This story was written by our CEO Catherine Woodman. It's a great reminder of how individuals can step up and have a huge impact on others if they are sincerely caring and committed.

As winter loomed, something novel and heart-warming happened in downtown Halifax that wasn’t shared with the media.  Three hundred volunteers, all Halifax citizens, welcomed 512 guests, also Halifax citizens, to the Halifax Armouries.  And in one day, the lives of both hosts and guests were changed.

The event, coined Halifax Connects, provided men and women experiencing homelessness or at risk of being homeless, with immediate access to services, resources and information in a humane and comprehensive way.

Guests were offered haircuts, vision tests, dental care as well as blood pressure and blood sugar screenings.  Photos were taken for keepsakes or for much needed identification cards.  They received flu shots, nutrition support, as well as foot and wound care.  Access to information from Halifax Housing, YMCA employment centre, NSCC Adult Learning programs, as well as addiction services was easily available. Many community based agencies supporting this population such as Elizabeth Fry Society, Laing House, Canadian Mental Health Association and Brunswick Street Mission were present.

Earlier this summer, Courtney Larkin wrote up the Philanthropy Opportunities Guide to help Dalhousie students get connected to some of the organizations that we fund. 16 agencies are profiled in this guide and you do not have to be a student to use this information!! You can look through it to find out a bit about the organization, see where they are located, find out what programs need volunteers, and learn what items would be useful to them if you were to do a gifts-in-kind drive.There are also ideas for easy fundraisers and an event checklist. Awesome!

If you find something that looks interesting to you, call the agency to find out more information.

Thanks again for putting this all together Courtney!

Organizations to Get Involved With

The following resource list was taken from The Definitive Guide to Winning Scholarships which is presented by DreamNow and Pearson College. It will be most useful to youth who are interested in human rights and international development, but if you search around there are plenty of resources.

OTESHA

www.otesha.ca

Otesha cycles around Canada delivering workshops on social justice and environmentalism to young and old audiences and they have FUN doing it. They have an amazing Hopeful High school Hooligan Program that would be great to get involve in! Check it out: http://www.otesha.ca/on+stage/triple-h+program.en.html

WAR CHILD CANADA

www.warchild.ca

War Child is implementing programs to help war affected children around the world. War Child Canada is also working with young Canadians by providing them with tools to be heard and effect change by encouraging them to take action.

SIERRA YOUTH COALITION

www.syc-cjs.org

They bring youth together work towards a healthy planet. They organize free summer camps that change young lives. They also have a sustainable campuses project that unites high school and university campuses.

YOUCAN

www.youcan.ca

YOUCAN focuses on youth-led initiatives in non-violent conflict resolution and violence prevention, both nationally and internationally. We are a national, nonprofit organization whose mission is: “YOUCAN’s mission is to equip and inspire others to peacefully resolve conflicts and develop healthy relationships in their communities”. Please stay tuned to our website for weekly updates, upcoming events, fast facts, and contests. Thanks for visiting!

STUDENTS ON ICE

www.studentsonice.com

SOI is an award-winning organization offering unique learning expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic. Our mandate is to provide students from around the world with inspiring educational opportunities at the ends of our earth, and in doing so, help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet. International Organizations

GLOBAL YOUTH ACTION NETWORK

www.youthlink.org

The GYAN is a not-for-profit organization that acts as an incubator of global partnerships among youth organizations. If you’re interested in getting involved in any UN program go talk to GYAN. And check out www.un.org/youth

OXFAM INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PARLIAMENT

http://www.iyp.oxfam.org/

OIYP is a network of young leaders in 92 countries working for positive and lasting change in their communities.

TAKINGITGLOBAL

www.takingitglobal.org

TIG an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities. This is the biggest youth website in the world. It’s totally youth-led and run and its headquarters is in Toronto if you’re looking for somewhere to do a summer internship, co-op placement or volunteer opportunity.

WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS

www.turkiye2010.org

WYC is organized by Peace Child International, the congresses are held every other year and are specifically designed to promote the role that young people can play in the field of sustainable development and the achievement of the UN’s Millennium Development Goal.

STREET KIDS INTERNATIONAL

www.streetkids.org

Street Kids International works across borders to help street kids help themselves. We focus on those who work with street kids at the local level - front-line workers who can respect their individuality, understand their dilemmas, and create opportunities for them to build better lives. We help street kids by creating and sharing innovative approaches to both urgent needs and underlying causes. Science, Tech and Business Opportunities

SHAD VALLEY

www.shad.ca

Shad Valley develops innovative leaders by exposing top senior high school students to innovation and entrepreneurship through an intense leadership and learning experience focusing on science and technology.

DEEP RIVER SCIENCE ACADEMY

www.drsa.ca

DRSA is a six-week summer program that lets high school students test-drive a scientific career in leading Canadian laboratories…. and earns academic credits while they do it.

