Volunteer Canada-Message from the President

Canada’s 12.5 million volunteers are passionate about essential causes, they take action to help others, and they have impact in communities across the country. This year’s 68th annual National Volunteer Week takes place April 10-16, 2011. It is a great time to recognize the volunteers who give more than two billion hours of their time, energy, and skills to truly benefit society.   The spotlight shone bright on volunteering this past year. Among the highlights were the global kick off of the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, high-profile mainstream initiatives like Canada’s Champions of Change, and His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, announcing volunteerism as one of his three pillars – and his patronage of Volunteer Canada. With all this hype around volunteering it’s important to remember this: thanking volunteers never goes out of style.   Volunteers: Passion. Action. Impact. is the theme for NVW this year. It encapsulates the enthusiasm and dedication of Canada’s volunteers and the ultimate difference they make in our communities. Thanks to the generous support of Investors Group, we are helping to ensure Canadians are prepared to celebrate the achievements and valuable work of volunteers. Please visit the “Thanking Volunteers” and “NVW Downloads” sections of this Web site for free information and materials. We also have volunteer recognition products for sale in the e-store.   We hope you’ll join us in celebrating NVW this April. We look forward to honouring Canada’s volunteers and the incredible work they do from coast to coast.

 

Sincerely,

Ruth MacKenzie
President and CEO
Volunteer Canada