Overview:
A Peer Supporter with Badge of Life Canada plays a crucial role in providing emotional and psychological support to Public Safety Personnel (police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers, nurses, military personnel) and their families who are experiencing operational stress injuries (OSI) such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Peer Supporters create a safe, confidential, and empathetic space for individuals to share their experiences, challenges, and feelings without judgment. Through lived experience and understanding, they help others navigate mental health challenges, build resilience, and find a path to recovery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Offer Emotional Support: Provide a non-judgmental and compassionate environment for individuals to express their feelings and challenges.
• Active Listening: Use active listening skills to understand the concerns of participants, ensuring they feel heard and validated.
• Share Lived Experience: Draw upon personal experiences in the public safety or military field (or from supporting a loved one in this field) to connect with participants, offering hope and encouragement.
• Promote Mental Wellness Resources: Help participants access additional mental health resources and services as needed, including therapy, counseling, and Badge of Life Canada’s educational programs.
• Confidentiality: Maintain the confidentiality of all discussions and interactions in accordance with Badge of Life Canada's policies.
• Collaborate with Professionals: Work closely with mental health professionals, facilitators, and the Badge of Life Canada team to ensure participants receive the best possible support.
• Provide Crisis Intervention: Recognize signs of crisis in participants and, if necessary, escalate the situation to appropriate professionals for further intervention.

Training and Support:
Badge of Life Canada provides comprehensive training to all Peer Supporters. Our training program equips you with the tools and skills needed to effectively support individuals dealing with operational stress injuries. This includes training in:

• Active listening techniques
• Crisis intervention and de-escalation
• Recognizing signs of OSI and PTSD
• Confidentiality and ethical boundaries
• Best practices for peer support in a public safety context

Ongoing support and supervision will be provided to ensure Peer Supporters have access to guidance and resources while serving in their roles.

Qualifications:

• Lived experience as a Public Safety Personnel, military member, or as a family member of someone in these roles.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to actively listen.
• Empathy, patience, and a non-judgmental attitude.
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethical standards.
• Willingness to participate in all required training sessions.

Commitment:
Peer Supporters are asked to dedicate time to facilitate or participate in peer support meetings, either virtually or in person, on a regular basis (typically weekly or bi-weekly). Flexibility in schedule is important, as meetings may vary depending on participant needs.

Impact:
As a Peer Supporter with Badge of Life Canada, you will play a vital role in helping individuals and families cope with the challenges of operational stress injuries. Your support can make a meaningful difference in their mental health journey, providing them with hope, strength, and a path toward healing.

This is a remote volunteer position supporting the Guelph-Wellington Community. All shifts and training are completed remotely, therefore, residence in Guelph-Wellington is not a requirement for this position.

Responsibilities:

• Complete inbound and outbound calls with service users residing in the county
• Complete safety/wellness checks, provide medication reminders, and engage in social conversations with vulnerable populations
• Assist with crisis intervention, when presented
• Utilize a strengths-based, solution-focused approach
• Provide external resources and referrals to service users 
• Complete case documentation of all interactions with service users

Community volunteers are trained to work as part of a team to assist victims of crime or tragedy by providing emotional support, practical assistance and community referrals. Support can be on-site or by phone. Referrals are from police and community agencies.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network provides bereavement support at no cost to families who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy at any stage, or the death of their baby, up to 12 months of age. We currently have volunteer opportunities for people who are approximately two years past their bereavement date and are looking for meaningful ways to offer their support to others. We are actively training peer supporters for private online bereavement support groups and one-to-one phone support.

Kids Help Phone’s texting service is the only free, 24/7 bilingual text line for people in Canada. The service is delivered by trained, volunteer crisis responders who work remotely. 

We are recruiting overnight and or bilingual crisis responders who will answer texts from young people looking for support in both English AND French.

The volunteer position will be remote, meaning that you can participate from anywhere in Canada as long you have a strong, reliable internet connection!  

Our volunteers need to be enthusiastic about helping people!

You can be a professional, student, teacher, retiree, or anybody else with a willingness to learn how to support people over text.  

The role of a crisis responder is to bring texters from a “hot” moment to a cool calm one, and to help them come up with a plan to stay healthy and safe.

Crisis responders are trained to do this using active listening and collaborative problem-solving.