JUNIOR TEAM CANADA

www.gvconnects.com

From the Classroom to the World… You’ll meet global leaders from business, education and government to: jump-start your entrepreneurial spirit; strengthen your global understanding; challenge your leadership skills; and plot your career path. International Exchange Programs.

CANADA WORLD YOUTH

www.cwy-jcm.org

Canada World Youth is a leader in developing international educational programs where young people learn through experience.

UNITED WORLD COLLEGES

www.uwc.org

UWC is a unique organization. It is the only global educational NGO that brings students together from all over the world, selected from within their own countries, on merit and regardless of their ability to pay. These students come together at one of thirteen UWC schools and colleges that aim to foster international understanding and peace.

YOUTH CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL

http://www.yci.org

YCI combines community development; health promotion and conservation work in dynamic projects carried out by teams of volunteers aged 18-35. Their programs range from 5 weeks to 3 months in Costa Rica, Guyana, Vanuatu, Tanzania and Ethiopia and provide opportunities for young people to build their skills and leadership capabilities on grass-roots development projects

CHILDREN’S INTERNATIONAL SUMMER VILLAGES

http://www.cisv.org

CISV is a unique youth exchange organization. CISV evolved from a firm conviction that lasting peace is possible if individuals and groups can learn to live together as friends. For CISV, the key to making this vision a reality, was to start working with children and youth.

Useful Listserves

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Youth-at-UNA-Canada/

A one-way information channel that allows its subscribers to stay informed of the opportunities and resources for young people in Canada through the United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada).

WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

http://groups.takingitglobal.org/WSSD-YouthCaucus

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development NGO Youth Caucus list serve which was created during the Earth Summit+5 in 1997 to connect the youth and students from every region of the globe who are working around environmental issues at an international policy level.

Ecology Action Centre

Are you interested in taking action on Built Environment, Coastal, Energy, Food, Marine, Transportation, Wilderness and Climate Change issues? A lot of the work the EAC does is through committees dedicated to these topics (except Climate Change which is part of all of the topics). Check out their website to find out when the committees meet.

Also go to here to see their volunteer page and fill out a volunteer form. You will need to go to an orientation session before rolling up your sleeves and starting on a project with these guys.

On the volunteer page, click through to current volunteer opportunities to check out some examples of what you might do to volunteer. If you have any questions call one of their volunteer organizers, Jocelyn Knoester at 429-2202 or email her at communications(at)ecologyaction.ca.

Nova Scotia Nature Trust

Check out their web link to their volunteer page here.

Current Volunteer Opportunities at the Nature Trust

Are you a photographer? Check out their wishlist of nature photos here.

Field positions:

Rare Plant Monitors: assist with our Endangered Species project, by gathering data on populations of rare Atlantic Coastal Plain flora occurring both on our properties and on other properties in southwest Nova Scotia. This work is done in the summer, and training and forms are provided for interested volunteers

Property Guardians: These volunteers assist with our land stewardship program, by visiting our conservation lands throughout the year and reporting back to the Land Stewardship Coordinator. This work can happen throughout the year, on the volunteer’s schedule, using forms provided by the Nature Trust. Training is provided during the summer for new interested property guardians.

General Field Volunteers: There are a number of other volunteers stewardship activities, including invasive species removal, shorelines cleanups and trail work, for volunteers interested in getting outside and helping out.

Professional Field Volunteers: we could use ecologists, geologist and surveyors especially, to help with baselines, mining assessments and surveying. These (and other) professionals are welcome to contact the Nature Trust if they would like to volunteer their time and expertise.

Office/Fundraising/PR positions:

There are also a number of opportunities for volunteers to help out in the office, and on committees. Some of these require that they volunteer is available during business hours, but others are more flexible. Currently, the following volunteer jobs are waiting to be filled and there will be some more in the New Year.                                                                                                        

• Someone to take regular stock of our merchandize and reorder when necessary
• Volunteers to come into the office regularly to undertake a variety of small projects to help things stay organized around the office
• Newsletter volunteers – writers especially, but also photographers and layout (layout requires experience with Adobe InDesign)
• Volunteers to help manage the volunteer program (help with volunteer intake procedures, and volunteer appreciation)
• Help with Facebook and website updates
• Help with getting our YouTube channel completed and looking good
• Help with regular brochures distribution around the province
• Event volunteers (to man our booth at events organized by other groups, to help with NT events etc.)
• Volunteers interested in helping with grant writing
• PR committee: PR, Marketing, Communications, Graphic design, and video editing professionals especially needed
• Fundraising volunteers: these volunteers would help with fundraising events, such as Aveda Earth Month and the Blue Nose Marathon, but would also help us to come up with other fun fundraising ideas and perhaps connect with other groups in our community who might want to fundraise for us (i.e. schools, university student groups, other community organizations).

Contact: Nicole Arsenault the Volunteer Coordinator at 902.425.5263                    Photo Credit: Joanna Tagert

nicole(at)nsnt.ca / www.nsnt.ca / Become a fan on Facebook!