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Volunteer Opportunities

Our volunteer opportunities cater to a wide variety of interests, skills and time commitments. We have plenty of roles for people who enjoy working directly with people, as well as those who are happier to make a difference behind the scenes. Please take a look at our wide variety of volunteer opportunities below and complete our volunteer application or contact us at 519-741-2564 to discuss how you would like to share your time with your city of Kitchener.

See our Chart of Current Volunteer Opportunities, which is regularly updated.

Our opportunities for volunteers take place in many areas across the city:

Special events: You can help the city to provide professionally executed, creative, leading-edge events and festivals. Responsibilities for volunteers can range from one-time, day-of volunteering such as set-up, activity assistance or concession sales, to longer term event management, marketing, program evaluation, networking or development of new festivals.

2012 marks the City of Kitchener's 100^th anniversary as a city. Join us as we remember our past, celebrate our present, and imagine our future. For more information on upcoming events, please see the Celebrating Cityhood website.

Advisory committees/committees of council: As a resident or someone working in Kitchener, you can participate in local government by applying to serve on its boards and committees including arts and culture, Compass Kitchener, safe and healthy, environment and many more. You can apply by filling out and submitting an advisory committee application form. The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee is currently accepting applications.

Inclusion services for persons with a disability: Help a person with a disability to participate in sports, recreation and leisure activities. Volunteers either work for particular sports program dedicated to inclusion (boccia, golf) or work one-on-one with an individual to help make it possible for them to participate in whatever general program they have selected. (see the chart above for current available opportunities).

Aquatics: Swimming instruction volunteers assist people of all ages with learning to swim and improving their swimming skills. To qualify, swimming instruction volunteers must be 13 years of age and older and hold a Bronze Medallion Award and Emergency First Aid and CPR-B. Adapted aquatics volunteers provide assistance to a person with a disability under the guidance of a specially trained instructor at Forest Heights Pool. Adapted aquatics volunteers must have their Bronze Cross Award and be 16 years of age or over. (see the chart above for current available opportunities)

Older-adult programs: Help make many programs and services possible at our three centres for adults 50+. Volunteer opportunities include kitchen assistants, snack bar volunteers, hosts and hostesses, advisory council members, conveners, senior day program assistants, peer helpers and office assistants. (see the chart above for current available opportunities)

Parks and the environment: Help with litter pick-ups, Earth Day activities, tree planting, trail maintenance and the Kitchener Natural Areas program. Join the Kitchener in Bloom committee or volunteer at your local community garden.

Auditorium events: Help make city-hosted events a success at this world-class sports and entertainment facility. Volunteers may assist with transportation, security, parking, hospitality, event logistics, marketing, technical event requirements, and volunteer recruitment and training.

Youth programs: Volunteers 18 year and older are invited to support youth-specific programming such as youth drop-in. Youth are invited to share their talents and energy with various programs such as:

BYLD - a summer leadership development program for youth from 13-15 years of age, and
Kitchener Youth Action Council
Kitchener youth crew - an opportunity for youth ages 15-17 to receive hands-on job experience, leadership training and the chance to help out at the Kitchener youth drop-in programs.

Summer playground volunteers: Play a significant role in your neighbourhood by working with playground leaders in planning and implementing successful summer programs of crafts, sports and games for children three to 12 years old.

Outdoor winter rinks volunteers: Flood the ice and take care of the ice surface at outdoor winter rinks located at community centres, schools and parks throughout Kitchener in winter.

Affiliated Groups

We also provide support to and connect potential volunteers to:

Informal Volunteering

We also encourage community members to consider ways they can volunteer informally in their own neighbourhoods:

Organizing an activity to get to know your neighbours
Picking up litter in your neighbourhood park
Being a good neighbour by keeping your property neat and attractive.

Our programs that support the value of informal volunteering include Festival of Neighbourhoods, Earth Week and Kitchener in Bloom.

Creating a Role Just for You

You may have skills or talents that you are eager to share and are not sure how they fit in any of the opportunities listed above. No problem. Give us a call and we will connect you with the appropriate opportunity or see if we can design a role that is just right for you and the time you have to give.

For other volunteer opportunities outside of the city and our affiliated groups, check out the listings at the Volunteer Action Centre of Kitchener Waterloo and Area.

For more information on City of Kitchener volunteer opportunities, please contact us at 519-741-2564.

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