“These quizzes will help you explore your work abilities, interests and preferences. You will receive a list of matching occupations that will help you make an informed career decision.”

S. Mark Pancer … [et. al.] (c2006). Getting the most out of your volunteer experience : a manual for high school students. Retrieved November 19, 2009.

http://nonprofitscan.ima...lu_manual_students.pdf

One hundred former Ontario high school students who had completed their community service requirement were interviewed for this publication which advises youth how to benefit from volunteering to help others and how to get the most out of a volunteer experience

St. George’s YouthNet (c2006). How to be a great volunteer… and what's in it for me?Retrieved November 19, 2009.

http://www.volunteer.ca/...ovolunteer_eng_web.pdf

Information for youth on several aspects of volunteerism, such as how to choose a volunteer position, the rights and responsibilities of volunteers, and the benefits of volunteering.

HR Council for the Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector (2009?). HR Forum. Retrieved November 19, 2009.

http://www.hrcouncil.ca/hr-forum/home.cfm?login_action=badaccess&previous_url=/hr-forum/access.cfm

“With a particular focus on human resources in the voluntary and non-profit sector, the HR Forum is a dynamic space where you can ask for help from your peers, share your perspectives or find out what's going on in your community and across the country.”

Fay Fletcher, Blythe Campbell, Jeneanne Fast (c2007). Immigrant women : why volunteer? Retrieved November 19, 2009.

http://nonprofitscan.ima...hangingtogether2007.pdf

Tips for immigrant women on finding the right volunteer opportunity, and information regarding the benefits and challenges of volunteering.

Volunteer Canada; Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (c2000). Volunteering… a booming trend : experience personal fulfillment and satisfaction later in life through volunteering Retrieved November 19, 2009

http://volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/booming_trend.pdf

Details on how baby boomers can experience life satisfaction by volunteering. Included are personal accounts of rewarding volunteer work by this population group.

Human Resources and Employment, Government of Alberta (c2006). Volunteering : how to build your career by helping others Retrieved November 19, 2009.

http://alis.alberta.ca/pdf/cshop/Volunteering.pdf

Advice and workbook sheets on working toward a career goal by volunteering, as well as locating and succeeding in volunteer work.

- For a list of books available to borrow from our resource library, plus other websites follow this link... To borrow any of our resources, contact our Resource Coordinator at 477-5180 ext. 223, or Toll-free at 1-888-922-4545 ext. 223, or via e-mail vmresource@mts.net

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DID YOU KNOW?
Volunteer Manitoba's Resource Centre

Volunteer Manitoba’s Resource Centre is the best place to find a broad selection of lending and reference resources focusing on building the capacity of non-profit organizations and the voluntary sector.

Membership to the library entitles you to the Directory of Foundations and Grants by Imagine Canada, access to over 5000 books, periodicals, kits, directories, reports, audio and video tapes, internet access, and personal consultation with our in-house librarian.

Membership Fees and Service Fees:

• Non-Profit Organizations: $15.00/year
• Consultants/Government: $25.00/year
• Students: FREE Service Fees:

• Video/Audio Tape Rentals: $5.00/item
• Photocopy Service: $0.10/page
• Mailing Service: Upon Request

To borrow any of our resources at Volunteer Manitoba, contact our Resource Coordinator at 477-5180 ext. 223, or Toll-free at 1-888-922-4545 ext. 223, or via e-mail vmresource@mts.net

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Books for Lunch

Volunteer Manitoba is pleased to announce an exciting new workshop series titled “Books for Lunch”. The first session will take place in the Millenium Library on January 21st, 11:30am – 1:00pm, and will be facilitated by Noreen Mian, who will review "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. This will lead to a follow up discussion about the book. No reading required! Books for Lunch provides a fun and entertaining way for not-for-profit based individuals to keep up to date with the latest literature regarding the sector. The series is based on the successful “Books for Breakfast” series by Volunteer Vancouver and Executive Consulting Canada. For registration information click here.

So You Want to Start a Not-For-Profit: Good Things to Know Before You do Good

This workshop is an introduction to the not-for-profit sector and what you need to do before you start “doing good”. Work through an exercise to clarify your goals and explore what type of not-for-profit would be best.  The workshop is free, takes place on January 12th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Canada Manitoba Business Service Centre, 250-240 Graham Avenue, and will be facilitated by Alana Palmer and Erik Butenschon from Volunteer Manitoba. To register click here.

