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Hi everyone! As a high schooler, one of the first things you learn is the volunteer hours requirement needed to receive your OSSD. It can be really challenging to find time for 40 hours of volunteer work. Many of my friends found it difficult to manage school, extra-curricular, jobs, in addition to volunteer work.
For me, the hardest part of volunteering was actually finding work opportunities. Prior to high school, I didn’t volunteer so I didn’t have previous connections to build off. I didn’t yet know about volunteer hours within my school and no one was checking the corkboard outside of the guidance office (whoops). Volunteer MBC changed all of that. It’s the equivalent of Indeed, but for volunteering opportunities. It makes it so easy to find volunteer opportunities in your area. One important thing to note is that it provides opportunities within Peel Region. The “MBC” stands for “Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon.” If you cannot volunteer in these regions, I’d recommend alternative organizations that do the same thing, like volunteer.ca. Also, consider virtual volunteering opportunities which are also available on this website!
The best part: filters!
In my opinion, one of the best parts of the website is its extensive filters. Once you navigate to the “Self Search” tab, all the volunteering options are available to you.
But, it can be frustrating to scroll through endless opportunities that aren’t a good fit for you. Volunteer MBC takes that frustration away using their many filters.
As you can see, you can filter by age, duration, availability, location, and more! You can even narrow your search down to an area of interest like Environment, Healthcare, and dozens of other industries. They also understand that volunteering can be challenging if you’re nervous of being alone in a new environment. You can even filter positions using their “Ideal For,” allowing you to find something for your entire group of friends!
Why Volunteering?
Volunteering has a lot of benefits that a lot of people don’t think about, besides their OSSD requirements. However, there are many other benefits.
Work Experience
As the job market gets more competitive, recruiters want to see that you have experience in a work environment. It’s even better if you have experience in that specific industry. But, it often seems impossible to get hired for the first time when everyone wants prior experience. Volunteering is typically way easier to get a position in and will provide you with extra experience on your resume. Volunteer MBC is not only great in that it provides these opportunities; it also gives you the opportunity to find positions in your preferred field of work. Your future self will definitely thank you for volunteering during your youth!!
References
Another really important aspect of your resume is your references. Taking up volunteer positions is bound to provide you with reference options in the future. Having a variety of supervisors is incredibly helpful, especially if they can each speak to your different strengths. Only as I’ve been applying to universities and scholarships, have I realized how important this variety of references are!
Branching out and growing
In addition, of course, volunteering is a great way to branch out as a person. You can meet so many incredible new people when you volunteer. It’s a great way to make new friends and ~network~. Networking is a super important skill for the future because so many co-ops, internships, and jobs can be found through mutual contacts! Volunteering is also an easy way to test out interests or hobbies in a low-stress environment, while still reaping the benefits listed above.
At the end of the day, volunteering is an amazing experience that I highly recommend for everyone! If you do choose to volunteer, using Volunteer MBC is an easy way to get started and make your mark on the world!
About the Author
Samantha D’Souza is currently a Brand Ambassador for LEAP! She joined the team halfway through 2021 and helps create LEAP content for high schoolers! Samantha is in her last year of high school in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. She loves getting involved in the community and is excited to start studying business in fall 2022!