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Volunteer Opportunities

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Are you ready to be a force for good in your community?

Join our diverse team of volunteers at DCGT where you’ll find a variety of meaningful opportunities waiting for you! Whether you’re passionate about providing crucial support on our distress lines, reaching out to underserved communities through our phone-based client support programs, offering compassionate grief support to those in need, or getting involved in fundraising initiatives to sustain and expand our vital services, there’s a role for you here. Each opportunity offers its own unique rewards, from fostering connections in the community to honing valuable skills in empathy and support.

Join us today and discover the power of volunteering to create positive change in the world, one opportunity at a time!

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Benefits of Volunteering

  • Experience a sense of purpose and sense of satisfaction knowing you are making a difference in your community
  • Preparation for careers in social work, psychology, community outreach, emergency services etc.
  • Gain practical skills in communication, teamwork, and leadership
  • Learn problem-solving and conflict resolution in real-world situations
  • Extensive in-class and mentor training and ongoing learning opportunities throughout your time with us
  •  Expand social and professional networks through interaction with fellow volunteers and staff
  • Opportunity to be part of a volunteer community where diversity is welcomed and celebrated

Characteristics of Volunteers

  • Demonstrated history of reliability in professional or academic settings
  • Responsible individuals who consistently fulfill shift commitments and volunteer duties
  • A kind and empathetic heart, with patience and a genuine desire to assist those facing challenges within the community
  • Open and accepting of diverse viewpoints and experiences, and promotes an inclusive and respectful environment
  • Capable of handling emotionally challenging situations with calmness and professionalism
  • Demonstrates emotional maturity, with the capacity to manage stress and maintain composure under pressure

Quotes From Our Volunteers

My journey with DCGT over the past several years has been deeply rewarding. Through the honest and heartfelt conversations I've had with many Chinese clients and callers, I know we've positively impacted each other's lives. I am committed to extending this meaningful support to even more people in need.”
- Summer, Program Assistant & former volunteer of 2 years
“Volunteering for the South Asian program and listening to others brings me immense satisfaction and joy, knowing that someone found comfort through our conversation, in our language.”
-Fatima, Volunteer of 8 months.
“Every phone shift that I have and the feedback that I get from callers, really reminds me how important our work is... Every phone call makes a difference!”
Michael, Volunteer of 16 months
“’I’m more confident after working hard to improve my presentation and outreach skills. I feel more myself in conversations with new people, even outside of volunteering. This is going to help both my career and my personal life…I’m so grateful to DCGT.”
-Zina, Volunteer of 6 months
“Being new to Canada, I did not have a network of friends or people to talk with. Joining DCGT, I’ve been able to meet people just like me, support individuals who also are new to Canada, and grown my professional network as well. I feel like I belong, I love my team!”
Maria, Volunteer of 3 years

Our Positions

Overview

  • Provide immediate and confidential distress and/or crisis support 24/7, 365 days per year
  • Support your community via local helplines


Core Skills/Requirements

  • Able to meet agreed upon shift commitments
  • Able to remain calm in unpredictable and intense situations


Volunteer Commitment

  • 12 hours/month (144 hours/year)
  • 6 hours of day shifts + 6 hours of overnight shifts
  • Shifts are 3-6 hours


Career Alignment

  • Great experience for future career working in emergency response (fire, police, EMS), shelters, outreach centres, social work, social service work

Overview

  • Immediate and confidential distress and/or crisis support through chat and text only

  • Participate in the 988 National Suicide Support program


Core Skills/Requirements

  • Able to meet agreed upon shift commitments
  • Able to remain calm in unpredictable and intense situations


Volunteer Commitment

  • 4 hours/week (208 hours/year)
  • Available to complete shifts from 4pm-1am


Career Alignment

  • Great experience for future career working in emergency response (fire, police, EMS), shelters, outreach centres, social work, social service work

Overview

  • Ongoing outbound call support to registered clients
  • Provide emotional support, medication reminders, and safety check ins
  • Common client concerns include mental health, social isolation, grief, and sometimes suicidal ideation


Core Skills/Requirements

  • Able to meet agreed upon shift commitment
  • Desire for a structured shift with set calls to make (less surprises)

  • Working as part of a team, supporting other volunteers who also support you on shift


