What makes a volunteer? Well for one single mother it involves courage, commitment and the love of helping. Why would one volunteer? To be involved in your community and to make a difference in one organization. The Horizon Youth Program housed at the Aboriginal Resource Centre is happy to accept new volunteers. Volunteering can be fun and educational. It increases your work experience and helps you to see what careers interest you in that field.

Here in Calgary we have many Aboriginal agencies that can benefit from the skills you bring to their agency. The Aboriginal Resource Centre is one of many Aboriginal agencies that appreciate their volunteers. There are many other agencies in and around Calgary that work with Aboriginal people as well. If you're unsure of where you want to volunteer, be sure of what interests you and go from there. If you want to work with Aboriginal people but are unsure of which agency to chose, always remember to research. There are non-Aboriginal focused agencies that work with Aboriginal people as well.

People volunteer for many reasons, for example to help the community you live in or to find a sense of purpose in the big city. You may want to improve your resume or gain experience in a field of interest to you. Either way, volunteers are important to the agency or organization they help. Volunteering is a wonderful way to build your reference list. If you have not worked before, your reference list may be limited. With volunteering you might be able to use those people who you work with as references. When you do a great job volunteering it shows that you can do a great job working.

The work ethics and skills acquired, while volunteering, can last an entire lifetime. By giving your time, you are helping to make a difference in other people's lives. That level of commitment is one quality that employers look for. When you volunteer, the joy of helping others can be overwhelming so be sure you are volunteering for the right organization. Check out our Volunteer Calgary link as they can connect you with any type of volunteer interests you have. Don't forget your local community, churches, not-for-profit organizations, clubs or youth groups when thinking of places to volunteer.

Remember to find an organization that you're interested in and that you can benefit from. For example, if you want to work to make a difference try the Mustard Seed, Exit, Red Cross, the Interfaith Food Bank or Wood's homes. Remember that you may be required to complete a police records check and a child welfare records check, depending on the level of volunteering you will do. Volunteering in society is a great way to gain experience and to build skills or a resume.