| MPP
Arnott Commends Volunteer Action Centre for Helping
Students Fulfill 40 Hours of Community Involvement Required
to Graduate
Waterloo-Wellington
MPP Ted Arnott made the following statement in the Legislative
Assembly of Ontario on June 10, 2002:
Mr
Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): The Volunteer Action
Centre of Kitchener-Waterloo tells me that in the area
they serve, over 10,000 volunteers donate more than
one million hours of their time each year. As such,
it's abundantly clear that the Volunteer Action Centre
plays an instrumental role in supporting volunteer services
for my riding of Waterloo-Wellington. That is why, when
they asked me to make a statement to recognize volunteerism,
I readily agreed.
The
Volunteer Action Centre provides three core services,
which include encouraging and facilitating community
volunteerism, providing community agencies with recruitment
services and providing education and training in volunteer
management and board management.
Recently
they informed me that since April 1999, they have been
working closely with the Waterloo Catholic District
School Board and the Waterloo Region District School
Board to help high school students fulfill their 40
hours of community involvement that they are expected
to do in order to graduate. The Volunteer Action Centre
has developed a resource that will assist teachers,
guidance counsellors, students and their parents in
finding a volunteer opportunity.
That
resource binder lists 200 opportunities, many of which
can accommodate youth volunteers. Opportunities were
listed under nine categories of interest, including
sports and recreation; arts and music; short-term and
special events; clerical; food services and retail;
children and youth; health; public relations; and handyperson.
The
Volunteer Action Centre also tells me that one third
of the individuals they see are 25 years of age or under.
Their hope is that these individuals will have a positive
experience and will continue to volunteer throughout
their lives.
All
members should share that hope, and agree that this
approach truly captures the spirit of the community
involvement program, which could well serve as a model
for other school boards in the province.
|
