Do you want more volunteering experiences?
Helping Hands is running a new enhanced volunteer program running into March 2024. In this program, you can be matched to a long-term volunteer opportunity where you can gain valuable experience, skills, and long-term connections that can help you with your career. This program comes with extra financial support that is not covered in any of Helping Hands' other programs. For your participation in this program, you can receive some recognition and compensation.
Youth Leading the Way Program (now till March 2024) entails...
- Free volunteer matching services for 60 youth participants to volunteer service placement(s) to fulfill 120 hours of community involvement
- Training sessions and mentorship provided by Helping Hands (which also counts towards the 120 hours) for youth participants
- Financial aid provided to youth by Helping Hands help them participate in this program
- Youth participants can gain valuable experience, recognition, and long-term connections from this program

FAQ
- Email Helping Hands at Helping Hands Outreach about your interest in the program
- Soon after you will be reached out to from one of the outreach members about the program to get you started
- Once you are contacted you can attend information sessions for better understanding of the workshop
- Living in the GTA
- You must either be a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident or Granted Refugee Status
- Age Range: 15-30 years of age
- That is totally fine if you do not feel that you will be able to stay committed to the program please let the outreach coordinator know before you drop out
- In person event to receive your certificate about your accomplishment (being able to travel to Toronto is required)
- Approximately $170 of Stipends will be offered to each participant to cover some of the costs associated with participating in this program
- Financial Aid Assistance to the youth
- Participating in training and information sessions from Helping Hands
- Any 1-on-1 meetings with Helping Hands: these can be as far back from June 12th
- Other volunteer activities you have done from June 12th, 2023 and onwards Just let us know and we can reach out to them to confirm your completed hours
- Any applications, or surveys completed for Helping Hands and/or CSC can count towards an hour
- Yes, of course! During our 1-on-1 session, we will ask what your school's requirements are for volunteer activities that count towards community involvement hours.
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- Different schools and school boards have their own different set of requirements as to what count towards community involvement hours
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- For example, some schools are okay to count your volunteering without pay at a for-profit organization, while some schools only strictly count volunteering with registered charity and not-for-profit organizations.
- If you do not know what your school requires as community involvement hours, that is okay. We will match you with a not-for-profit organization or charitable cause. You can find your school's community involvement hour requirements by visiting your school or school board's website, contacting your school, contacting your school's guidance counselor, or they might have already give you a form outlining the community involvement hours requirements.
- Depending on what is available at the time, volunteer opportunities may look very different. They can range from:
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- Helping to tutor online with an international non-profit organization
- Volunteering at your local library, hospital, community center
- Mentoring a youth, volunteering as a coach or referee, volunteer reading buddy, helping older adults with technology, teen advisory group, etc.
- There may be multiple placements needed for you to fulfill enough hours
- You can be volunteering in the front or from behind the scenes!
We request that you let us know if you are interested in collaborating on the project. Below, you will find two potential ways to partner.
- Service Placements Regional Host Organizations, who provide volunteer opportunities at their organization to youth in Helping Hands' volunteering program.
- Service Placements Regional Referral Partners, who encourage youth in their network to register for Helping Hands' volunteering program (referrals could be through word of mouth or social media sharing)
Youth Leading the Way is funded by Canada Service Corps, a national movement that empowers youth aged 15-30 to gain experience and build important skills while giving back to their community. Learn more at Canada.ca/CanadaServiceCorps.
