CEVF 2013 Recap - Part 4

The 2013 Community Engagement and Volunteer Fair was one third of The BIG Fair, which also included Career and Professional School components. This year, the annual event was held over a period of three days, with one at the Surrey campus and two at the Burnaby campus. It included approximately fifty volunteer organizations which came out to recruit student volunteers and spread the message of their cause.

Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver

What qualifications do you look for in potential volunteers?

No experience is necessary to volunteer with the Big Brother organization. You do need to be 18 years old to become a Big Brother/Big Sister and need to send in a few different references and a criminal record to complete your application.

How long would a volunteer commitment be with your organization?

They require a minimum of one year commitment in order to maintain a positive connection with the child.

What advice would you give to a student who is looking to volunteer?

There are different programs volunteers can choose, each with different locations and hours per week. Do some research before applying to see which program best fits your schedule.

City of Burnaby

What qualifications do you look for in potential volunteers?

The City of Burnaby looks for a warm and caring personality in their volunteers and someone who is looking to connect with the community.

How long would a volunteer commitment be with your organization?

There is a 3 months minimum time requirement but there is flexibility in the hours per week during those months. You can choose a program and time commitment that fits your schedule but typically they start at one hour per week and increase from there. The programs run seven days a week and the shifts are normally finished around noon.

What advice would you give to a student who is looking to volunteer?

There are many ways to get involved with the City of Burnaby so research before you hand in your application. The City of Burnaby works mostly with youth and senior citizens of the community in a range of different interactions. Check out their website to see their flexible time schedules and what programs interest you.

City of Richmond

What qualifications do you look for in potential volunteers?

The City of Richmond looks for friendly, enthusiastic, and outgoing individuals who are looking for an activity based role in the Richmond community and their cultural events. They are also looking for volunteers who are interested in taking a leadership role in the organization. 

How long would a volunteer commitment be with your organization?

This organization works mostly off an event and program based volunteer schedule but there are opportunities to extend your volunteer role and stay for a longer time commitment if you so wish.

What advice would you give to a student who is looking to volunteer?

The City of Richmond likes applicants to have a career goal in mind when applying. This will allow for the City of Richmond to not only gain help from the volunteer but so that the organization can help the individual work towards that goal through the organization.