The Volunteer Placement Service opened on April 9, 1984, in a small office in the basement of Victoria Park Pavilion in Kitchener. In 1985 it became incorporated and a registered charity. The City of Waterloo, the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo have supported the centre from its inception. The centre was the first and only recipient of the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation grant of $5,000 in their first granting year. In 1988, the Centre became a United Way Member agency.
By 1988, it was clear that the centre had become more than a placement agency. The organization changed its name to the Volunteer Action Centre of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area Inc. This change was made to reflect the agency’s overall coordinating function in the community. Beyond its recruitment and referral role, the centre has always found innovative and creative ways to partner with post-secondary schools, corporations, the City of Kitchener, the City of Waterloo, and the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, providing a voice for volunteers and volunteerism at planning tables at all levels of government.
In 2005, the centre launched its new interactive website,
www.volunteerkw.ca. The website not only increased the capacity to connect potential volunteers with volunteer opportunities but also the capacity of all the programs at the centre. In the fiscal year 2008-2009, we reached over 16,700 potential volunteers and delivered 12 professional development workshops.
Today, we serve 170 charities and not-for profit organizations in the community that represent arts and culture, health, social services, education, the environment and more. These organizations and the added value of support from volunteers and the Volunteer Action Centre, help make Waterloo Region a community in which people want to live, work and raise families.
The Volunteer Action Centre has always been a leader and innovator in the social sector. We continue to explore and develop new and exciting ways to advocate for volunteerism through the innovative use of technology and our ever-evolving programs and events.
25 years of accomplishments…
- Hosted the first volunteer fair in Ontario in 1986
- Established one of the first Corporate Councils in Canada;
- Introduced the Young Leaders of Tomorrow program that trained youth to take on an active role in the community in early 1990s;
- Assumed responsibility for the delivery of the first Volunteer Leadership Development Program. Leadership Waterloo Region is the outcome of this program;
- Wrote a Report on Family Volunteerism sponsored by the Voluntary Action Directorate of the Secretary of State, Canada. This report was distributed to 8,000 non-profit organizations across Canada;
- Was a central organization in the creation and implementation of the Ready! Get Set! Volunteer! Program funded by The Ontario Trillium Foundation, offering supportive volunteering for persons with disabilities;
- Hosted the first local Leadership Café, following the World Leadership Café. The purpose was to provide participants with an opportunity to share their experiences as community leaders;
- Led the first Change the World- Ontario Youth Challenge within Kitchener-Waterloo in 2009;
- Hosted the first Volunteer Speed Matching event in Kitchener-Waterloo in 2009;
- Developed the Volunteer Readiness Training program, a one-of-a-kind program for actively engaging New Canadians as volunteers.
For more about our 25 years of achievement and support to our community click here.
Last Updated: 07/08/2009