The Art of Influence

Manitoba Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, January 27th titled “The Art of Influence”. Influence is a core life skill; it enables you to effectively manage your results and your relationships. A more streamlined, sophisticated, and empetitive work environment means that influencing skills are even more important than ever. Whether you have formal authority or not, artful influence will greatly affect your success at work and in your personal life. You can learn more about what the art of influence is in this January session. The session takes place at the Clarion Hotel and includes a continental breakfast and networking opportunities. The cost is $50 for members, $70 for non-members. For more information and for registration, go to the MAVA website, www.mavamanitoba.ca, and click on "events", or contact Connie at 792-5838.

Change Management: Traversing Transitions

Today’s workplaces need to be dynamic and changing to keep up with the external demands and pressures or our world. Some change is created and some is brought on by forces out of our control. Our success is not in making the changes, but in how successfully we navigate through the change. On Tuesday, December 15th from 11:30am – 1:30pm the Resolution Skills Centre’s Leadership Skills Certificate will host the workshop titled “Change Management: Traversing Transitions”. This presentation will give managers and HR professionals a glimpse of the complexities involved in the process of change. You will come away with a concrete tool to help maneuver through change in a way that creates the least resistance. The workshop will be facilitated by Sue Hemphill, and will take place at Resolution Skills Centre at 302-1200 Portage Avenue. To register call 925-3410.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Recreation Connections 2010 Annual Provincial Conference

The 14th Annual Recreation Connections Provincial Conference is set to take place February 3rd – 5th at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. The conference offers a variety of professional development, recreation, sport and leisure related workshops. The conference also provides a networking environment designed to connect delegates from across the province and beyond. Professionals from across Manitoba are given an opportunity to learn, addressing topics and issues relevant to their sectors. In keeping with the theme “Believe it. Achieve it.”, Recreation Connections hopes to inspire you to believe in yourself, your chosen profession, the difference you make and how recreation, sport and leisure can positively impact the lives of individuals, families and communities. Who Should Attend? Recreation Directors and Programmers; Provincial Sport Organization Professionals; Facility Managers and Operators; Community Development Staff; Youth Serving Organizations; Civic administrators and Officials; Students; and more! For more information or to register click here


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NEWS FROM MAVA (MANITOBA ASSOCIATION FOR VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATION)

“Increasing Accessibility: Eliminating Barriers to Volunteering for People with Disabilities”

On November 19, 2009, MAVA proudly presented Increasing Accessibility: Eliminating Barriers to Volunteering for People with Disabilities with Tim Herkert, Project Specialist, Province of Manitoba, Community Services Delivery division of the Department of Family Services & Housing. This special projects unit plans, supports and assists in initiating strategic service delivery initiatives across the range of supports being provided to Manitobans by the Department of Family Services & Consumer Affairs.

A part of the Community Services Delivery Division, Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) has established a Rewarding Volunteer Benefit to support EIA participants with disabilities to become more involved in their communities and gain valuable experiences through volunteerism.

As administrators of volunteer programs, we know that often volunteering can be a first step to obtaining employment. The opportunity to develop first job skills and valuable experience is one of the most often documented reasons for seeking a volunteer placement.

Unfortunately, in some instances, barriers to volunteerism such as inappropriate clothing, transportation challenges, or child care needs have made volunteering in any meaningful way difficult for some people. The Rewarding Volunteer Benefit was designed to address these challenges by helping to offset some of these costs.

A benefit of $50 may be provided to those that volunteer at least four times in one month and $100 may be provided for those who volunteer at least eight times in a month (based on eligibility criteria). Tim’s presentation included information regarding the new Rewarding Volunteers Benefit and provided examples of the various forms that may be used to report/administer this benefit.

It is hoped that through this and other initiatives, people with disabilities will be able to break through some of the barriers that preclude them from volunteering and ultimately obtaining employment in our organizations. These first steps toward gainful employment will go a long way to reduce poverty and support sustainable employment for a bright future for everyone.

For more information regarding this and other initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to volunteering and employment opportunities for people of alternative abilities please view Opening Doors, Manitoba’s Commitment to Persons with Disabilities – A Discussion paper (June 2009). A PDF format of this document is available at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/allaboard/opening_doors.pdf