Volunteer Commitment

  • 12 hours/month (144 hours/year)
  • Available to complete shifts Monday-Friday from 9 am – 5 pm; Some weekend shifts available
  • Shifts are either 1 or 4 hours in length


Career Alignment

  • Great experience for future career as case manager, social work, social service work, personal support worker, psychotherapist, gerontology, pharmacy technicians, care coordinators

Overview

  • Provide support to both Inbound Distress Line and Phone-based Client Support Programs
  • Provide immediate and confidential distress and/or crisis support

  • Provide emotional support, medication reminders, and safety check ins


Core Skills/Requirements

  • Able to meet agreed upon shift commitment
  • Desire for a structured shift with set calls to make (less surprises)
  • Working as part of a team, supporting other volunteers who also support you on shift
  • Fluent in respective language: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi


Volunteer Commitment

  • 12 hours/month (144 hours/year)
  • Available to complete shifts Monday-Friday from 9 am – 12 am
  • Shifts are either 3 or 4 hours in length

  • Some shifts are bilingual: support both the language line + the English helpline


Career Alignment

  • Great experience for future career as case manager, social work, social service work, personal support worker, psychotherapist, gerontology, pharmacy technicians, care coordinators

Overview

  • Provide both one on one and group support survivors of suicide and homicide loss


Core Skills/Requirements

  • One year’s experience providing direct emotional or mental health support to adults.
  • Lived experience with suicide or homicide loss an asset


Volunteer Commitment

  • The volunteer team will meet with the same individual or family for eight sessions, each of which lasts between one and two hours.
  • Volunteers will provide regular updates about session scheduling and content to program supervisors.


Career Alignment

  • Great experience for new social workers, psychotherapists, psychologists

Overview

  • Conduct outreach activities, such as client recruitment, volunteer fairs and community presentations


Core Skills/Requirements

  • Comfort with delivering short presentations
  • Outgoing personality and ability to proactively engage with the public
  • Must be able to attend in-person outreach events across the GTA


Volunteer Commitment

  • 4 – 8 hours a month (6 month commitment)


Career Alignment

  • Great experience for a future in client and volunteer recruiting, health and health care promotion, and social media management

Overview

  • Support organization wide fundraising and events


Core Skills/Requirements

  • Very organized, strong initiative, independent
  • Age 15+


Volunteer Commitment

  • 5-30 hours per event (dependent on event)


Career Alignment

  • Learn from a leader in non-profit fundraising
  • Gain experience supporting large fundraising events

Connect with our Fundraising Team 

Apply for a student placement

Overview

  • Join one of our programs (Inbound, Outbound, Language Lines, SSP, Fund Development, Organizational Development) as an integral part of the team
  • See above positions for more information on additional skills and requirements


Student Commitment

  • Mostly determined by your school program and negotiated with your supervisor at the start of placement


Benefits of Having Your Placement with DCGT

  • Learn professional skills from our extensive training programs
  • As part of a small organization, get opportunities to try many new skills and really see your impact
  • Get access to employment opportunities within DCGT

 

See detailed role description

Frequently Asked Questions

Volunteer opportunities are determined based on the needs of our current programs. Applications are reviewed and individuals are selected for an interview based on interests, availability and skills to satisfy the requirements of the role. We try to ensure your interests and our needs align as much as possible.

Yes! We offer “intensive” volunteer positions, where you complete the same amount of hours, but in a shorter (typically 4 month) timeframe. This is great for summer volunteering, or those who need to travel for long periods of the year. Some roles, such as Outreach, have shorter and lower commitments.

The minimum age to volunteer for our service delivery programs is 18. However, our Fundraising and Events volunteers can be 15+, and it’s a great way to learn about the organization and get your 40 hours of community service.

We offer confirmation letters for volunteers in good standing, and references letter upon the completion of your initial volunteering commitment. If you have been away from volunteering for more than 2 years, we can confirm your volunteering dates and hours, but not the quality of your volunteering.

We do allow some volunteers to support multiple areas of the organization at the same time, however this is often with separate volunteering commitments with each program. We recommend starting in one program and completing your commitment prior to adding additional roles.

Currently our phone programs are fully remote, however we do offer in-person outreach and survivor support group opportunities. If you are interested in in-person volunteering for our phone programs (coming into a call centre to answer or make calls), please let us know.

Yes. All volunteers receive orientation and training provided online via Zoom, E-learning modules as well as in-person.

Become A Volunteer

Apply Today
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