Positions include:
• Shopper/cooks: Develop menu, shop within budget, cook meal - 12 Noon-5:30 pm
• Prep/set-up: Prepare meal and set up hall - 2 pm-3:30 pm
• Servers: Greet community members, serve meal - 4 pm-7 pm
• Clean-up: Clean up after meal - 5:30 pm-7 pm

• Empathetic listeners who are able to provide inclusive, non-judgmental support to callers representing a variety of ages, identities, and concerns
• Call centre operates 24/7, and we actively recruit both day and night shifts
• Day shifts are 4 hours
• Overnight shifts are 8 hours

On-site Volunteer at Earl Rowe Provincial Park, Alliston

• Help people with disabilities kayak and canoe
• Check paperwork, PFDs and other equipment
• If volunteer wishes to assist on water we will train canoe or kayak for a small fee, adaptive training is free

Off-site Volunteer

• Help with office administration including record keeping, spreadsheets, grant writing, Board of Directors

• Demonstrated experience required (paid or volunteer) 

• Have a clear understanding of gender based violence and associated trauma 

• Listen to clients to assess their needs and recommend resources to meet those needs 

• Work with Program Manager to ensure the application of effective Program Planning 

• Share our passion and dedication to making a real difference in the lives of women (particularly BIPOC) who have experienced trauma through domestic violence and/or human trafficking 

• Deliver to a high standard, in often challenging circumstances, both ethically and professionally and are able to work collaboratively in a culturally diverse organization 

• You will demonstrate a commitment to the organization's mission and values
 

• Demonstrated experience required (paid or volunteer) 
 

• Designing, Planning and Implementing the Health Promotion Campaigns within the house and/or community 
 

• Have a clear understanding of the traumatic effects of domestic violence and/or human trafficking on an individual 
 

• Listen to clients to assess their needs and recommend resources to meet those needs 
 

• Assist in monitoring the physical and mental health of the clients 
 

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and efficiently with minimal supervision 
 

• Share our passion and dedication to making a real difference in the lives of women (particularly BIPOC women) who have experienced trauma through domestic violence and/or human trafficking 
 

• Deliver to a high standard, in pften challenging circumstances, both ethically and professionally and are able to work collaboratively in a culturally diverse organization 
 

• You will demonstrate a commitment to the organization's missions and values
 

Integral part of ensuring that staff and volunteers are looked after in a professional and open way. The HR Specialist will act as a catalyst when handling disputes and ensuring that policies and legislation are being followed. Working collaboratively with other members of the team, the HR Specialist will work toward the following as a volunteer: 

• Demonstrated experience required (paid or volunteer) 
• Have a clear understanding of domestic violence, human trafficking and associated trauma 
• CHRP designate is an asset 
• Solid understanding of labour legislation and employee recruitment 
• Maintaining updated employee and volunteer records 
• Support the staff culture 
• Working with staff and volunteers to ensure that policy is being interpreted and executed in the manner for which it was intended 
• Able to manage and implement conflict resolution practices where required 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and efficiently with minimal supervision 
• Share our passion and dedication to making a real difference in the lives of women (particularly BIPOC women) who have experienced trauma through domestic violence and/or human trafficking 
• Deliver to a high standard in often challenging circumstances, both ethically and professionally are able to work collaboratively in a culturally diverse organization 
• You will demonstrate a commitment to the organization's mission and values

• Demonstrated experience required (paid or volunteer) 
 

• Liaising with local programs, police social service agencies and the community when required, to promote the program, exchange information to build and maintain a cooperative alliance 
 

• Have a clear understanding of human trafficking and associated trauma 
 

• Listen to clients to assess their needs and recommend resources that meet those needs 
 

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and efficiently with minimal supervision 
 

• Work with the Program Manager to ensure the application of effective Programming 
 

• Share our passion and dedication to making a real difference in the lives of women (particularly BIPOC Women) who have experienced trauma through domestic violence and/or human trafficking 
 

• Deliver to a high standard, in often challenging circumstances, both ethically and professionally and are able to work collaboratively in a culturally diverse organization 
 

• You will demonstrate a commitment to the organization's mission and values
 

• Demonstrated experience required (paid or volunteer) 

• Liaising with local programs, social service agencies and the community when required, to promote the program, exchange information and establish and maintain a cooperative alliance 

• Have a clear understanding of domestic violence, human trafficking and associated trauma 

• Liaise with the organization's specialists and coordinators to design programs that meet the needs of the clients 

• Work with staff and volunteers to ensure the application of effective program planning 

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and efficiently with minimal supervision 

• Share our passion and dedication to making a real difference in the lives of women (particularly BIPOC women) who have experienced trauma through domestic violence and/or human trafficking 

• Deliver to a high standard, in often challenging circumstances, both ethically and professionally and are able to work collaboratively in a culturally diverse organization 

• You will demonstrate a commitment to the organization's mission and values
 

Volunteers work with Alzheimer Society Family Support Coordinators in 1) a morning Support Group, 2) an afternoon Support Group or 3) an evening Support Group, depending upon the community.

