Canada Volunteerism Initiative - Final Report
What Volunteering Means
to Canada
In a free and democratic society, volunteering and civic participation are fundamental acts of citizenship essential to the well-being of a caring society. Canada has built a democracy in which people from different faiths, cultures, languages, and races work together to build the society in which they want to live. Respect, community, togetherness, and caring for each other are a way of life in Canada, fundamental to who we are and what we do.
The voluntary sector, one of the three pillars of Canadian society alongside the public and private sectors, enables civic participation and encourages citizens to become engaged in their society and communities in a meaningful way. Voluntary organizations are a force for social cohesion - a force for stability and growth.
Volunteers come from all age groups, all backgrounds, all sectors, and all parts of Canada. They give their time, energy, creativity and expertise to help make Canada one of the best places in the world to live. Volunteers perform hundreds of thousands of acts of kindness every day, either by volunteering through a formal organization or by reaching out to neighbours, friends, families and strangers who need a helping hand.
In times of crisis, the contribution of volunteers is most evident. While we recognize and applaud the way Canadians come together at such times, we must not overlook the largely unseen efforts of volunteers whose life-long, day-to-day commitment to serving others has helped to shape our sense of who we are. Where would we be as a country without volunteers? It is estimated that the contributions of Canada's
6.5 million volunteers represent approximately 549,000 full-time, year-round jobs. What would happen to the quality of life of the millions of Canadians who depend on them if they weren't there? These are important questions that the voluntary sector and the Government of Canada have been working together to answer.
