grassroots groups, large institutions, and everything in between can join without the barrier of a fee or technical complexity. 

This democratization means VolunteerConnector isn’t just serving the “usual suspects” — we are expanding the volunteer pool and improving access and representation across the sector.