Volunteering

Giving your time can help you feel better! Perhaps you are not ready to return to paid work or you just need to fill an empty time slot in your life. Volunteering can be a middle ground between not working at all and working for pay. Volunteering can also be a step on the ladder of returning to paid employment. There are many similarities between volunteering and being a paid employee; meeting your employer's expectations, getting along with co-workers, and getting a sense of accomplishment are all related to both working for pay and volunteering. These two activities are different in a couple fundamental ways. Volunteers don't get paid directly for their work and generally work a few hours a week or month, unlike regular staff who generally work full time or part time. Another difference that volunteers seem to experience is that often company employees are generally more understanding towards their volunteers; there is less pressure.

Volunteering can include tasks like facilitating a support group, shredding paper for an office or helping prepare food at a community centre, the possibilities are endless. As volunteers, we are not getting paid directly for our work but there are other incentives and benefits that are not monetary. Getting tickets to community events, a t-shirt from the organization, a letter of reference and a productive few hours are all valuable assets to our lives. Volunteers who receive provincial disability benefits may apply for the Community Volunteer Supplement which offers up to $100 as a financial incentive to volunteer. There are organizations all over BC who need volunteers.