GET INVOLVED

Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer with the Toronto Military Family Resource Centre (TMFRC)! The TMFRC is a not-for-profit organization that fosters individual, family and community wellness by addressing the unique experiences of Canadian Forces families.

It’s the Toronto Military Family Resource Centre’s goal to address the many needs of military families in a safe and supportive place. Volunteers are family members of military personnel, military members and civilians. We accept both adult and student placements. Volunteers are carefully recruited, selected, trained and supervised to work in partnership with staff.

Volunteers take an active role with staff to ensure that military family members have the necessary tools to lead fulfilling and productive lives. Volunteers are an important and integral component of our programs and we are always ready to welcome new volunteers to our team.

Opportunities

Anyone can volunteer at the TMFRC. The placement will depend on your interest, preference, expertise and availability, or you can opt to simply volunteer at our special events. The choice is yours. Volunteer placements fall under four categories: program; children & youth; administration; and Board of Directors. If interested, volunteers can be placed in more than one category at a time. A placement in any category gives volunteers meaningful work and an opportunity to interact with others. Below are descriptions of volunteer opportunities. Our organization continues to grow and we always need fresh ideas. Let us know what you think. We depend on you!

Program volunteers support the work of the TMFRC’s personal development programs and deployment support programs.

“Coffee Mornings” assistant - Coffee Mornings give military family members frequent opportunities to drop in, socialize with each other, and get involved in a variety of interesting activities. You can help us prepare for these meetings (get refreshments ready, set up room, organize materials) or you can help facilitate one of the activities.

Workshop facilitators – We frequently offer workshops for military family members to have fun and learn new skills. We’d love it if you could share the skills or information you have with attendees. Topics in the past have included cooking skills, stress management, second language training, pilates, dog training classes, etc.

Warm Heart Line volunteers – Lend a friendly voice and listening ear and help ensure that families of Canadian Force members remain connected to community resources and services during separations (special training required).

Deployment Mentors - The Deployment Mentor Program is a one-on-one program which facilitates connections between family members who have experienced deployment and those who are going through a deployment for the first time. The goal is to share first-hand experience and offer advice and practical support (special training required).

Children and Youth program volunteers support activities in the Children’s Playgarden child care centre and assist with the TMFRC’s programs for children and youth. All of these programs include a wide range of social and educational activities that support youth and children of military families.

Children’s Playgarden Child Care Centre - The Children’s Playgarden offers full-time child care to both military and civilian families within the community. Volunteers can get involved by playing and interacting with children (infants, pre-school, and toddlers) and leading special activities.

Children and Youth Programs - Volunteers help to chaperone youth and children on field trips, assist with March break and Summer break day camps, and facilitate special workshops.

Board of Directors carry out the legal and ethical responsibilities of the organization. At the Toronto Military Family Resource Centre, the Board of Directors consists of at least seven and no more than eleven voting directors. Fifty-one percent are civilian family members. Members must have 3 month’s residency within the community prior to securing a position.

At the Annual General Meeting (held each year in November), Board members are elected onto the Board on a rotating basis for 3-year terms. Nominations for election to the Board of Directors may be made by any member who is entitled to vote. Board members are nominated on the basis of their life experience (both professional and personal), their interest and their expertise. A Board member is required to be a member of Toronto Military Family Resource Centre and attend monthly Board meetings.

Administration volunteers provide help with ongoing operations and special projects. Volunteers can assist with reception, computer work, coordinating and distributing mailings, organizing events, etc.

Fundraising Committee members play a vital role year round to campaign, plan & execute events to raise funds for the TMFRC.

Orientation and Training

At the Toronto Military Family Resource Centre, we know that each volunteer plays a different but vital role in providing support to military families. As such, we believe that every volunteer deserves a relevant and comprehensive orientation and training.

All volunteers will receive a job description and an orientation/tour of the centre. Some positions may require specific training in advance, but no matter what, while ‘on-the-job’ you will receive ongoing training and support from staff. It is part of their job to ensure you have all the information you need.

Volunteer get-togethers are scheduled throughout the year and focus on particular issues of interest. All volunteers are encouraged to attend so they can share experiences, get information and keep in touch with all the other volunteers. Volunteers are always asked for suggestions. We need to know what you want to know!

Time Commitment

In order to ensure consistency in our programs and services, we ask volunteers to consider committing for one year. We do understand, however, that your schedule might be difficult to predict right now and we’re hopeful that you’ll stay as long as you can. The amount of time that you volunteer depends on your position. For instance, some of our programs run weekly, some monthly and others are annual or as needed (special events or workshops). Board members have a 3-year term.

Volunteer Program Policies / Volunteer Rights & Responsibilities

Volunteers are critical to the programs and services we offer military families deserve and deserve a meaningful experience. In order to ensure that we maintain top quality programs for our volunteers and the families we serve, the following policies have been put in place:

• Volunteer Program Policies ( .pdf, 128 KB )
• Volunteer Rights & Responsibilities ( .pdf, 160 KB )