6 Manitoba
By Todd Lewys
W
hen it comes to
volunteering, Canadians
have the market cornered.
That said, the COVID-19
pandemic dramatically changed the
landscape for volunteerism in Canada.
Today, roughly three years after
the pandemic started, non-profit
organizations are still feeling its effects.
For perhaps the first time ever, they are
having a hard time finding volunteers.
This finding comes on the heels of a 2018
Stats Canada study that found 24 million
people aged 15 or older — or 79 per cent of
the population — volunteered during that
calendar year.
Roughly five years later, that's no longer
the case.
"Late last year, 65 per cent of non-profits
reported a shortage of new volunteers,
while 50 per cent reported problems
with volunteer retention," says Kamillah
El-Giadaa, training and development
manager for Volunteer Manitoba. "This is
having a significant impact on the sector's
paid workforce."
The Volunteer Manitoba team includes Kamillah El-Giadaa, training and development manager;
Gloria Dovoh, community relations co-ordinator; and Ashley Seymour, executive director. Photo by Darcy Finley
Continued on page 8
The value
of volunteers
VOLUNTEER MANITOBA
