Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to get involved in your local communities and passionately serve others. It also looks great on a resume as it shows employers that you have a passion for giving back. And one great perk is that volunteering can actually be really fun because the opportunities are endless! From taking care of puppies to hanging out with kids, you can be sure to find something that fits your interests.

To help you with your volunteer search, we curated some ideas for five places you can volunteer at this summer.

Animal shelters

Who doesn’t love animals?! Combine your love for animals and volunteering by working at an animal shelter. What could be better than using your free time to take care of dogs and cats while helping them find them new homes?

There are tons of animal shelters around and there is bound to be one in your area! One shelter you could consider is the Toronto Humane Society. They takes on multiple volunteers, and house all kinds of animals! They only require that you be at least 18 years old and can commit to one shift per week. If you’re interested you can apply online.

Food banks

Volunteering at a food bank is more important than ever. In 2021, 15.9 per cent of Canadian households reported that they experienced food insecurity. Get involved at a local food bank to help change the statistics and serve your community.

Community centres

Volunteer at a local community centre in Toronto! As a volunteer for a community centre, you can work various jobs, from playing sports to swimming!

Here are some opportunities available as a community recreation volunteer at the City of Toronto.

• Coordinator or organizer (e.g. Older Adult programs)
• Program support (e.g. Swimming or camp programs)
• Special events

Public Libraries

Are you an avid reader? If so, volunteering at the library is a perfect fit for you! The Toronto Public Library has many opportunities for you to read to kids or help adults improve their reading, writing and basic math skills.

The library wants this program to be available for anyone who wants to volunteer. So, if you require any accessibility supports you can contact [email protected] or submit a direct request.

Delivering food

If you have a car and are able drive, you’re going to want to take advantage of volunteering for Meals on Wheels Ontario, a program for people to drive and pick up meals for homebound seniors.

Most volunteer positions consist of driving to a central location to pick up the meals; then, you are expected to drop off the food and greet the seniors at the door. So, pump some gas into your car and get started!

Now that you’ve learned about some potential volunteer opportunities, choose the one that fits your niche and get to work! And if you’re still trying to find volunteer opportunities you can check out Volunteer Toronto’s job bank to learn more on how to get involved in the city.

It’s so important to get involved in your local communities for places that you are passionate about. So take this as your sign to get out there and start volunteering!

Taking summer classes? Here are the best places to study that isn’t the library.

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