Share your love of reading and comfort with Zoom meetings, by facilitating a small online book club for people with development disabilities.  This role promotes literacy, community interaction and building relationships.  

As a Book Club Facilitator you will manage the weekly Zoom meetings (admitting members, sharing screens, assigning cohosts etc.) as well as assign Individual readers, plan sessions and read some of the chosen text to/with the group.

This group usually focusses on one book per season and works slowly through chapters, reading together and discussing.

This group meets virtually every Tuesday from 6-7 pm, therefore the Facilitator would need to commit about 1.5 hours each Tuesday and perhaps an additional 30 - 60 minutes weekly for planning.

About Bridget’s Bunnies

Bridget's Bunnies is a registered charity that supports individuals and families who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss. Bridget’s Bunnies works to ensure no one endures pregnancy or infant loss alone. Bridget’s Bunnies relies on volunteers, individual donations, Bridget’s Run and grants to sustain its programs and services including Comfort Kits and Little Loss Library. 

Title: Bunny Makers

If you’re a crafter or knitter, join our community of Bunny Makers for a good cause! Bunny Makers meet monthly to chat and crochet together from 4:00-6:00 pm at Bridget’s Bunnies office (65 Cedar Pointe Dr. unit 811A, Barrie). This is also a time to refresh knitting/crocheting supplies and continue crocheting in the comfort of your own home. Bunny Maker volunteers make Pocket Pals, crocheted or knitted bunnies for our Comfort Kit program. All materials are provided for free of charge and we ask that finished bunnies and unused materials be donated back to Bridget’s Bunnies. 

Hours: 2-10 hours a month (flexible)
Location: In-person/remote

Roles and Responsibilities:

•    Crochet or knit a bunny/pocket pal according to Bridget’s Bunnies patterns and instructions
•    Only take what you need and ensure to return any unused supplies
•    Return completed bunnies within a month of completion as these bunnies are needed for the Comfort Kit program
•    Opportunity to join the online community to share tips, tricks and make fellow crafter friends
•    Opportunity to gather monthly for an in-person tea, chat and crocheting event at Bridget’s Bunnies office. 

Volunteers would be required to provide support to individuals on a helpline or chat service who have experienced sexual trauma, violence and or assault. A 30 hour training course and interview is to be completed before starting on the helpline and chat service. 

Volunteers will be responsable for meeting with a clients weekly or bi-weekly to add enrichment to peoples lives. Clients are blind or have vision loss to some degree, which often requires adpaments to life. Volunteers are required to socialse with them and add normal contact back in their lives after the effects of the pandemic. They can go for walks, visit community gardens, really anything the pair would enjoy. The requirement are up to the two people who are paired. 

• Initial Session: Conduct an opening session with the child and parents to develop a personalized tutoring plan.

• Planning and Scheduling: Schedule and organize all tutoring sessions in coordination with the participant and program coordinator.

• Session Management: Direct sessions to build on skills the child is learning in school and provide one-on-one tutoring.

• Communication: Maintain regular communication with administrative staff to ensure satisfaction of both parents and the child.

• Student Engagement: Communicate with students to understand their learning needs and create engaging, interactive learning experiences.

• Academic Support: Educate students on various subjects, assist with homework assignments and test preparation, and support understanding of numeracy and/or literacy concepts using the Ontario curriculum.

• Strategy Development: Develop and implement strategies tailored to students with learning disabilities and ADHD, focusing on enhancing academic skills and self-confidence.

• Progress Monitoring: Track and document student progress, providing feedback and adjusting methods as needed.

• Training and Development: Attend virtual training sessions and meetings as required to stay updated on best practices and program guidelines.

• Confidentiality: Ensure all student information and records are kept confidential and handled with care.