‘Super’ volunteers need a breather: VWI recruiter

BY ALBERT KRAMBERGER

editor@transcontinental.ca

Volunteer West Island (VWI) and eight other volunteer centres of Greater Montreal joined together to help raise the visibility of volunteering through a Montreal-wide promotion launched

yesterday to mark International Volunteer Day.

They came up with a simple concept —paper placemats — to let the public know that there is a volunteer centre in their neighbourhood to help find the right

volunteering opportunity for them.

“There are 12 million Canadians who volunteer — and the numbers in the 15-to-19 age category are just great,� said Patrick Merrigan, who heads volunteer recruitment for VWI.

“But the most recent statistics say 11 per cent of what I call super volunteers do 77 per cent of all the volunteer work. These super volunteers need a breather. I need new recruits,� he added.

The agencies will be asking local restaurants to use their placemats for customers served during the holiday season in the hope of attracting new volunteers for more than 1,000 non-profit community organizations served by them.

The placemats, which will used for the next month, can be found locally at the St. Hubert Restaurant on St. Charles Boulevard in Kirkland, Barbies, No Solo Pane and Amir in Dorval.

“We want people to know all their options when it comes to volunteering. They can work with children or the elderly, do office work, offer their time and talent to cultural or sports activities. Each volunteer centre knows the volunteer needs in their community and is able to refer people with spare time and a desire to get involved in something they would enjoy.� Merrigan stated.

VWI is the only volunteer recruitment centre in the West Island and has recruited more than 7,500 volunteers in 39 years for 130 organizations. It also helps homebound seniors with limited autonomy remain in the community with its meals on wheels and home support programs.

For more information, call VWI at

514-457-5445 or check its website at

www.volunteermontreal.org.">www.volunteermontreal.org.">www.volunteermontreal.org.